The last time the Baltimore Ravens were in London, they couldn’t leave fast enough. But after a restorative 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Tottenham, maybe John Harbaugh is getting used to the situation.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson promised to put on a show before his first appearance in the capital. He did, with some trademark scrambles and a 10-yard toss to Zay Flowers for his first NFL touchdown.
But the Ravens relied on their defense — they held Tennessee to 233 total yards and sacked Titans quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill (who exited early with an ankle injury) and Malik Willis six times. Not to mention kicker Justin Tucker, who had a career day with six field goals.
While the Ravens are 4-2 and look strong in the ultra-competitive AFC, Baltimore’s struggles in the red zone will be a concern moving forward.
“It’s a weekly league,” Harbaugh said. “We have a quarterback that can do a lot of things in the red zone, make plays in the red zone. We have receivers that can do that. We’re capable of that. I’m really grateful to Justin, he did all those kicks. Fun to see for the crowd here.
Justin Tucker scored six field goals to help the Ravens beat the Titans in London on Sunday
First-round pick Zay Flowers also scored his first NFL touchdown for Baltimore.
It was a poor performance from Tennessee, who barely showed up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We have to score points. It could have been a much more comfortable match for us if we had done that.
Jackson, who found eight different targets and threw for 223 yards and a touchdown, added: “We just have to find a way, lock down more.” We do a great job moving the ball down the field, but it feels like every time we get there, it feels like we’re just making field goals… We don’t need that . Protect the ball.
The teams, who have a curious rivalry, took contrasting approaches on the trip abroad.
The Ravens arrived Monday, with Harbaugh promising to do everything differently after Jacksonville’s bitter 44-7 loss in 2017 — a loss that haunts him to this day.
But his team managed to make a happier impression this time around.
“It’s a great feeling. Better than the alternative, by far. I can tell you that. A great experience. It’s much better when you win, I can tell you that from experience. I’m happy to be here,” Harbaugh said.
Before the match, a moment of silence for the atrocities committed in Israel before the match was interrupted by audible chants of “Free Palestine”.
The Ravens started fast. Nelson Agholor would have opened with a touchdown on the first drive, if not for a last-minute tackle by Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Odell Beckham Jr was able to earn minutes after recovering from an ankle injury
Thousands flocked to Tottenham to watch the third installment of the NFL London series
Australian and Chelsea women’s football star Sam Kerr was at the match.
The teams split four field goals – three by Tucker and one by Nick Folk – before Jackson connected with rookie Flowers for the opening score.
Harbaugh hopes there is more to come, offering a unique analogy.
“Have you ever opened a jar of olives?” They don’t go out. What should you do? You must go out first. Once you get the first one out, the rest flows out.
“I hope this was Zay’s first olive and there will be many more to come.”
Trailing 18-3 at halftime, the Titans briefly recovered in the third quarter thanks to their talisman. Running back Derrick Henry rushed for a 63-yard burst, but Tennessee stalled in the red zone and could only convert a field goal.
On their next possession, Titans receiver Chris Moore looked poised to make an impressive gain, but instead took a powerful, concussive hit. Brandon Stephens flew in, but a helmet-to-helmet collision from Kyle Hamilton saw the Ravens safety disqualified.
“Yeah, it was helmet contact, so I got the flag,” Harbaugh said. “The expulsion was not explained to me on the ground. They didn’t know it on the ground. I’m from New York, I guess. We need to explain why.
Henry rallied for a scoring score to make it 18-13, but that was as good as it got for the Titans, who saw all of their momentum thwarted by a pick from safety Geno Stone.
“I feel like we had some momentum in the second half,” Henry said afterward. “Put on some plays. And you know, we just didn’t finish most of them with six points in the end zone. It’s just up to us to execute it, and they were the better team.
After Tannehill was forced out in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, Willis took over under center. But facing a unit led by Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen is a daunting task for even the most experienced quarterback, and Tennessee never seemed to want to make a serious comeback.
There were hints that Tennessee would make a play of it after Sean Murphy-Bunting (right) knocked away Lamar Jackson’s throw.
But their fightback was quickly cut short after Ravens safety Geno Stone (third from left) picked off Ryan Tannehill for his third interception of the season.
Tucker added two more field goals and Tuck another to bring his total to three field goals for the afternoon.
The usually laconic head coach Mike Vrabel knows the Titans need more. “We have to be better in the red zone,” he said. “We need to go home, go back to work and figure out how to get better.”
At least Tennessee (2-4) has a bye to look forward to, which seems to come at the right time. But for Baltimore and Harbaugh, they will have an enticing matchup against Detroit on Sunday.
“I can’t wait to get home,” Harbaugh added. “We have a tough game against the Lions at home, we have played very well this year. We will prepare for it.