Zay Flowers’ first career touchdown helped the Baltimore Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans 24-16 as the curtain came down on the 2023 London Games.
After the Jacksonville Jaguars became the first team in NFL history to win international games in back-to-back weeks, a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium looked set to witness a one-sided clash.
Rookie wide receiver Flowers’ touchdown was complemented by four Justin Tucker field goals as the star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, had the Baltimore offence moving confidently in the first half.
The Titans offered precious little response but the running back, Derrick Henry, roared in a third-quarter touchdown to bring hope after the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton was ejected for a dangerous hit.
Mike Vrabel’s men made the second half tougher for the Ravens, but losing their quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, to an ankle injury increased the incline on what proved to be an insurmountable uphill battle.
The toothless Titans decision to only leave Nashville for London on Thursday is sure to be a talking point after this loss given the Ravens appeared to benefit from their Monday arrival.
John Harbaugh’s side were the first to put points on the board in north London and never looked back as they bounced back from last week’s loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kicking king Tucker scored the first of six field goals at the end of the first drive, although Nick Folk temporarily levelled.
There were some fantastic plays, from Odell Beckham Jr’s catch and run to Devin Duvernay’s electrifying 70-yard punt return, but they could not translate positive play into touchdowns.
Tucker added a further two field goals before they finally found the endzone.
The fleet-footed Jackson rolled out to his left under pressure and shot a 10-yard pass through to nascent talent Flowers, who found the endzone for the first time in his NFL career.
The pair again linked up from the two-point conversion, only for a penalty to lead to a Tucker kick that was blocked by Denico Autry.
The first half looked set to peter out, only for a muffed Kyle Philips catch to bring about another Tucker three-pointer.
Tennessee looked lifeless but their start to the third quarter brought hope, with Henry finally finding space to bolt 63 yards.
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That drive only resulted in a Folk field goal but it helped spark a momentum shift, with Sean Murphy-Bunting soon intercepting a floated Jackson pass meant for Rashod Bateman.
Ravens safety Hamilton was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet clash, leading to Chris Moore leaving with concussion and a costly 15-yard penalty.
Henry showed strength and perseverance to barrel home a 15-yard carry, with Folk added an extra point to the much-needed Titans touchdown.
But hope of a comeback proved short-lived as Tannehill’s deep pass intended for Chig Okonkwo was soon picked off by Geno Stone.
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The Ravens quarterback, Jackson, lacked his earlier rhythm but his ability to mix up short passing with scrambling ended with Tucker adding a field goal.
Tannehill limped down the tunnel during that drive and Malik Willis stepped in as quarterback, but the Ravens never let him punish them.
Tucker added his sixth field goal and Tyjae Spears’ thrilling late run for 48 yards delighted the Titans faithful, but a Folk three-pointer was all they had to show for it.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/oct/15/nfls-london-show-closes-as-baltimore-ravens-send-tennessee-titans-packing
