Ravens Earl Thomas jabs the Patriots Ryan Tannehill as he emphasizes importance of stopping Derrick Henry

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Ravens Earl Thomas jabs the Patriots Ryan Tannehill as he emphasizes importance of stopping Derrick Henry

The snuck into the playoffs largely because they made the switch from to midseason, and for the first time in his career, Tannehill played like a top-five quarterback. But the Titans did not beat the in the first round of the playoffs this past weekend because of Tannehill, who attempted only 15 pa ses for 72 yards during the win. Instead, they left Foxborough with a win because of , who rushed for 182 yards and a score, and their defense, which held the Patriots to 13 points and pitched a shutout after halftime. safety apparently took notice. Ahead of the Ravens' clash with the Titans on Saturday, the three-time first team All-Pro safety lent some insight into how the Ravens' defense is approaching the game. In the proce s, regardle s if Armani Watts Jersey it was intentional or not, Thomas appeared to take shots at both the Patriots and Tannehill.First, he complimented Henry's approach before saying "It's a credit to how hard he's running and that offensive line," Thomas said on Tuesday, per Yahoo Sports' Kimberley Martin. "He's a cutback runner, he's very patient, he'll find creases. Guys didn't seem they were too interested in tackling him. I think our mindset is a little different. We're gonna try to tackle him, try to swarm, and we're going to see how it plays out."Related:PUNISH HIM | Tenne see Titans (@Titans) Henry racked up a season-high 34 carries for 182 yards and his touchdown late in the first half proved to be Patrick Mahomes Jersey the game-winning score. Which meant, Tannehill wasn't asked to do much. He made one mistake when he threw one of the worst interceptions of his season on the first play of the fourth quarter, but he also made use of his limited opportunities by throwing a 12-yard touchdown on a third down in the early going and much later in the game, as the Titans were trying to burn clock, converting a third-and-8 with a dart.That Harvard education will get you 6! Tenne see Titans Elijah McGuire Jersey (@Titans) FIRST DOWN TITANS!Ryan Tannehill in clutch time PFF (@PFF) So, it's not like Tannehill played poorly. It's just that he didn't get many chances to impact the game. His 15 pa s attempts were the lowest total of his season.Thomas seems to think that if the Ravens can force Tannehill to throw the ball more frequently, "I think if Tannehill tries to pa s on us, I don't think that'll go in their favor," Thomas said, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "We know they're going to try to run the ball."The Ravens should be Derrick Nnadi Jersey able to survive and advance either way. There's a reason why after earning the top seed in the AFC. They've got the MVP in , a dominant running game, and . They'll be at home after a bye week.But the idea that the Ravens would be better off facing a run-heavy approach from the Titans might be misleading. Tannehill finished the regular season ranked first in yards per attempt (9.6), pa ser rating (117.5), and even though he averaged the third-most air yards per attempt (9.7) and threw into tight windows at the sixth-highest rate (19.6%).In terms of value per play (DVOA), The point being, Tannehill has played well enough this season to be considered a strength instead of a liability, and generally speaking, throwing the ball is an inherently more efficient mode of transportation than running the ball.Now, that doesn't mean the Titans should come out and throw the ball 35 times against the Ravens, whose defense was fourth against the pa s, but 19th against the run by DVOA. If the Titans do end up throwing the ball 35-plus Byron Pringle Jersey times, it'll probably mean they were trailing for a significant portion of the game considering game context tends to dictate play-calling. If the Titans run the ball 35 times again, it'll probably mean they were leading and trying to salt away the game. Context matters.But saying Tannehill isn't good enough to lead the Titans to an upset win in Baltimore by throwing the ball all over the Ravens' defense is selling Tannehill short. Thomas wants the Titans to let Tannehill air it out. Given how well he's played this season, the Titans might be better off indulging Thomas.
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