Ravens vs. Titans: 4 game ball candidates

The Baltimore Ravens got back into win column in Week 6, escaping their London trip with a 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. After going up by 15 points at halftime, the Ravens leveled control as the second half progressed and ultimately never trailed from start to finish.

Who were the standout performers from the victorious effort? Let’s run through some of them — vote for your game ball recipient below!

Lamar Jackson

Jackson was extremely sharp to begin the game and throughout the first half, where he led four consecutive scoring drives. He completed all but a few passes and threw a timely touchdown pass to Zay Flowers after evading a sack and rolling out. Jackson’s lone mistake, an interception thrown early in the third quarter, was costly as it led directly to Tennessee’s first touchdown of the game — which created a one-possession deficit.

However, he bounced back and completed 7-of-10 throws for 77 yards following the turnover with 35 rushing yards. The Ravens did go just 1-of-5 in the red zone and one of those misses was an overthrow to Odell Beckham Jr. Aside from that, though, most of the failed third down attempts in the red area were failed third-and-short runs.

Jackson wound up completing 21-of-30 throws for 223 yards while adding an additional 63 yards on the ground. He played the point guard distributor-type role well, finding eight different targets for completions and six pass-catchers had two or more catches.

Patrick Queen

It was another strong all-around performance from Queen, who continues to stack solid showings. The fourth-year linebacker was noticeably active on a number of plays as a pass-rusher and in run defense. Queen’s blitzing ability as an additional rusher continues to be an asset for defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. He recorded a quarterback hit and sack, making this is fourth game of the season with at least a half-sack or more.

Queen tied for the team-lead in combined tackles while leading in solo tackles. He also racked up a tackle-for-loss as well. He was in on multiple tackles against Derrick Henry near the line of scrimmage and regularly in the backfield, as well as making open-field tackles in space.

Justin Madubuike

Madubuike had the one his most memorable performances of the season thus far in London. He was disruptive throughout the game, regularly pushing the pocket when the Titans went into dropback scenarios. The athletic defensive lineman showed his high-level potential when at the peak of his game.

“Mads” finished with a season-high two sacks, accompanied by two tackles-for-loss and four quarterback hits, which tied for the game-high mark. He was a handful for the Titans’ interior offensive lineman to handle, particularly in the first half. Madubuike also made plays against the run and helped limit the Titans’ rushing damage aside from a few long gains.

Justin Tucker

This game was a Tucker masterclass, as the veteran kicker attempted a whopping six field goals and connected on all of them. His lone blemish was a failed extra point try but it was blocked, leaving no blame on No. 9.

Tucker’s longest field goal attempt was only 41 yards his precision on short tries throughout the game was paramount. He converted three straight field goals to begin the game and added one more before the end of the first half. Then, Tucker’s two more field goals in the second half turned a five-point advantage into an 11-point one for the Ravens.

Honorable mentions —

Jadeveon Clowney: Clowney came alive late in the game and racked up two sacks, which exceeded his season total through five games. He also tied Madubuike for the game-high in quarterback hits with four, adding an additional two tackles-for-loss to top it off.

Geno Stone: Stone’s interception in the third quarter, his third of the season (tied for the league-lead) was a key momentum turner. His playmaking ability in the backend given the Ravens’ lost both Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams mid-game was paramount.