TITAN'S TURNOVERS AND PENALTIES END SUPERBOWL DREAM.

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Nashville, TN.  The Tennesse Titans were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens 13-10 in their AFC divisional playoff game tonight.  The Baltimore effort became an encore performance of which the Ravens defeated the Titans here in 2001, using defensive turnovers to set the tone for the game. 

Tennesse, who was ranked 2nd in the NFL in terms of turnover ratio at +14, turned the ball over to the Ravens 3 times.  The most costly turnover came later in the game when Alge Crumpler cought a Kerry Collins pass and ran it to the 1 yard line, where he fumbled the ball while trying to score a touchdown.  All in all, the other turnovers did not directly affect the outcome of this contest, but this one proved crucial in the game.  After dominating Baltimore offensively throughout the game, the momentum clearly changed in the Ravens favor after the mishap.

Collins was effective, completing 26 passes for 281 yards with one interception. Titans running backs also were somewhat successful against the Raven's stingy defense.  Rookie Chris Johnson ran 11 times for 72 yards, and scored the Titans only touchdown, before succumbling to injury late in the first half.  Len Dale White ran 15 times for a total of 45 yards combined with 4 receptions for 35 yards, and one fumble, but no other Titan player made it to the endzone after Johnson's 8 yard score in the 1st quarter.  Titans receiver Justin Gage caught 10 passes for 135 yards.  Titans place kicker Rob Bironas kicked one field goal, but missed an important attempt in the 3rd quarter with the wind at his back. The Titans defense played well, allowing Baltimore only 9 first downs and a total of only 211 offensive yards.  The Titans gained 21 first downs and gained 391 yards on the stingy Raven's defense.  Baltimore's Joe Flacco completed 11 passes for 161 yards and a including a 48 yard strike to former Titan Derrick Mason late in the 1st quarter.  Raven RB's McClain and McGahee were mostly inefective combining in 24 rushes for only 44 yards.  However, Baltimore overcame their lack of offense with a hard hitting and opportunistic defense.

Baltimore has a reputation for causing turnovers.  Last week, they caused the Dolphins to turn the ball over 4 times, and followed up that streak with the 3 Titans turnovers tonight, two of which were in the red zone.  Every time Tennessee ran a play, the Ravens defense repeatedly tried to strip the ball.

One very controversial call came in the Raven's last drive of the game.  After causing Crumpler's fumble at the one yard line, the Ravens marched the ball down field trying to set up the winning score.  With the Ravens facing a 3rd down and 2 at their own 32 yard line, the play clock clearly reached zero before Flacco could get the play off. On a night where the Titans had 12 penalties for 89 yards, 2nd worst in NFL Playoff history, this Baltimore penalty that wans'nt called allowed the Ravens to keep their momentum.  The fans in the stadium along with Titan's coach, Jeff Fisher went into shere bedlam when no flag was thrown .  Apparently, play clock infractions are not reviewable under NFL policies, and Baltimore continued their march downfield to kick the winning field goal, a 43 yarder from Matt Stover.

The Titans had less than one minute, and one last chance to move the ball downfield and get a field goal of their own, but the Ravens defense did not allow sideline passes, forcing Collins to throw to the middle of the field for minimum yardage.  The game clock expired, and along with it, the hopes of the Titans nation for a return to the Superbowl.  On a cold and rainy night in Nashville, the Titans did a "Plaxico Burress", and shot themselves in the foot many times, something which has left the city of Nashville singing the blues!