Ravens Edge Titans 24-18; Turnovers, Coaching Struggles Sink Tennessee

Tennessee fell 24-18 at Baltimore in Week 4, undone by three turnovers and a rough coaching grade ahead of a Week 5 home game against winless Houston.

The Baltimore Ravens edged the Tennessee Titans 24-18 at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 4, handing Tennessee a third consecutive defeat in a one-score game. Gaining yards was rarely the issue for the visitors; holding on to the football and sound decision-making were.

Openings for a second-half comeback were there, particularly after Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson exited at halftime with an ankle injury. Tennessee never seized them, managing little on offense the rest of the way despite scrapping until the final whistle.

Next on the schedule is a Week 5 visit from the Houston Texans, a division rival still searching for its first win, with Nashville as the setting. Before turning the page, Tennessee's afternoon in Baltimore was graded unit by unit, an evaluation that originally ran on Titans Wire.

The offense received a C+ for a unit that took a step forward. Even so, three mistakes proved costly: a Cam Ward pass that glanced off Tony Pollard's hands was intercepted, Carnell Tate lost a fumble, and Baltimore stuffed a fourth-and-goal try from the 2-yard line. Those three giveaways became 17 Ravens points. Tate turned in the finest receiving performance of his career with nine receptions for 145 yards, and Ward generated enough to keep Tennessee in contention.

A C went to the defense after an up-and-down outing. The group kept Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson reasonably contained but surrendered too many explosive gains, with Zay Flowers controlling the opening half. Once Jackson departed, Tennessee allowed nothing over the final two quarters and kept its shot at stealing the result alive. Jeffery Simmons made little noise, while linebackers Anthony Hill Jr., Cody Barton and Cedric Gray did enough to hold the margin close.

Special teams merited a C. Chimere Dike offered a reminder of the All-Pro kick-return form he displayed as a rookie, though penalties elsewhere on the unit negated chances for an even bigger day. Joey Slye was successful on every kick, and punter Tommy Townsend turned in his best performance in a Titans uniform.

Coaching drew the day's lowest mark, a D, and scrutiny of Brian Daboll may be building. His play calling lacked consistency again, and the attack never found sustained rhythm. Tennessee was sharper before halftime than in any of its first three games, yet a failed wildcat try on fourth-and-goal and a silent third quarter cost it a game that was there for the taking. Baltimore also preyed on schematic weaknesses and engineered mismatches for chunk plays, and a near-perfect performance — something a cautious, erratic approach could not produce — was required to win.

Taken together, the defeat followed a familiar script: a competitive effort undercut by the Titans' own mistakes, from giveaways to penalties to choppy play calling. The Texans' visit provides the next chance to change course.