Derrick Henry delivers walk-off TD in OT as Titans top Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans started their feisty battle prior to kickoff and needed more than four quarters to decide a winner.
In the end, the determined play of Ravens killer Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown was the difference, as the Titans won in overtime, 30-24.
Brown’s late heroics forced overtime, and Henry’s 29-yard touchdown run in OT won it for Tennessee.
The game held major playoff implications, as both teams entered Sunday on the fringes of the postseason despite sporting matching 6-3 marks before kickoff. At 6-4, the Ravens — who have now lost three of their past four — find themselves in third place in the AFC North behind the 10-0 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 7-3 Cleveland Browns.
That’s two straight dramatic wins for the Titans head-to-head against the Ravens, as they also beat Baltimore in January in the divisional round of the playoffs. Henry also got the best of the Ravens on that night, rushing 30 times for 195 yards.
Tense game amplified with pregame scuffle
Before the game started, there was tension. Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler got the festivities underway as he started jawing with Ravens head coach John Harbaugh at midfield during warmups. That led to Titans head coach Mike Vrabel getting involved, and Vrabel and Harbaugh exchanged heated words.
Things settled down once the game started, but even Ravens QB Lamar Jackson managed to give Butler a shove after the Ravens made it 21-10. That was when Jackson hit Mark Andrews for a pretty 31-yard TD pass and looked to be in control of the game.
But the Titans had some fight in them.
Early in the fourth quarter, trailing 21-13, Vrabel kicked a field goal, passing on a fourth-and-2 attempt from the Baltimore 4. It looked like a questionable decision, but the Titans forced the Ravens to punt for the first time since the first quarter and got the ball back with 7:43 remaining.
The Titans got two huge receptions from Brown — a 25-yarder and then a 14-yard score in which he broke at least four tackle attempts. Brown powered his way into the end zone to give the Titans their first lead since the first quarter, trailing as much as 11 points midway through the third quarter.
The two-point conversion made it 24-21, Titans, with 2:18 remaining.
The Ravens drove 65 yards in just over two minutes to tie it with a Justin Tucker field goal, sending it to OT. Baltimore had a chance to win, running three plays prior to that in the red zone.
The Titans held Baltimore on its only offensive possession of overtime.
And then Henry took over.
Slow start for Henry
The Titans took the ball on their opening drive 79 yards, gaining five first downs and grabbing a 7-0 lead when Ryan Tannehill hit Jonnu Smith for a 1-yard TD pass. The Titans would not get in the end zone again until Brown’s TD near the end of regulation.
The Ravens bottled up Henry early, holding him to 2 yards or fewer on 11 of his first 13 carries. Ravens safety DeShon Elliott even knocked Henry out of the game for a few plays with a big hit in the second half.
But Henry gained strength from there, finishing with 133 rushing yards on 28 carries, plus the game-winner.
Brown had four grabs for 62 yards and the impressive touchdown. Corey Davis led the way for the Titans with five catches for 113 yards.
Tannehill completed 22 of 31 passes for 259 yards, two TDs and one interception. He also ran four times for 35 yards, including a key first down on the final drive of regulation, and called his own number on the two-point conversion.
The Ravens had only 306 yards of offense but were held out of the end zone for the final 34-plus minutes of the game.
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