'Is this really happening?' Ravens' dream season crumbles with loss to the Titans
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens' locker room was quiet Saturday night, save for the shuffling of reporters' feet and the occasional expletive echoing from around the corner. Earl Thomas draped a towel over his head. Matthew Judon likened the night to a car crash. Michael Pierce turned away from reporters, rested his head on a shelf in his locker and stood motionless for several seconds.
"Damn, man," he said quietly.
Baltimore's 2019 season wasn't supposed to end like this, in a 28-12 shellacking at the hands of the sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans. For months, the Ravens had spoken cautiously but confidently about their Super Bowl aspirations. They had the presumptive MVP at quarterback in Lamar Jackson. They had 12 Pro Bowlers. Home-field advantage. A 12-game winning streak. The stage was set perfectly.
And then?
"(Expletive), we got our ass whooped today," running back Mark Ingram said. "For real."
Ravens players spent the moments after Saturday's game in something of a daze, frustrated by their performance and befuddled by how their dream season unraveled so quickly. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said it didn't feel real.
"Even down to the clock hitting zero, I was still like, ‘Is this really happening?’" he said. "One of the guys was like, ‘This is a dream. I’m going to wake up tomorrow and it’s going to be Saturday and it’s going to be game day.’ That’s kind of what it felt like, honestly, as crazy as that sounds."
Titans: RB Derrick Henry reveals what he told Earl Thomas after stiff-arm
AFC playoffs: Can anyone stop the Titans?
For Baltimore, it wasn't just that Saturday night happened, but how. Tennessee not only managed to clamp down on the Ravens' strengths, but also use their own identity against them.
The Ravens led the league in fourth-down conversion rate (70.8%) during the regular season, but they went 0-for-4 on fourth downs against Tennessee. They also led the league in rushing and had the league's No. 5 rushing defense. But the Titans held Baltimore running backs to 42 yards on just nine carries, while Derrick Henry bulldozed his way to a 195-yard performance.
"We just got out of our element a little too fast, you know, trying to beat them to the punch," said Jackson, who finished with 143 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Ravens players admitted it was a bit strange to be playing from behind after falling to a 14-0 deficit early in the second quarter, as they had grown accustomed to jumping out to comfortable leads. They also hadn't played a truly meaningful game in three weeks after resting many of their veterans and stars, including Jackson, in Week 17 — a stark contrast to the Titans, who have been fighting to prolong their season for nearly a month now.
That dichotomy, and a host of dropped passes and uncharacteristic penalties, prompted questions about rust after the game. Is it possible that Baltimore's reward for a 14-2 season ultimately contributed to its downfall? Did the Ravens actually get too much rest?
"I don’t have that answer. It’s unanswerable," coach John Harbaugh said. "Our guys practiced really hard and did the best they could, but we didn’t play a sharp football game, for sure. What should you attribute that to? I guess you can theorize a lot of different things."
The Ravens will have a long offseason in which to contemplate that question, and otherwise wonder how they let this opportunity slip away. Humphrey said they'll also need to confront what he called "the hard truth" about who they've become.
"I think this team’s identity right now is get in the playoffs and choke," he said. "It is what it is."
Of course, the Ravens also still have plenty to be proud of, and much to look forward to. Their star quarterback is only days removed from his 23rd birthday, and he has a strong young core around him. Five of Baltimore's 12 Pro Bowl honorees are 25 or younger, not counting other promising pieces like wide receiver Marquise Brown and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
There's also consistency at head coach with Harbaugh, and in the front office, with general manager Eric DeCosta. And the Ravens figure to bring back both offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who each interviewed for head coaching jobs.
"Once the Super Bowl ends, everyone is 0-0 again," Orlando Brown Jr. said.
In time, the Ravens will likely come to view their 2019 season in a more complete way, to take the positive of the regular season hand-in-hand with the disappointment of Saturday night. But for now, it's still fresh. It will take time for the shock to wear off.
"You don’t ever expect to get into a car crash until you get into a car crash, and I feel like that’s what it is," Judon said. "We were riding. We were rolling hot. And it hit us."
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
If you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders.