NFL Game Summary - Baltimore At Tennessee
POSTED: 4:42 pm CST January 12,
2009
Nashville, TN -- (Sports Network) - Matt Stover's 43-yard field goal with 53 seconds to play lifted the Baltimore Ravens to a 13-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans in an AFC Divisional playoff battle. Baltimore started the winning drive at its own 24 and on its first set of downs faced a 3rd-and-2, but Joe Flacco hit Todd Heap for 23 yards to get the ball across midfield. An 11-yard run by Willis McGahee gave Baltimore another first down, but the team stalled at the Tennessee 25 before Stover's winning kick. "Matt Stover has been in this league for a long time and I'm sure he's lined up for a lot of kicks like that," said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "I don't know how many he probably does know, but he probably remembers every one of them. There's one more to tack on to just a fabulous career for Matt Stover." Tennessee was unable to move the ball after the kickoff and on fourth down Kerry Collins' pass fell incomplete and Baltimore killed off the rest of the clock for the win. The rookie Flacco went 11-for-22 with 161 yards and a touchdown while ex- Titan Derrick Mason had five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown for the Ravens (13-5), who will be on the road next week to face the winner of Sunday's San Diego/Pittsburgh game for the AFC Championship. "It was satisfying because we got the win," said Mason, who spent the first eight years of his career playing for the Titans before joining the Ravens prior to the 2005 season. "I'm so far removed from the team. It's been four years now, but I still love those other guys on the other side of the ball, that coaching staff. They gave me the opportunity to become the player I am today." The Baltimore defense gave up 391 yards to Tennessee, but recovered two fumbles and an interception in its own territory to keep the Titans offense in check. Baltimore made it to the next round game thanks to 27-9 victory over Miami last Sunday. Also, the team extracted a bit of revenge against Tennessee as the Titans defeated the Ravens, 13-10, in Week 5 of the regular season at Baltimore. Collins was 26-for-42 with 281 yards and a pick while Chris Johnson finished the game with 72 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown, but left in the second quarter with a right ankle injury, for the Titans (13-4), who came into the game with the top seed in the AFC. Justin Gage had 10 catches for 135 yards in defeat. "This is a difficult loss for this team, for the fans," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "There was a great deal of hope and excitement. There's nothing I can tell them in that room that will make them feel better right now. This thing's going to linger and last, and we'll overcome it." Late in the third quarter, Baltimore forced a punt from Tennessee and Jim Leonhard returned it 29 yards to give the Ravens the ball at the Tennessee 41. On the second play of the drive, Flacco lofted the ball down the left sideline for Mark Clayton, who was wide open to catch the ball thanks to two Titan defenders crashing into each other, for 37 yards to set up 1st-and-goal. However, the Ravens were unable to punch the ball into the end zone and a 21- yard field goal from Stover gave Baltimore a 10-7 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Tennessee put together a long drive on the ensuing possession, but turnovers continued to plague the team as, on 2nd-and-9 at the Baltimore 13, Alge Crumpler caught a pass out in the right flat, but was nailed at the seven-yard line and coughed up the ball, which Baltimore recovered. However, the Tennessee defense kept Baltimore pinned deep and forced a punt, giving the Titans the ball back at the Baltimore 42. The excellent field position benefited the Titans, as the team was able to get into field goal position and Rob Bironas booted a 27-yarder to tie the game with 4:23 to play. Tennessee scored on its second possession of the game to take the initial lead. On the first play of the drive, Collins dumped the ball out to the left flat for Johnson, who used a move to make one tackler grab air and raced down the left side for 28 yards. A 20-yard pass to Gage set up a 1st-and-goal at the eight-yard line where Johnson punched it in for a 7-0 lead with 4:38 to play in the first. The Ravens, though, answered on their ensuing possession. On the eighth play of the drive just past midfield, Flacco aired out a pass down the right sideline where Mason caught it near the goal line and made it into the end zone for a 48-yard play to tie the game with 1:20 left in the first. The Titans drove into Baltimore territory on their next touch, but failed to convert on a fourth down and the Ravens got the ball back. Baltimore was unable to take advantage of the opportunity and had to punt, but Sam Koch pinned the Titans at their own one-yard line. Tennessee got the ball out of its own end and got it to Baltimore's 32-yard line, but Collins was picked off by Samari Rolle. The Titans defense forced a three-and-out from the Ravens and, after getting the ball back, again drove deep into Baltimore territory, but this time LenDale White fumbled the ball and Baltimore recovered. Flacco then took a knee to end the first half with the score tied at 7-7. After exchanging punts to start the second half, Tennessee got into scoring position and lined up for a 51-yard field goal attempt. Bironas had the distance, but it went just left of the post and the game remained tied.Game Notes:Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs left the game in the second quarter with a sprained shoulder and did not return...Tennessee controlled the ball for over eight minutes longer than the Ravens...The Ravens have won six of the last eight games against the Titans...White finished the game with 45 yards on 15 carries...McGahee led the Ravens rushing attack with 32 yards on 12 carries, as Baltimore finished with 211 yards of offense.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.








