Titans' First Half vs. Ravens: 1 Poor Decision on Goal Line Tanks Tennessee's Chances

The Titans' offense looked new and improved against the Ravens in the first half, until it came to a pivotal goal-line decision that Brian Daboll got wrong.

Oct 4, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At 24-7, the Tennessee Titans first half started promisingly and went quickly sour. Robert Saleh's 0-3 team is still in this game, but battles like these are decided in between the lines.

Tennessee has caused some disruption (credit to Jacob Martin, Marcus Harris, and Jermaine Johnson for two sacks) to give the offense chances to produce, and that Titans' offense looks a little better today - save for Carnell Tate's late-half fumble. That's another complaint for another day.

However, when push came to shove midway through the second quarter and the Titans had a chance to tie on the goal line, OC Brian Daboll decided to run with Tony Pollard five straight times. Small gain gave way to small gain, and Pollard ultimately came up short on fourth down.

Baltimore then got the ball on a turnover on downs, marched down the field, and scored on a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews. Everyone has been harping on the Titans' offense to take more risks heading into Week 4, and it's not that there's an issue with going for it on fourth down. But running the same guy up the gut over, and over, and over again... well, that's bound to result the way it did.

What could've been a 14-14 contest went the opposite direction in a matter of minutes. Daboll deserves the whole of the blame in this instance, and that one call could be the reason the Titans can't get out of a hole today.

Ravens defense holds strong at the goal line!

TENvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+
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— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

Brian Daboll may have buried Titans with puzzling play call

Although, this outcome isn't necessarily surprising. It was a goal-line interception in the fourth quarter that lost the Titans last week's game against the New York Giants. Call it cold feet in the booth or hesitancy in the huddle, but in trying to play it safer in scoring position, Tennessee lost out entirely.

This isn't even an argument that the Titans should've thrown on fourth down. It is, however, an argument that the passing game should've been used at some point in those five plays to throw the defense off.

Setting aside Ward's fluke interception on the first drive of the game, his 135 first-half yards represents the highest mark through two quarters this season. Pollard's 13 carries for 38 yards and a score on the ground have helped define a bettered offense up to now.

But it's almost as if the Titans got too comfortable that something was finally working in the first half. Daboll leaned on it too heavily at the worst possible time, and Tennessee's odds reversed in the aftermath.

We've still got two quarters, but don't be surprised if this is a decision we're regretfully revisiting in the coming week if Tennessee comes up short.