Derrick Henry rushed for 195 yards to lead Tennessee to an upset victory over Baltimore.
Throughout the entirety of the 2019 regular season,
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated the NFL like few singular players ever have. He captivated fans through a combination of elusive, head-turning runs, coupled with timely darts through the air. But on an unseasonably warm Saturday night in Baltimore, Jackson played second fiddle to one of the game's other prolific runners—one who also threw a timely, and surprising, pass through the air.Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing yards during the regular season and bulldozed through the New England Patriots last weekend in the wild-card round. But his performance in No. 6 Tennessee's 28-12 win over No. 1 Baltimore—coupled with Tennessee's stellar defense—brought the Titans to within four quarters of their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. By defeating the Ravens, Tennessee became the first 6-seed to defeat a top seed in the playoffs since 2010.
Throughout the game's first 30 minutes, the Titans did more than just frustrate Jackson's team. Tennessee safety Kevin Byard intercepted Jackson midway through the first quarter on what looked like a surefire Baltimore scoring drive and the Titans recorded their first score of the game (a 12-yard touchdown catch by Jonnu Smith) on the very next possession.
After Baltimore was stopped on fourth-and-1 on the ensuring series, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill threw arguably his best pass of the night, a 45-yard touchdown bomb to wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who had missed the past two games because of a concussion.
Ravens players dropped untimely third-down passes and committed penalties on special teams. They trailed 14-0 for the first time this year, silencing a crowd that entered M&T Bank Stadium dreaming of an imminent Super Bowl title. What was seemingly automatic all season long, became a major challenge for the AFC's No. 1 seed.
After taking a 14-6 lead into the locker room, the Titans didn't let up. With just over 10 minutes to play in the third, Jackson was stopped inside Tennessee's red zone on a fourth-down attempt. But a 66-yard burst by the NFL's leading rusher just plays later put the Titans in position to call a pass play for their RB. With 6:54 to go in the period and Tannehill on the sideline, Henry tossed a jump-pass to WR Corey Davis, extending his team's lead by another seven points.
"He's like one of those guys that kids create on Madden," Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale said of Henry earlier this week. "You shouldn't be that big and be able to run like he does." Or pass like he does, as Saturday's game revealed.
Baltimore failed to score in the third quarter and trailed 28-6 entering the fourth. The Ravens got into the end zone for the first time all game early in the period, but they still couldn't stop Henry and the Titans' attack.
The Alabama product entered Saturday night having recorded six 100-yard games and an NFL-high 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns over his last seven contests. He finished the game with 195 yards rushing, becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 180 yards in three straight games.
"We ain’t gonna do too much talking," Henry told CBS' Evan Washburn after the game. "We just gonna work and believe in each other.”
Throughout the regular season, Jackson was the main component on a team that ranked No. 1 in the NFL with 531 points and set an NFL record with 3,926 yards. But he appeared to be flustered at times on Saturday. While he finished the game with 365 passing yards, one touchdown and 143 yards on the ground, Tennessee had built its 22-point lead by the time Jackson did most of his damage. He threw two interceptions and lost one fumble as well. Jackson will all-but-certainly win the league's MVP award in a few weeks, but he's discussed ad nauseam how winning a Super Bowl was his goal this year. That dream will have to wait another year.
Tannehill, the former No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, is now just 60 minutes away from making a Super Bowl appearance in his former home stadium. He threw for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the win, but his insertion into the team's lineup earlier this year is one reason why Tennessee is on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance.
The 2019 regular season might be remembered for the Louisville product's record-breaking season. But through two weeks of the playoffs, another former Heisman Trophy winner has looked like the league's best player.
The Patriots couldn't stop Henry and neither could the Ravens. Still, Titans fans hope that Henry's best performance of the season has yet to come.
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