The Baltimore Ravens got back on track with a win in London on Sunday as they defeated the Tennessee Titans 24-16. Baltimore built an 18-3 halftime lead, but the Titans came storming back with a 10-point third quarter. However, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in the second half, and was carted to the locker room. Second-year signal-caller Malik Willis replaced him under center, but could not pull off the comeback.
Lamar Jackson completed 21 of 30 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the victory, and added 62 yards on the ground. Mark Andrews led Baltimore in receiving with 69 yards on four receptions, and rookie wideout Zay Flowers caught his first career touchdown to go along with 50 receiving yards on six catches. Justin Tucker starred for Baltimore, converting all six field-goal attempts en route to the win.
Tannehill threw for just 76 yards and one interception before leaving the game. He was seen limping in between plays after suffering the injury, but eventually exited early in the fourth quarter. Derrick Henry had a strong performance with 97 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while rookie running back Tyjae Spears led Tennessee in receiving with 48 yards on a single reception.
Let's take a look at what went down in London on Sunday.
Why the Ravens won
The Ravens were the better team offensively in Week 6. Baltimore racked up 360 yards of total offense, went 8 of 16 on third downs and controlled time of possession 35:42 to 24:18. Baltimore did struggle in the red zone, going 1 of 6, but the Ravens have the best kicker in the league in Justin Tucker -- and they certainly used him. Tucker tied a career-high with six made field goals -- accounting for 18 of Baltimore's 24 total points.
It wasn't the cleanest outing, but the Ravens were more effective offensively, and that's what decided the game.
Why the Titans lost
Tennessee entered Week 6 with the ninth-worst offense in terms of yards per game (293.6 yards), and the seventh-worst scoring offense (17.6 points per game). It certainly showed on Sunday. The Titans recorded 233 yards of total offense and scored one touchdown. Tennessee managed just three points in the first two quarters, and this unit is not built to come from behind.
DeAndre Hopkins caught just one of five targets for 20 yards, as Tennessee's passing attack was virtually nonexistent. It says a lot when your leading receiver made just ONE reception all game. Henry rushed the ball just 12 times on Sunday despite averaging 8.1 yards per carry, and his usage is certainly something that's going to be a talking point this week. The Titans' offense clearly needs help, in more ways than one.
Turning point
There was definitely a turning point in the third quarter, when the Titans converted a field goal and then picked off Jackson just two plays afterwards. Tennessee utilized the short field, as Henry punched in a 15-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to five points. After the Ravens then went three-and-out, it was clear momentum was shifting. However, that's when Tannehill injured that right ankle.
Pinning the turning point on this ankle injury sounds too easy, but Tannehill admitted after the game that he basically took himself out because he couldn't step forward in his throwing motion. That's what happened with this interception late in the third quarter:
Play of the game
Titans rookie running back Tyjae Spears has established himself as one of Mike Vrabel's favorite players, and he's a name NFL fans will know about very soon.
This play kept the Titans in the game late in the fourth quarter, and made him the Titans' leading receiver on the day. It's almost a shame Spears couldn't make it into the end zone.
What's next
The Titans are one of the lucky teams this year that get their bye after their trip overseas, so they will be off next Sunday. As for the Ravens, they return to Baltimore to host Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions.