Ravens’ first-half burst, capped by Loop’s 64-yarder, holds off Titans 24-18

Second-quarter separation

The shape of the afternoon was set by a sharp Baltimore second quarter. After Derrick Henry opened the scoring with a five-yard touchdown run at 12:09 of the first, Tennessee answered on Tony Pollard’s three-yard run later in the quarter. From there, though, the Ravens found the cleaner finishing that the Titans never matched.

Lamar Jackson pushed Baltimore back in front early in the second, hitting Zay Flowers for a 19-yard touchdown at 12:16. Jackson then found Mark Andrews from three yards out with 3:32 left in the half, and Loop closed the half with the game’s biggest kick, drilling a 64-yarder as the clock hit 0:00. That sequence turned a 7-7 game into a 24-7 Ravens lead in less than a quarter.

Baltimore’s offensive numbers reflected that burst. The Ravens finished with 386 total yards on 59 plays, averaged 6.5 yards per snap and converted all three of their red-zone chances into touchdowns. Jackson was precise rather than busy, completing 15 of 20 passes for 222 yards and two scores, while Tyler Huntley added 63 passing yards on 8-of-9 work to keep the attack moving when called upon.

Flowers stretched the field, and Baltimore had answers around him

Flowers gave the Ravens their most explosive receiving line, finishing with eight catches for 118 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Rashod Bateman added two receptions for 46 yards, Matthew Hibner chipped in 34 yards on two catches, and Andrews paired his touchdown with five receptions overall. Baltimore did not need one overwhelming source of production; it got a layered passing day that kept Tennessee from crowding one target.

Henry’s rushing line was steadier than spectacular, with 73 yards on 23 carries, but the Ravens still produced a balanced 114-yard team ground game. Jackson contributed 20 rushing yards on two attempts, and Huntley added 18 more. Baltimore never ran away from Tennessee on the ground, but it stayed varied enough to support the efficient passing game and finish drives once it reached scoring territory.

The defensive support was not flawless, but it included the game’s cleanest takeaway work. Baltimore finished without a turnover, while Trenton Simpson came away with an interception and a 24-yard return. Ethan Burke supplied the Ravens’ lone sack, and Simpson also led the club with nine total tackles. In a six-point game, simply avoiding the extra mistake mattered.

Tennessee stayed with it, but the margin was made elsewhere

The Titans did not fold after halftime. Joey Slye’s 33-yard field goal cut into the deficit in the third quarter, and Tennessee added eight more points in the fourth to trim the final margin to 24-18. That 11-0 second half gave the scoreboard a much tighter look than the halftime picture suggested, even if the Ravens had already banked the decisive work.

Cam Ward’s stat line showed some useful resistance but not enough efficiency to flip the game. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 181 gross yards, rushed for 27 more and avoided big sack damage, but the passing game produced no touchdown and one interception. Carnell Tate was the clear bright spot, turning 11 targets into eight catches for 112 yards, while Pollard scored once on the ground and led the backs with 48 rushing yards.

The bigger Tennessee problem was conversion. The Titans managed 256 total yards, went 2-for-9 on third down, finished 1-for-3 in the red zone and gave the ball away twice. Those numbers left little room for error, even with strong return work from Chimere Dike, who piled up 126 kick-return yards, and a powerful punting day from Tommy Townsend, who averaged 53.2 yards across five punts. There were useful individual efforts here, but not enough complete possessions.

Our take: Baltimore’s efficiency won, but the penalties kept the door open

This was a reminder that an NFL game can be decided long before the final possession without ever becoming comfortable. Baltimore was plainly better in the categories that usually settle a matchup: more yards, more yards per play, perfect red-zone finishing and no turnovers. That is a sturdy winning formula, and it explains how the Ravens built a 17-point halftime cushion even while converting only 2 of 10 third downs.

The number Baltimore should not ignore is 13 penalties for 131 yards. Tennessee was credited with six first downs by penalty, and that kind of sloppiness is the simplest explanation for why a game the Ravens controlled early became a six-point finish. When an offence scores 24 by halftime and nothing after, discipline starts to matter even more.

For Tennessee, the late push and Tate’s production offered something to build on, but the Titans still spent too much of the day playing from an inefficient script. The Ravens did not bury them with volume; they beat them with sharper execution in the highest-value moments. Loop’s 64-yarder will be the highlight, but Baltimore’s real edge came from the quieter math around it: touchdowns instead of empty red-zone trips, and zero giveaways instead of two.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 12:09

   Derrick Henry 5 Yd Rush (Tyler Loop Kick)

2. Period 1 · 5:56

   Tony Pollard 3 Yd Rush (Joey Slye Kick)

3. Period 2 · 12:16

   Zay Flowers 19 Yd pass from Lamar Jackson (Tyler Loop Kick)

4. Period 2 · 3:32

   Mark Andrews 3 Yd pass from Lamar Jackson (Tyler Loop Kick)

5. Period 2 · 0:00

   Tyler Loop 64 Yd Field Goal

6. Period 3 · 6:52

   Joey Slye 33 Yd Field Goal