In week 6, I ran the table with a perfect 3-0 mark with my picks for the AFC South division and I was in position to accomplish the feat again in week 7. As predicted, the New Orleans Saints beat up on the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans. With the Jacksonville Jaguars playing against the Baltimore Ravens, I figured another perfect week was in the bag. However, the Jaguars played very well defensively and beat the Ravens 12-7. Despite being in a state of disbelief, I have to put it behind me and look ahead to week 8, where all four teams in the division will face each other.

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans:

Both teams are coming off disappointing losses from last week. With first place on the line in the division, the Titans were defeated at home by the Texans 41-7 while the Colts were completely dominated by the Saints, to the tune of 62-7. Everyone figured the Colts would be a different team without Peyton Manning(notes) under center, but to lose a game by 55 points is just unacceptable.

The Colts have yet to win a game this season and they will face a Titans’ team that will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home. Simply put, the Titans should win big in this one and maybe Chris Johnson will finally have that big game that everyone has been waiting for. Maybe.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans:

The Jaguars made me look bad last week to say the least. I gave them absolutely no shot against the Ravens but they proved me wrong. I guess anything is possible when you hold a team to -1 passing yards in the first half. Despite a decent showing against Baltimore, I think the Texans are more than capable of moving the ball efficiently against a Jaguars’ defense that has been average at best this year.

Arian Foster(notes) caught and ran for over 100 yards against the Titans last week and I think it’s safe to say, he will have another good game against Jacksonville. Look for the Texans to win their second straight game against a divisional opponent.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been watching NFL games for over 20 seasons. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow on him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Week 8 Picks and Predictions

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

NASHVILLE — The Texans and Tennessee Titans have a new reason not to like each other.

The Titans, who left Houston in 1997, and the franchise that replaced the former Oilers have had an intense rivalry from the time the Texans started playing in the new AFC South in 2002. With Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning still recovering from surgery and the Colts winless, the Titans and Texans meet today for the first time with the AFC South lead at stake.

“It always has a little something special, especially when it’s Houston,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “The fact that we are both sitting here with a chance to stay in first place makes it a lot more fun.”

The Titans (3-2) grabbed a half-game edge in the division in their bye week when Houston (3-3) lost its second straight game last week, 29-14, to Baltimore. Texans linebacker Connor Barwin said there’s no hiding what this game means.

“This is for the division right now. It’s a huge game, and we need to win a game, too,” Barwin said. “We can’t lose any more games, so no, I don’t think it’s a secret to anybody. I don’t think anybody around here thinks it’s not that important. I think we all understand what’s at stake.”

Tennessee at least has some experience — the Titans are the only AFC South team other than Indianapolis to win this division, with titles in 2002 and 2008.

The Texans still must prove they can reach the playoffs for the first time, and they’re busy regrouping from two consecutive losses combined while dealing with injuries. Andre Johnson likely will miss his third straight game with a hamstring injury, and Matt Schaub’s chest and right hip are sore. Fullback James Casey also could be out with his chest injury.

Schaub said the Texans remain confident.

“If you aren’t confident in what you are doing, then you are not going to do it anyway,” Schaub said. “If you believe in yourself and your team that you are going to get it done, then you will. You just have to keep working at it, and good things will happen to you.”

Even without Johnson, the Texans still have former Tennessee Vol Arian Foster, the NFL’s top rusher last season. Texans coach Gary Kubiak thinks Foster is coming around after a hamstring injury limited him early. Foster is a big reason Houston is averaging 126.2 yards rushing per game.

The Titans spent their bye week after a 38-17 loss at Pittsburgh studying their own run game. Chris Johnson has 250 yards rushing this season, and Tennessee is averaging 66.6 yards rushing, last in the NFL. Left tackle Michael Roos said they looked at every run play, which helped the Titans realize everyone has a share of the blame.

“It was on us as an offensive line at times different guys not doing their job and as a whole it is a whole offensive team thing,” Roos said. “Whether a tight end missed a block or Chris a bad read, but there were a lot of bad blocks by us. We weren’t playing up to par.”

The Texans have seen enough of Johnson not to overlook him. Johnson ran for 130 yards in Nashville last December as the teams split the season series for a third straight year. Barwin said the Titans paid Johnson his $53 million extension for a reason.

“I’ve played him when he’s had nobody blocking for him, and he’s gone 80 yards,” Barwin said. “I remember my rookie year, he went 99 yards on a draw play, so the guy can make anybody look stupid and can take it all the way in a second, so I’m not really looking at three yards a carry right now.”

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Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers a selection of reader questions about the Ravens’ 26-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Bob K.: How can a team look so good against an excellent team last week (Steelers) and so horrible against an average team (Titans) this week? Overconfidence? Poor preparation? Your thoughts, please.

Mike Preston: Football is an emotional sport, and against Pittsburgh the Ravens played with eight months of pent-up anger after the Steelers eliminated them in the playoffs last season. The Ravens played with playoff intensity and the Steelers couldn’t match it. The Titans lost their season opener, and their backs were against the wall playing in front of the home crowd for the first time in 2011. The Titans treated this as a big game, and Tennessee coach Mike Munchak broke out the old clips of the Titans-Ravens and built it as a rivalry.

Not only did Tennessee play with more emotion, but the Titans had a better game plan and their staff out-coached the Ravens. They had big receivers who were physically better than the Ravens’ small cornerbacks, and Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was patient in picking the Ravens apart, partly because of the lack of pressure. The Titans beat the Ravens like the Ravens beat Pittsburgh. It was a complete butt-whipping.

The Ravens were beaten soundly in every phase of the game. You can’t point fingers because you only have two hands.

Nate: It appears that Marshal Yanda is making the line calls on offense, and then getting set right as the ball is snapped. The timing of it seemed to allow Tennessee to jump the snap basically every play. What was going on?

Mike Preston: Nate, I don’t know if Yanda was making the line calls, but he was giving some type of signal to center Matt Birk. Like you, I noticed the Titans had picked up on the Ravens’ cadence and it appeared as if they knew the snap count. Coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron have to review the cadence. A good quarterback will use a hard count to draw teams off sides. A major advantage for the offensive line, especially the weak-side tackle, is to get a good jump, but the Ravens lost that advantage several times against Tennessee.

Ben: What do you think led to the drop in performance of the offensive line from Week 1 to Week 2? What can we expect going forward?

Mike Preston: Against Pittsburgh, Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison had been slowed because of offseason surgery, and that helped Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie. The absence of left guard Ben Grubbs definitely hurt the Ravens against the Titans. He is more athletic and can run better than replacement Mark LeVoir and right guard Marshal Yanda. Without Grubbs, the Ravens lost their best pulling guard, which limits them on screens, pitches, tosses and any other play where a guard operates in space.

In all honesty, you knew this offensive line was going to struggle early in the season. But for the Ravens to be successful and to mask weaknesses on both offense and defense, this team is going to have to run the ball. If they don’t, they won’t get far. Also, tackle play from McKinnie and Michael Oher has to improve from Sunday. In another two weeks, we’ll get a better barometer of how good this group can become.

Eric: Are the Ravens still very slow getting plays called and coming out of the huddle, especially when there is some urgency to move the ball? Example: In the fourth quarter, Lee Evans catches a 33-yard pass with about 10:31 on the clock. In the next two minutes, the Ravens run two plays, one of which was a 2-yard run by Ricky Williams. Down by two scores, shouldn’t they be a little crisper getting plays in and getting to the line? This seems to have been a problem the last couple years.

Mike Preston: That problem bothers me because the Ravens use a clock in practice. But on Sunday and trailing by 10, and later 13 points, they took their good, sweet time getting to the line of scrimmage. They played as if they had a lead instead of being behind. It was poor game management, and this shouldn’t happen to an NFL team. After last season, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti basically ordered a face lift for the offense. I think after Sunday, he had to write down a note on the Ravens’ time management. It was irritating wondering why the Ravens didn’t go to a no-huddle to try and jump start this offense, but equally painful watching them stroll to the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter as if they were taking a walk in the park. Coaches are to blame, but a quarterback has to take charge as well.

Pete: Why does it seem like Cam Cameron is unwilling or unable to change his offensive game plan when it’s clear that it’s failing? The Titans dominated our run-blocking scheme in the first half and had our receivers’ routes on lock-down. I know I’m not an expert here, but it seems like common sense that if something isn’t working, you should try something different. Why didn’t we get Ray Rice to the outside or get him going behind some power-run sets? Why did we wait until midway through the fourth quarter to spread our receivers out? I’m so confused, but sadly not surprised since this was a complete repeat of our offense last year.

Mike Preston: I wouldn’t have given up on the run early either, but I would have done some other things. The Ravens have speed, so why not use some slant-ins, bubble screens or hitches to David Reed, Lee Evans or Torrey Smith to see if they can turn a short gainer into a big play? I probably would have gone with a no-huddle late in the third or early in the fourth to try to get some type of rhythm going with Joe Flacco and his receivers. But in Cameron’s defense, if you’re getting your butt whipped at the line of scrimmage, it really doesn’t make a difference what you run. And the Ravens were getting handled up front, especially at the tackle, left guard and center positions. If this was a dog fight, the Ravens’ pup stayed home.

Justin: Do you honestly think Joe Flacco is good enough to carry this team to a championship? I feel like Joe does really well at times, but I do question his football IQ. It seems every year I keep hearing about the receivers not getting open, but how much of it falls on Joe?

Mike Preston: Not picking on you Justin, but I love it when fans who didn’t watch the game in person say receivers weren’t getting open or weren’t getting separation. There is no way in hell anybody sitting in front of their TV set can tell that. It’s impossible, but that’s a major complaint from the Titans game.

Now that I got that out of the way, Flacco is good enough to win a championship, but no, he can’t carry a team like a Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. In Baltimore, fans need to accept the fact that Flacco is a good quarterback, not a great one. I still say the ceiling for him is probably a Tony Romo, and certainly not better than Philip Rivers. Joe is Joe. Saying that, I understand what makes him good, but there are limitations, and he probably has hit his ceiling in Baltimore working with the current staff.

I thought Flacco might have gotten over the hump with the strong showing against Pittsburgh, but he was disappointing against Tennessee. It was too much of a drop-off for a quarterback in his fourth season. With a strong running game and a strong defense, Flacco is good enough to win a Super Bowl. If Trent Dilfer, Phil Simms and Bob Griese can win Super Bowls, so can Flacco.

David: After two games it is painfully obvious that the Ravens do not have anyone who has stepped up as the third receiver. When is it time to see what Tandon Doss can do? He looked much better than Torrey Smith in the preseason.

Mike Preston: My candidate for No. 3 receiver is the same guy who starts at tight end: Ed Dickson. David Reed can’t stay healthy, Smith hasn’t been impressive and Doss isn’t going to pull away from many defensive backs. Doss would be better in a better offensive scheme, but I don’t see him having much of an impact here in Baltimore unless they game plan around him more, and that hasn’t happened under the present staff.

Law: Why do the Ravens cornerbacks play 10-to-12 yards off the ball, even in the red zone? It looked like pitch and catch at times against the Titans.

Mike Preston: The Titans were too physical for the Ravens to try and press at the line of scrimmage. If you’ve got a big, physical corner like Jimmy Smith, you can jam receivers. When you’re small like the Ravens, you play off because you don’t want to give up the big plays. Plus, to beat strong defensive teams like the Ravens and Steelers, you better have patient quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. Few teams have both, and that’s why both teams have been successful. Very few teams can put together three or four long drives in a game against Pittsburgh or Baltimore.

Tennessee, though, passed the test.

Joe: Do you get the feeling the Ravens coaching staff will slip back into that ‘outsmarting themselves’ mode? I mean, sometimes you have to do what the other side knows you’re going to do, but a good team gets it done anyway.

Mike Preston: Joe, can’t answer that one. Against Tennessee, I just wish they had been smart.

Matthew: Did you ever think two weeks ago that the Bengals would be division leaders after Week 2 and the Steelers would be last (Ravens own the tiebreaker, Browns have better conference record)?

Mike Preston: No, not even with Steven Spielberg’s imagination.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans came out frustrated over how they opened the season and more than a bit desperate. They took it all out on the Baltimore Ravens, showing off a passing game with new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck that means Chris Johnson now has some help.

Hasselbeck threw for 358 yards and a touchdown, and the Titans gave new coach Mike Munchak a big win in their home opener by beating the Ravens 26-13 on Sunday.

Munchak called the victory a great recovery after a 16-14 loss at Jacksonville.

“We knew we couldn’t be 0-2,” Munchak said after getting a Gatorade bath in the final seconds and a game ball from owner Bud Adams in the locker room. “You can’t start a season 0-2. … We’ve been talking about winning at home since the first day I took the job.”

With the Ravens focused on stopping Johnson, Hasselbeck attacked through the air. Kenny Britt caught nine passes for 135 yards and a TD, while Nate Washington had seven more receptions for 99 yards. Rob Bironas also kicked four field goals as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offense.

Johnson had 24 carries for 53 yards, and he couldn’t be happier at how well his teammates performed.

“A lot of teams come in thinking they can just load the box and if they stop me, they can win. … It just showed we have other playmakers,” he said. “We have other ways to beat you. Hopefully, they help out and let other teams around the NFL know you just can’t stack the box and try to stop me and win.”

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens did put eight near the line of scrimmage at times to try to stop Johnson.

“Hasselbeck did a nice job of controlling the game as far as recognizing what we were in and getting them in the right play,” he said. “To me, that’s what a veteran quarterback does. He gets the ball out and he’s got some big targets. The credit goes to him. I think he was the guy that was the difference in the game.”

The Titans also showed off their revamped defense.

They sacked Joe Flacco three times and hit him repeatedly while forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Ravens (1-1), who looked so dominant in routing Pittsburgh 35-7 in their opener, forced only one turnover.

“I think everybody didn’t play well, and that’s the bottom line,” Harbaugh said. “We win as a team, and we lose as a team. I’m not going to sit here and nitpick one guy.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan, while the Ravens were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s second field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth field goal to finish off the win. Hasselbeck kept calling plays, getting some defensive linemen to lift the heavy cooler to douse Munchak.

The Titans signed Hasselbeck to a three-year deal worth $9 million this season. Hasselbeck said he thought the offense was still a work in progress after the lockout, but Britt is making the transition a bit easier.

“He’s a very talented guy for a quarterback,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a guy that talented. He’s got special abilities.”

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore take the ball on offense. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on their first two possessions, with Alterraun Verner picking off a Flacco pass to end the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

After going into halftime tied at 10 apiece, the Titans took control in the third quarter, outscoring Baltimore 10-0 and outgaining the Ravens 147-43. Javon Ringer finished off the opening drive with a 10-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with Johnson on the bench.

Notes: Ravens NT Terrance Cody had a concussion, and returner David Reed was in a sling after the game with an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. … Hasselbeck is the 33rd NFL player to throw for at least 30,000 yards in his career. This was the 22nd 300-yard passing game of his career. … Britt now has six 100-yard receiving games in his career. … The Titans also beat the Ravens six years ago to the day on Sept. 18, 2005, winning 25-10 in their home opener. … The Ravens missed out on their fifth 2-0 start in team history. … Harbaugh now is 1-2 against the Titans.

Nashville, Tn – The Tennessee Titans came out frustrated over how they opened the season and more than a bit desperate. They took it all out on the Baltimore Ravens, showing off a passing game with new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck that means Chris Johnson now has some help.

Hasselbeck threw for 358 yards and a touchdown, and the Titans gave new coach Mike Munchak a big win in their home opener by beating the Ravens 26-13 on Sunday.

Munchak called the victory a great recovery after a 16-14 loss at Jacksonville.

“We knew we couldn’t be 0-2,” Munchak said after getting a Gatorade bath in the final seconds and a game ball from owner Bud Adams in the locker room. “You can’t start a season 0-2. … We’ve been talking about winning at home since the first day I took the job.”

With the Ravens focused on stopping Johnson, Hasselbeck attacked through the air. Kenny Britt caught nine passes for 135 yards and a TD, while Nate Washington had seven more receptions for 99 yards. Rob Bironas also kicked four field goals as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offense.

Johnson had 24 carries for 53 yards, and he couldn’t be happier at how well his teammates performed.

“A lot of teams come in thinking they can just load the box and if they stop me, they can win. … It just showed we have other playmakers,” he said. “We have other ways to beat you. Hopefully, they help out and let other teams around the NFL know you just can’t stack the box and try to stop me and win.”

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens did put eight near the line of scrimmage at times to try to stop Johnson.

“Hasselbeck did a nice job of controlling the game as far as recognizing what we were in and getting them in the right play,” he said. “To me, that’s what a veteran quarterback does. He gets the ball out and he’s got some big targets. The credit goes to him. I think he was the guy that was the difference in the game.”

The Titans also showed off their revamped defense.

They sacked Joe Flacco three times and hit him repeatedly while forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Ravens (1-1), who looked so dominant in routing Pittsburgh 35-7 in their opener, forced only one turnover.

“I think everybody didn’t play well, and that’s the bottom line,” Harbaugh said. “We win as a team, and we lose as a team. I’m not going to sit here and nitpick one guy.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan, while the Ravens were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s second field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth field goal to finish off the win. Hasselbeck kept calling plays, getting some defensive linemen to lift the heavy cooler to douse Munchak.

The Titans signed Hasselbeck to a three-year deal worth $9 million this season. Hasselbeck said he thought the offense was still a work in progress after the lockout, but Britt is making the transition a bit easier.

“He’s a very talented guy for a quarterback,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a guy that talented. He’s got special abilities.”

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore take the ball on offense. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on their first two possessions, with Alterraun Verner picking off a Flacco pass to end the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

After going into halftime tied at 10 apiece, the Titans took control in the third quarter, outscoring Baltimore 10-0 and outgaining the Ravens 147-43. Javon Ringer finished off the opening drive with a 10-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with Johnson on the bench.

Notes: Ravens NT Terrance Cody had a concussion, and returner David Reed was in a sling after the game with an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. … Hasselbeck is the 33rd NFL player to throw for at least 30,000 yards in his career. This was the 22nd 300-yard passing game of his career. … Britt now has six 100-yard receiving games in his career. … The Titans also beat the Ravens six years ago to the day on Sept. 18, 2005, winning 25-10 in their home opener. … The Ravens missed out on their fifth 2-0 start in team history. … Harbaugh now is 1-2 against the Titans.

 

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Titans came out frustrated over how they opened the season and more than a bit desperate. They took it all out on the Baltimore Ravens, showing off a passing game with new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck that means Chris Johnson now has some help.

Hasselbeck threw for 358 yards and a touchdown, and the Titans gave new coach Mike Munchak a big win in their home opener by beating the Ravens 26-13 on Sunday.

Munchak called the victory a great recovery after a 16-14 loss at Jacksonville.

“We knew we couldn’t be 0-2,” Munchak said after getting a Gatorade bath in the final seconds and a game ball from owner Bud Adams in the locker room. “You can’t start a season 0-2. … We’ve been talking about winning at home since the first day I took the job.”

With the Ravens focused on stopping Johnson, Hasselbeck attacked through the air. Kenny Britt caught nine passes for 135 yards and a TD, while Nate Washington had seven more receptions for 99 yards. Rob Bironas also kicked four field goals as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offence.

Johnson had 24 carries for 53 yards, and he couldn’t be happier at how well his teammates performed.

“A lot of teams come in thinking they can just load the box and if they stop me, they can win. … It just showed we have other playmakers,” he said. “We have other ways to beat you. Hopefully, they help out and let other teams around the NFL know you just can’t stack the box and try to stop me and win.”

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens did put eight near the line of scrimmage at times to try to stop Johnson.

“Hasselbeck did a nice job of controlling the game as far as recognizing what we were in and getting them in the right play,” he said. “To me, that’s what a veteran quarterback does. He gets the ball out and he’s got some big targets. The credit goes to him. I think he was the guy that was the difference in the game.”

The Titans also showed off their revamped defence.

They sacked Joe Flacco three times and hit him repeatedly while forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Ravens (1-1), who looked so dominant in routing Pittsburgh 35-7 in their opener, forced only one turnover.

“I think everybody didn’t play well, and that’s the bottom line,” Harbaugh said. “We win as a team, and we lose as a team. I’m not going to sit here and nitpick one guy.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan, while the Ravens were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s second field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth field goal to finish off the win. Hasselbeck kept calling plays, getting some defensive linemen to lift the heavy cooler to douse Munchak.

The Titans signed Hasselbeck to a three-year deal worth $9 million this season. Hasselbeck said he thought the offence was still a work in progress after the lockout, but Britt is making the transition a bit easier.

“He’s a very talented guy for a quarterback,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a guy that talented. He’s got special abilities.”

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore take the ball on offence. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on their first two possessions, with Alterraun Verner picking off a Flacco pass to end the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

After going into halftime tied at 10 apiece, the Titans took control in the third quarter, outscoring Baltimore 10-0 and outgaining the Ravens 147-43. Javon Ringer finished off the opening drive with a 10-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with Johnson on the bench.

Notes: Ravens NT Terrance Cody had a concussion, and returner David Reed was in a sling after the game with an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. … Hasselbeck is the 33rd NFL player to throw for at least 30,000 yards in his career. This was the 22nd 300-yard passing game of his career. … Britt now has six 100-yard receiving games in his career. … The Titans also beat the Ravens six years ago to the day on Sept. 18, 2005, winning 25-10 in their home opener. … The Ravens missed out on their fifth 2-0 start in team history. … Harbaugh now is 1-2 against the Titans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—The Tennessee Titans came out frustrated over how
they opened the season and more than a bit desperate. They took it all out on
the Baltimore Ravens, showing off a passing game with new quarterback Matt
Hasselbeck(notes) that means Chris Johnson now has some help.

Hasselbeck threw for 358 yards and a touchdown, and the Titans gave new
coach Mike Munchak a big win in their home opener by beating the Ravens 26-13 on
Sunday.

Munchak called the victory a great recovery after a 16-14 loss at
Jacksonville.

“We knew we couldn’t be 0-2,” Munchak said after getting a Gatorade bath
in the final seconds and a game ball from owner Bud Adams in the locker room.
“You can’t start a season 0-2. … We’ve been talking about winning at home
since the first day I took the job.”

With the Ravens focused on stopping Johnson, Hasselbeck attacked through the
air. Kenny Britt(notes) caught nine passes for 135 yards and a TD, while Nate
Washington(notes) had seven more receptions for 99 yards. Rob Bironas(notes) also kicked four
field goals as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and
outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offense.

Johnson had 24 carries for 53 yards, and he couldn’t be happier at how well
his teammates performed.

“A lot of teams come in thinking they can just load the box and if they
stop me, they can win. … It just showed we have other playmakers,” he said.
“We have other ways to beat you. Hopefully, they help out and let other teams
around the NFL know you just can’t stack the box and try to stop me and win.”

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens did put eight near the line of
scrimmage at times to try to stop Johnson.

“Hasselbeck did a nice job of controlling the game as far as recognizing
what we were in and getting them in the right play,” he said. “To me, that’s
what a veteran quarterback does. He gets the ball out and he’s got some big
targets. The credit goes to him. I think he was the guy that was the difference
in the game.”

The Titans also showed off their revamped defense.

They sacked Joe Flacco(notes) three times and hit him repeatedly while forcing
three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Ravens (1-1), who looked so
dominant in routing Pittsburgh 35-7 in their opener, forced only one turnover.

“I think everybody didn’t play well, and that’s the bottom line,” Harbaugh
said. “We win as a team, and we lose as a team. I’m not going to sit here and
nitpick one guy.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter,
when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But
Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan(notes), while the Ravens
were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s(notes) second
field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth
field goal to finish off the win. Hasselbeck kept calling plays, getting some
defensive linemen to lift the heavy cooler to douse Munchak.

The Titans signed Hasselbeck to a three-year deal worth $9 million this
season. Hasselbeck said he thought the offense was still a work in progress
after the lockout, but Britt is making the transition a bit easier.

“He’s a very talented guy for a quarterback,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m not
sure I’ve ever had a guy that talented. He’s got special abilities.”

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore
take the ball on offense. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on
their first two possessions, with Alterraun Verner(notes) picking off a Flacco pass to
end the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start
two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

After going into halftime tied at 10 apiece, the Titans took control in the
third quarter, outscoring Baltimore 10-0 and outgaining the Ravens 147-43. Javon
Ringer(notes) finished off the opening drive with a 10-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with
Johnson on the bench.

Notes: Ravens NT Terrance Cody had a concussion, and returner David Reed(notes) was
in a sling after the game with an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. …
Hasselbeck is the 33rd NFL player to throw for at least 30,000 yards in his
career. This was the 22nd 300-yard passing game of his career. … Britt now has
six 100-yard receiving games in his career. … The Titans also beat the Ravens
six years ago to the day on Sept. 18, 2005, winning 25-10 in their home opener.
… The Ravens missed out on their fifth 2-0 start in team history. … Harbaugh
now is 1-2 against the Titans.

So much for that strong start by the Baltimore Ravens.

They followed up their impressive 35-7 victory over defending AFC champion Pittsburgh by hitting the road Sunday and losing 26-13 to the Tennessee Titans. A week after forcing a franchise-record seven turnovers, they came up with only one in a fluke bounce off a Tennessee lineman’s helmet and never sacked Matt Hasselbeck.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh credited the Titans with beating the Ravens (1-1) every way a team can. He isn’t subscribing to the theory of a big letdown by his Ravens after an emotional victory over their rivals.

“We didn’t play as well. I don’t have any theory right now. Everybody’s going to have a theory, and none of them are going to be right. We didn’t make plays when we needed to make plays. We didn’t get off the field on third down. That’s really the bottom line,” Harbaugh said.

The Ravens have had one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses for years, but they struggled against the Titans offense after Terrell Suggs got the lone turnover on Tennessee’s second series. The Ravens gave it right back when Alterraun Verner picked off Joe Flacco’s pass, one of three turnovers by Baltimore.

“If we didn’t respond well to this, then I’ll be disappointed in the guys and in myself for letting that happen,” Flacco said. “I think we’re better than that.”

Titans receiver Kenny Britt appeared to have his way with Baltimore’s secondary, racking up 135 yards on nine receptions with a touchdown. All-Pro safety Ed Reed was called for a facemask penalty against Britt after the receiver caught a 16-yard pass from Hasselbeck in the first quarter, though Britt said Reed apologized immediately.

Britt put the Titans ahead 10-7 in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown catch. Before the play started, Ravens cornerback Dominique Foxworth backed off Britt to give himself a cushion, but the receiver ran right at Foxworth and turned around, screening the veteran for the easy score.

Nate Washington also hauled in seven catches for 99 yards as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offense.

The third quarter was particularly rough for the Ravens. They had the ball for less than five minutes and were outgained 147-43. Tennessee outscored Baltimore 10-0.

“They came out there and put points on the board and, once again, we didn’t get into any rhythm,” Flacco said. “We had a couple of third and longs and we couldn’t convert them.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan, while the Ravens were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s second field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth field goal to finish off the win.

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore take the ball on offense. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on their first two possessions, with Verner’s INT ending the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

Munchak called the victory a great recovery after a 16-14 loss at Jacksonville.

“We knew we couldn’t be 0-2,” Munchak said after getting a Gatorade bath in the final seconds and a game ball from owner Bud Adams in the locker room. “You can’t start a season 0-2. … We’ve been talking about winning at home since the first day I took the job.”

With the Ravens focused on stopping Johnson, Hasselbeck attacked through the air. Kenny Britt caught nine passes for 135 yards and a TD, while Nate Washington had seven more receptions for 99 yards. Rob Bironas also kicked four field goals as Tennessee (1-1) held the ball for more than 35 minutes and outgained Baltimore 432-229 in total offense.

Johnson had 24 carries for 53 yards, and he couldn’t be happier at how well his teammates performed.

“A lot of teams come in thinking they can just load the box and if they stop me, they can win. … It just showed we have other playmakers,” he said. “We have other ways to beat you. Hopefully, they help out and let other teams around the NFL know you just can’t stack the box and try to stop me and win.”

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens did put eight near the line of scrimmage at times to try to stop Johnson.

“Hasselbeck did a nice job of controlling the game as far as recognizing what we were in and getting them in the right play,” he said. “To me, that’s what a veteran quarterback does. He gets the ball out and he’s got some big targets. The credit goes to him. I think he was the guy that was the difference in the game.”

The Titans also showed off their revamped defense.

They sacked Joe Flacco three times and hit him repeatedly while forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions. The Ravens (1-1), who looked so dominant in routing Pittsburgh 35-7 in their opener, forced only one turnover.

“I think everybody didn’t play well, and that’s the bottom line,” Harbaugh said. “We win as a team, and we lose as a team. I’m not going to sit here and nitpick one guy.”

Baltimore had one last chance to get into the game in the fourth quarter, when Flacco drove the Ravens down to first-and-goal at the Titans 9. But Tennessee broke up two passes, the last by Cortland Finnegan, while the Ravens were called for delay of game. They had to settle for Billy Cundiff’s second field goal with 6:58 left to pull within 23-13.

Tennessee then ran out all but 31 seconds before Bironas kicked his fourth field goal to finish off the win. Hasselbeck kept calling plays, getting some defensive linemen to lift the heavy cooler to douse Munchak.

The Titans signed Hasselbeck to a three-year deal worth $9 million this season. Hasselbeck said he thought the offense was still a work in progress after the lockout, but Britt is making the transition a bit easier.

“He’s a very talented guy for a quarterback,” Hasselbeck said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a guy that talented. He’s got special abilities.”

The Titans set the tone from the opening kickoff, deferring to let Baltimore take the ball on offense. Tennessee forced the Ravens to go three-and-out on their first two possessions, with Alterraun Verner picking off a Flacco pass to end the third. Playing field position helped the Titans push the Ravens to start two drives at their own 4 and held them to 25 yards in the first quarter.

After going into halftime tied at 10 apiece, the Titans took control in the third quarter, outscoring Baltimore 10-0 and outgaining the Ravens 147-43. Javon Ringer finished off the opening drive with a 10-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with Johnson on the bench.

Notes: Ravens NT Terrance Cody had a concussion, and returner David Reed was in a sling after the game with an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. … Hasselbeck is the 33rd NFL player to throw for at least 30,000 yards in his career. This was the 22nd 300-yard passing game of his career. … Britt now has six 100-yard receiving games in his career. … The Titans also beat the Ravens six years ago to the day on Sept. 18, 2005, winning 25-10 in their home opener. … The Ravens missed out on their fifth 2-0 start in team history. … Harbaugh now is 1-2 against the Titans.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The last time the Baltimore Ravens came to Nashville, the Titans were an NFL power — the AFC’s top seed and a favorite to reach the Super Bowl after posting a 13-3 regular season.

That meeting took place less than three years ago, but it must seem like decades for many Tennessee fans, considering how the fortunes of the two teams have gone in opposite directions since the opportunistic Ravens stunned the Titans in a divisional playoff game that day.

Who would have believed back then that the Titans would open the 2009 season by going 0-6, that another six-game losing streak would follow in 2010, or that today they would be playing their first home game without Jeff Fisher patrolling the sideline?

The question now is how much remains of what was once one of the more ferocious and hard-hitting rivalries in football. Six of the past seven meetings were decided by no more than four points.

As Titans Coach Mike Munchak pointed out, a lot of his current players weren’t even on the roster at the time of the playoff game.

“They just look at the Ravens as another team that’s in another division that they have heard about and watched,” Munchak said. “But I think for the organization that’s a lot different. We know that they have knocked us out of two games in the last 10 years in the playoffs.

“We are highly motivated, and we should be. We are going to have a sellout crowd. We are at home for the first time. It’s the first time for fans to see us up close in a real game. And there is no better team to beat than these guys.”

The Titans remaining from the playoff game won’t argue with that statement.

The 13-10 loss was a teeth-grinding way to close out a season that looked as if it might end in Super Bowl glory. The Titans had won their first 10 games, including a three-point victory over the Ravens in Baltimore.

“We felt like we had a good shot,” safety Michael Griffin said. “Everything was clicking and we were going on all cylinders. The offense was scoring points and protecting the ball, and the defense was very sound. We were doing everything we needed to.”

The Titans dominated the better portion of the playoff game as well — outgaining the Ravens 391-211, collecting 12 more first downs and holding the football for more than 34 minutes.

But turnovers proved to be the difference, as the Titans three times surrendered the ball deep in Baltimore territory.

When Matt Stover knocked through a 43-yard field goal with less than a minute to play, the sixth-seeded Ravens had managed to pull the big upset.

Seconds later, frustrated Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck walked toward the locker room, slamming down metal barriers along the way.

“I’ve tried to put that game out of my mind,” Titans guard Jake Scott said. “It was just so disappointing more than anything.”

Said cornerback Cortland Finnegan: “It was smash-mouth playoff football, one for the ages. It was something we really looked forward to, and we came up short.”

What’s happened since has been even more troublesome to the Titans and their fans.

While the Ravens remained among the AFC’s elite teams the Titans tumbled, averaging just seven wins the past two seasons. They parted ways with Fisher in February and lost Munchak’s debut last Sunday.

“We’ve had some personnel differences and some coaching changes, a little bit of everything, and some injury issues along the way that kind of hampered us,” Scott said.

All true, but the bottom line is that the key remaining Ravens from that game — guys such as linebacker Ray Lewis, linebacker Terrell Suggs, safety Ed Reed and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata — have had a greater impact on their team than the Titans that are still around.

“On defense, you see the same thing they’ve always had — guys playing hard and being physical,” Munchak said. “Offensively, I think the difference is now they have a quarterback (Joe Flacco) that can make plays.

“They have some weapons that can put points on the board, so that makes them double scary.”

So it is that the rivalry resumes under far different circumstances than when the teams last met.

It’s the Ravens who will enter LP Field with a swagger, the Titans who will be trying to avenge the franchise-altering defeat of Jan. 10, 2009.

“They made a play at the end to beat us … when we all thought we should have gone to the Super Bowl,” Munchak said. “We didn’t.

“That’s our last memory of playing them.”

OWINGS MILLS – Instead of swaggering around their training complex and basking in the afterglow of stomping the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens immediately got back to work.

And they insist they’re taking the Tennessee Titans (0-1) extremely seriously heading into today’s road game at LP Field.

That approach mirrors how the Ravens (1-0) have gone about their business during three seasons under coach John Harbaugh. By not falling prey to overconfidence or slacking on preparation, the Ravens have gone 18-1 against teams with losing records over the past three years.

The only time they fell to a team with a losing record during the Harbaugh era was in the second game of last season when they absorbed a 15-10 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals after opening the season with a big win over the New York Jets.

How does Harbaugh get his football team to avoid taking teams lightly?

“We have smart guys, we have guys who understand that every week in this league you’re playing a very good football team,” Harbaugh said. “Every time we go into one of these games it gets characterized as a ‘letdown game’ are the terms that you guys use that none of our guys are foolish enough to use because it’s just foolishness to put a tag on it like that. It makes no sense at all, so I’m embarrassed for you when you even say that.

“There is no such thing as that in the National Football League. Every game is a challenge. You want to write a story like that, and there is no story because this is the National Football League and the Tennessee Titans are a very good football team who are ready to play us.”

The Titans have lost nine of their past 10 regular-season games, but still have enough viable players to be considered at least somewhat dangerous even though star running back Chris Johnson rushed for only 24 yards on nine carries.

He’s still a former NFL Offensive Player of the Year who gained 2,006 yards two seasons ago and is primed for a featured role today.

The Titans feature an imposing, fast wide receiver in Kenny Britt, who caught five passes for 136 yards with an 80-yard touchdown and another score during the Titans’ 16-14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season.

And they have an experienced new quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck still getting acclimated to his new surroundings and personnel. Hasselbeck is a bridge player to rookie quarterback Jake Locker.

Former offensive line coach Mike Munchak, a Hall of Fame lineman, is a rookie head coach.

So, what worries Harbaugh about the Titans?

“Well, how long you got? Harbaugh said. “Playmakers on offense is probably the first thing that sticks out, a defense that flies around. Just a very physical, aggressive football team.”

Nonetheless, the Titans didn’t finish 6-10 a year ago by accident.

And the Titans struggled to stop the run a week ago as Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran roughshod over their banged-up defensive line as Jacksonville gained 163 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, the Ravens piled up 170 rushing yards as Ray Rice rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the NFL’s top-ranked run defense from last season. The Ravens finished with 385 yards of total offense against Pittsburgh.

“Those are professionals over there, we’ve got to prepare for them,” free safety Ed Reed said. “They had a tight game at Jacksonville last week, and we had a grueling game against our divisional opponent. So, we’re not thinking about that. If we did have a loss, it wouldn’t be a letdown because it’s still a long season. We’re going to be prepared to play this game.”

That’s what concerns the Titans.

They’re squaring off with a tradition-rich defense that established a franchise record by forcing seven turnovers against the Steelers, including a pair of interceptions from Reed.

“They made a statement with the first game, a statement around the league about what kind of defense they plan on having this year,” Hasselbeck said. “The Steelers are a team that everyone knows. They are traditionally physical, but the Ravens just played an amazing game.”

Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs registered three sacks against the Steelers, and franchise defensive tackle Haloti Ngata forced a fumble and recovered two.

“When I turn the film on them, I see how hard they play,” Munchak said. “They got great pressure on the quarterback. Suggs is the guy you always have to watch.

“I thought I saw a similar team as far as being successful with what they do: being physical, playing hard and got the ball back. That’s what aggressive defenses do, and they did it again in a big way this past Sunday.”

One big factor this week is dealing with their unfamiliarity with the Titans, a team they once shared a fierce rivalry with during the old AFC Central days and have split the all-time series 8-8. However, they haven’t played Tennessee since a 13-10 AFC divisional playoff game victory over the Titans during the 2008 season.

A lot has changed for both teams since then. Baltimore has 20 new players and eight new starters from last year.

“That’s definitely an issue,” Harbaugh said. “There’s not a lot of tape out there because you’ve got the preseason games and you’ve got one regular season game with a new head coach and new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The only coordinator that’s still there, really, is the special teams coordinator. So, there’s not much tape to look at right now.”

The Ravens don’t have a history of dwelling on their past games against the Steelers, win or lose.

Following regular-season encounters with Pittsburgh over the past three seasons, the Ravens have won four of six games.

NOTE: The Ravens cut backup inside linebacker Jason Phillips and signed cornerback Danny Gorrer to the active roster from the practice squad.

A former Ravens fifth-round draft pick from Texas Christian, Phillips was inactive for the season-opener after suffering a concussion.

He made the team ahead of linebackers Prescott Burgess and Tavares Gooden.

Prior to the current four-division configuration in the AFC, the Ravens had belonged in the AFC Central, a format that pitted them against Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans on a regular basis through the 2001 season.

The Ravens and Titans will meet for the 17th time in a series that is often remembered as being one of the most rugged and evenly-played for both franchises. The all-time series is tied at 8-8, and both sides have won four games at home and four games on the road.

Playing at Tennessee continues to resonate with Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis, who still thinks of LP Field by its former corporate moniker, Adelphia Colisuem.

“I kind of like playing there,” Lewis said Wednesday. “It’s a grass stadium, and they have a great fan base that gets very rowdy there. And me going back there so many years back, I don’t think anything is going to change. It’s their home opener, and I just think it’s going to be real, real loud. But I do remember that stadium, yeah.” 

The series was especially electric in the postseason. The Ravens knocked off the Titans, 24-10, to advance to the AFC championship and eventually capture the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship to cap the 2000 season.

The Titans returned the favor with a 20-17 win in the wildcard round of the 2003 season, but the most recent meeting between the franchises ended with the Ravens winning, 13-10, and advancing to the AFC championship of the 2008 campaign.

“For so many years, I played against the Titans,” Lewis said. “There was nothing like that rivalry. We used to have kind of like the same rivalry that we have with Pittsburgh now. And to have Eddie George and, rest in peace, Steve McNair, and all those guys back then, it was just two heck of a teams going at it. And we always knew that one of us was going to be there at the end of the day. You know, 1999, they went to the Super Bowl. [In] 2000, we came back and went to the Super Bowl, but it was always a dog fight between us two. And honestly, we said the same thing and then look for the same thing coming up this week.”