Ravens earn first home win of season, but Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury creates concern

The Baltimore Ravens finally picked up their first home victory of the season Sunday, defeating the Tennessee Titans 24-18 at M&T Bank Stadium. The win ended a lengthy drought at home, but concern quickly shifted to quarterback Lamar Jackson after he suffered an ankle injury late in the first half and did not return.

The Ravens got off to a fast start thanks to a defensive play on Tennessee's second offensive snap. Mike Green applied pressure, forcing a bad throw that bounced to Trenton Simpson, who returned it to the Titans' 37-yard line.

Baltimore capitalized on the short field. Facing a fourth-and-1 in the red zone, the Ravens handed the ball to Derrick Henry, who picked up the first down and powered into the end zone against his former team to give Baltimore a 7-0 lead.

Tennessee answered with a touchdown drive to tie the game, but the Ravens responded early in the second quarter. Jackson connected with Zay Flowers on a touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 81-yard drive and restore Baltimore's lead at 14-7 early in the second quarter.

The Titans later mounted a lengthy drive aided by Ravens penalties, but Baltimore's defense came up with a crucial goal-line stand on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

The Ravens' offense quickly flipped momentum. Jackson and Flowers teamed up for a 52-yard completion, setting up a three-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews two plays later. That eight-play, 98-yard drive stretched Baltimore's advantage to two touchdowns.

Tennessee threatened again in the final minute of the first half after a long completion to Carnell Tate. However, Kyle Hamilton forced a fumble and Malaki Starks recovered for Baltimore.

The turnover led to a memorable special-teams moment. Tyler Loop drilled a 64-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. According to the team, it was the longest kick in M&T Bank Stadium history and the second-longest field goal in franchise history, giving Baltimore a 24-7 halftime lead.

The positive finish to the half was tempered by Jackson's injury. The quarterback limped off the field before halftime, was later ruled questionable to return and did not start the second half. He never re-entered the game.

Afterward, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said the team was still evaluating Jackson's condition.

“Yeah, [Lamar] was just dealing with a little bit of an ankle [injury],” Minter said. “We don't know enough about it right now, but we'll have to see where that is at. But again, I thought [Tyler] ‘Snoop’ [Huntley] came in and ran the operation in a way that allowed us to get the win, which is the most important thing.”

Asked whether Jackson could have returned if necessary, Minter said, “There were some talks about that. So, I think ... hopefully it's in a good spot.”

Baltimore's defense continued to make plays throughout the second half. Undrafted rookie Ethan Burke recorded the team's only sack of the game, the first sack of his NFL career.

The Ravens were unable to pull away, in part because of self-inflicted mistakes. Baltimore was penalized 13 times, allowing Tennessee to remain within striking distance.

“Obviously it is unacceptable, obviously self-inflicted,” linebacker Roquan Smith said. “When you have penalties, you shoot yourself in the foot, and that lowers your chances. It takes all of us, not just one of us. It takes all of us, play in and play out, to play clean technique and fundamentals.”

The Titans made things interesting with a late touchdown and two-point conversion, and Baltimore needed to recover an onside kick to secure the victory. Still, the Ravens held on for the 24-18 win.

While the victory represented an important milestone as the team's first home win of the season, attention now turns to Jackson's health. He did not speak to reporters after the game. Multiple reports said he was seen leaving the stadium with his left ankle in a protective boot after walking through the locker room with a noticeable limp.