Two franchises that spent the winter tearing it down meet in Week 4, with Robert Saleh trying to fix Tennessee and Jesse Minter trying to fix Baltimore's defense before it costs Lamar Jackson another shot.
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SUN OCT 4 · 1:00 PM ET
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Titans
Ravens
Best BetRavens -380
Jackson and Henry give Baltimore a proven top-end offense that Tennessee simply doesn't have yet, even accounting for the price you're paying. The Ravens missed the playoffs last year, but that was more about a shaky defense than the offense sputtering, and a new defensive-minded head coach addresses exactly that. Back Baltimore to win, even at a short number.
Titans
+Cam Ward drawing rare positive camp reviews
+New OC Daboll installing modern scheme
−Coming off a league-worst 3-14 season
−Ward took league-high 55 sacks last year
Ravens
+Lamar Jackson, proven MVP-caliber talent
+Henry expected for full workload, bigger passing role
−Missed playoffs at 8-9, fired Harbaugh
−Defense finished 24th in yards allowed
This one's really about two young-ish quarterback situations pointed in opposite directions. Cam Ward has been the story of Titans camp under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, drawing praise for arm talent and command that observers say hasn't been around Nashville since prime Ryan Tannehill. Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, is adjusting to a new scheme of his own under first-year coordinator Declan Doyle and battled an illness that kept him out of the first few days of camp before he strung together one of his sharper practices, hitting 11 of 12 throws in a session that included a 40-yard connection with Rashod Bateman.
The O-line picture is the thing to watch in Tennessee. Ward absorbed a league-high 55 sacks last season, and the Titans only made modest additions up front this offseason, with right tackle JC Latham working back from an injury that kept him out of OTAs and minicamp. Baltimore's issue runs the other direction: its defense finished 24th in yards allowed a year ago, and Minter, a defensive-minded hire out of the Chargers' staff, is now tasked with installing his own system before the games start mattering.
Both rosters are still being built in real time. Baltimore missed the playoffs at 8-9 and fired John Harbaugh, while Tennessee finished a league-worst 3-14 and fired Brian Callahan in-season before landing Saleh. Neither team is walking into this one as the same group it'll be by Week 4 — Ravens fans should watch how the run game evolves, since Derrick Henry is expected to get his usual workload but also a bigger role in the passing attack this season.
Tennessee Titans
Baltimore Ravens
There's real distance between now and kickoff in Baltimore. The Titans still have to get through joint practices and two preseason games, plus a season-opening stretch against the Jets, Eagles and Giants, before this one; the Ravens have their own preseason slate against the Eagles, Vikings and Commanders, then open the year with the Colts, Saints and Cowboys. Whatever health picture and depth-chart order exists today is a rough draft, not a final answer.
Tennessee Titans
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Baltimore Ravens
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Strip away the record book and this is a matchup of two coaching staffs trying to prove their offseason bets were right — Saleh betting his defensive background can speed up Ward's development, Minter betting his can be the difference for a Ravens team that has had no shortage of talent and no shortage of near-misses.
