Ravens vs. Titans: Derrick Henry Haunts His Old Team as Lamar Jackson's Ankle Clouds a Week 4 Win

For one half, the Baltimore Ravens looked like the team that was supposed to feast on a winless visitor: Derrick Henry bullying the franchise he left, Lamar Jackson carving up a secondary in the drizzle, and Tyler Loop launching a 64-yard field goal that ended the half like a mic drop. Then everybody in purple spent two quarters staring at the tunnel, waiting on word about their quarterback's ankle.

The Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans 24-18 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, improving to 3-1 and snapping a four-game home losing streak that dated to last season. But they never scored again after Jackson got hurt on a sack one snap before Loop's kick, and the 0-4 Titans crept within six before Malaki Starks pulled down their onside kick to end it.

The First Half Was a Purple Highlight Package

Tennessee's afternoon went sideways on its second offensive snap. Cam Ward tried to flip a pass to Tony Pollard, the ball slipped through Pollard's arms, and Trenton Simpson grabbed his first career interception. Five plays later, on fourth-and-1, Henry ran straight through safety Kevin Winston Jr. and into the end zone from 5 yards out. Against the team he walked away from in free agency. Of course he did.

The Titans deserve credit for punching back. A team that managed eight first-half first downs in its first three games, according to the Ravens, piled up eight in the first quarter alone, and a 10-play, 70-yard march ended with Pollard's 3-yard run to tie it at 7.

Baltimore answered like a contender. Jackson fit a 19-yard touchdown to Zay Flowers into a window the size of a mail slot with rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. glued to his hip. After a goal-line stand, the offense went 98 yards in eight plays, and Jackson's 3-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews made it 21-7.

In the final minute, Carnell Tate hauled in a 33-yard catch, then Kyle Hamilton punched it free and Starks recovered. On the ensuing drive, Jackson's ankle appeared to roll under Titans defensive end Jermaine Johnson as Johnson finished off a sack. Loop drilled the 64-yarder as time expired, and the Ravens went to the locker room up 24-7 with their quarterback already headed there ahead of them.

Tyler Huntley took every snap after halftime. Baltimore's first four possessions of the second half ended in punts and the fifth in a 40-yard Loop miss wide left. Tennessee chipped away with a Joey Slye 33-yard field goal, then Ward's 3-yard scoring toss to Wan'Dale Robinson at the 1:12 mark and a two-point throw to Gunnar Helm. Starks smothered the onside kick, and the kneel-downs did the rest.

Henry, Flowers and a Titans Rookie Worth Your Attention

Henry's 73 yards on 23 carries won't trend, but the touchdown carried weight. Per the Ravens, nobody had piled up seven rushing touchdowns through the first four games of a season since Devonta Freeman in 2015. Now Henry has. Tennessee, meanwhile, is 6-32 since he left before the 2024 season, according to the AP.

Jackson was surgical before the injury: 15 of 20 for 222 yards, two touchdowns and a 144.2 passer rating. Flowers did almost all of his damage before the break and finished with eight catches for 118 yards, including grabs of 52 and 23 yards. Andrews sounded like his hype man afterward.

"Wide receiver one, man. He's so good. He's so versatile, and each and every game is so explosive," Andrews said.

On the other side, Tate had the best receiving day of anyone on the field, Flowers included. The Tennessee rookie caught nine passes for 145 yards on 12 targets while Ward finished 20 of 31 for 222 yards. The fumble stings, but the tape will look awfully good to anyone in Nashville searching for reasons to believe.

The Goal-Line Wall That Flipped It

The real swing came with Baltimore up 14-7 in the second quarter. Tennessee marched 73 yards to the Ravens' 2, went for it on fourth-and-goal and called a direct snap to Pollard. Nnamdi Madubuike met him at the line like a bouncer with a strict guest list. Turnover on downs, and Baltimore immediately went the length of the field for Andrews' score.

"Obviously, we had the two turnovers that resulted into 10 points, and then the turnover on downs inside the 5," Titans coach Robert Saleh said. "Was a goofy game in that it didn't feel like 24-7 at halftime."

He is right. The Simpson pick became Henry's touchdown, the Tate fumble became Loop's monster kick, and the stop at the 2 became a 98-yard answer.

Stats That Matter

• 64: Loop's career long. According to the Ravens, it ranks second in franchise history and first in the history of M&T Bank Stadium. It came a week after his 56-yard winner against Dallas.
• 13 for 131: Baltimore's penalty tally, which handed Tennessee six first downs by flag.
• 0: Ravens points after halftime. Huntley's 8-of-9, 63-yard afternoon (plus 16 rushing yards) kept the ball safe and the scoreboard frozen.
• 2-of-10: Third-down conversions for both teams. Ugly symmetry.

Baltimore's Season Now Runs Through an Ankle

At 3-1, the Ravens are fine in the standings and nervous everywhere else. Coach Jesse Minter told reporters the team did not know enough yet about Jackson's injury. "Hopefully it's in a good spot," Minter said. A report relayed on the team's website described it as day-to-day.

The injury list did not stop there. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf), guard Andrew Vorhees (foot) and tight end Durham Smythe (Achilles tendon) all got hurt. A Sunday night trip to Atlanta is next, and the split in this one (24 points with Jackson, none without) is the only conversation in Baltimore this week.

Tennessee, now 0-4, hosts Houston next Sunday in a meeting of winless AFC South teams. Saleh found a silver lining. "Offense I thought came out and played with a lot of juice," he said. Juice is nice. Wins are nicer.

Snoop Kept It Simple

Huntley's job was not to be a hero. It was to be the backup quarterback equivalent of a session bassist on a stadium tour: nobody buys a ticket for you, but everybody hears a wrong note. He hit eight of nine and never gave it away.

"It was just take care of the ball," Huntley said. "It was raining, weather, and you know we had the lead, so it was just take care of the ball and just do what I could do for the team."

Minter's review was even shorter. "Proud of 'Snoop' coming in there when his number's called," he said. Baltimore will take the win. It would just like its two-time MVP back before kickoff in Atlanta.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Postgame quotes as reported by the Associated Press and the Baltimore Ravens (baltimoreravens.com), which also supplied additional game notes.