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NFL Wild Card Playoffs: Ravens-Titans preview, schedule, streaming
Note: NFL playoff games on DAZN are available to stream only in Canada.
The NFL’s decision to expand its playoff format ahead of the 2020 season has paid dividends for the league, both in terms of revenue and quality of play. The disparity between the league’s elite teams and bottom-feeders has never been wider, and although numerous COVID-19 cases threatened to uproot the season, the NFL trudged through the pandemic into a new and improved 14-team playoff format.
[Watch the NFL Playoffs on DAZN Canada: Get DAZN free for 30 days and stream the game live]
The juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs emerged as the AFC’s top seed, with Patrick Mahomes engineering a star-studded offense that seemingly scores at will, while Aaron Rodgers submitted an MVP-caliber season to lead the Green Bay Packers to the NFC’s No. 1 position. There are now six games in the wild-card round as a result of the expanded playoffs and four games in the divisional round, before the AFC and NFC championships decide which teams will play for Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay.
The Tennessee Titans host the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup between two run-oriented offenses, with the ability to strike quickly in the passing game. Derrick Henry became the eighth member of the 2,000-yard rushing club, winning his second consecutive rushing title, while Lamar Jackson didn’t replicate his unanimous MVP form from last year, but still became the first quarterback with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Wild Card Preview: Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans
Date: January 10 at 1:05 p.m. ET
How to watch: Live on DAZN Canada
Henry is a superstar running back in a passing league, zigging while the rest of the league zags. He’s an unstoppable force and will grind away at a resolute Ravens’ defense throughout the contest, running past, around and over multiple defenders on every possession.
Henry will rightly get the majority of attention, but Ryan Tannehill is quietly having an excellent season, throwing for 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions, while rushing for seven scores as well. If the Ravens find a way to slow Henry, Tannehill can always turn to a strong 1-2 punch in the receiving game, with A.J. Brown (70 receptions, 1,075 yards, 10 TD) and Corey Davis (65 receptions, 984 yards, 5 TD) capable of making some explosive plays.
Lamar Jackson hasn’t taken the league by storm as he did last year, and while questions emerged about the viability of the Ravens’ passing game, he was no slouch, with 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Rookie J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards combined with Jackson to form a three-headed monster in the running game, and the Ravens will try to control the time of possession to counteract the Titans.
This game will look different stylistically than the other five matchups, and yet has the potential to be the most fun game of the weekend.
Titans vs. Ravens: Tale of the Tape
Category | TEN | BAL |
Record | 11-5 | 11-5 |
Head-to-Head | 1-0 (30-24 win, Nov. 22) | 0-1 (30-24 loss, Nov. 22) |
Points For (per game) | 30.7 | 29.3 |
Points Against (per game) | 27.4 | 18.9 |
Titans will win because
Henry is running over everyone, and almost dragged the Titans to the Super Bowl single-handedly last season. This year, he has a better team around him and no disrespect to Jackson, but Tannehill shockingly has been the better quarterback this year. The Titans won their head-to-head matchup, and they eliminated the Ravens last year. There’s no reason why they can’t again.
Ravens will win because
Jackson, at his best, is a transcendent force the NFL has never seen and rarely prepared for. Baltimore’s second-ranked scoring defense is loaded with talent at all three levels and if it can contain Henry and make the passing game more predictable, we may see why the core of this team ran away with a 14-2 record in 2019.
What’s the NFL Playoffs schedule in 2021?
Wild Card games: January 9-10
Divisional games: January 16-17
Conference championships: January 24
Super Bowl: February 7
NFL Wild Card Weekend Previews
NFL Wild Card Round Schedule
Saturday January 9
Time (ET) | Matchup | Stream in Canada |
1:05 p.m. | Colts at Bills | |
4:40 p.m. | Rams at Seahawks | |
8:15 p.m. | Buccaneers at Washington |
NFL Wild Card Round Schedule
Sunday January 10
Time (ET) | Matchup | Stream in Canada |
1:05 p.m. | Ravens at Titans | |
4:40 p.m. | Bears at Saints | |
8:15 p.m. | Browns at Steelers |
NFL Division Round Schedule
Saturday January 16
NFL Division Round Schedule
Sunday January 17
NFL AFC/NFC Conference Championship Schedule
Sunday January 24
NFL Super Bowl 55 Schedule
Sunday February 7
Time | Matchup | Stream in Canada |
TBD | AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion |
