Around the NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal joins Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter on this week’s Her Huddle to look ahead to Sunday’s final NFL London game of the season; coverage of the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans begins at 1pm ahead of kick-off at 2.30pm live on Sky this Sunday
Last Updated: 13/10/23 5:33pm
On this week’s edition of the Her Huddle podcast, Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter were joined by Around the NFL podcast hero Gregg Rosenthal to preview Sunday’s NFL London match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.
It was an offseason of change in Baltimore as Todd Monken arrived from College Football national champions Georgia to lead a new era for the Ravens’ offense. In replacing Greg Roman he sought to install the most diverse offense yet, designed to preserve not only Lamar Jackson’s explosiveness but showcase his passing talents in a more expansive aerial attack.
“Lamar Jackson to me is different, I was curious as to how he was going to look in this offense,” said Rosenthal on Her Huddle. “I know they [the Ravens] are 3-2 and have blown two games they shouldn’t have, but as a Lamar Jackson fan this is what I’ve always wanted, which is a normal offense.
“That’s not just a unique and creative tough-to-stop running game, it’s like ‘ohh there’s open receivers down the field, I haven’t seen that in the past!’
“They still have a good running game because Todd Monken coaches that up, the offensive line is good and Lamar makes the running game better. But you see Odell Beckham open, Zay Flowers open, Mark Andrews open; I see Lamar more accurate and better from the pocket.
“I know people will say ‘Lamar has always been good from the pocket’, but guys do get better as they age, mentally he’s even better than he was four years ago and he’s really playing well.”
Derrick Henry remains the ever-familiar heartbreak of the Tennessee offense as he comes up against a Ravens defense that has ranked second against the run through five weeks this season.
“Henry is so hard if he can get to the second level, to take down,” added Rosenthal. “Roquan Smith on the Ravens’ defense has been one of the very best defensive players in the league, he is key to it.
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A look at the best plays from Titans running back Derrick Henry from this season so far
“They lose a lot of players but they are so well-coached it’s hard to run against them.
“If he can get to the second level he can make big plays. I’d love to see him with a big long run. It’s not just him, though. They have a rookie Tyjae Spears who went to my alma mater Tulane, he is making a really nice impact as a second running back.”
Which Titans team will turn up?
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Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler from the Around the NFL podcast preview the London game between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans
Fellow Around the NFL podcast hero Dan Hanzus has questioned which Mike Vrabel-led Titans team will show in London this weekend amid their to and fro form that has seen them cruise beyond the Cincinnati Bengals and lose to the Indianapolis Colts in recent weeks.
“The Titans are a team that is hard to figure out week to week, but they have playoff potential,” Hanzus told Sky Sports this week.
“Their offense is ranking near the bottom of the league in a lot of categories but there are pieces there. They added a veteran receiver in DeAndre Hopkins who has really played well for them, Ryan Tannehill is a veteran quarterback who has proven before he can lead a team to a deep playoff run.
“King Henry (Derrick Henry) is one of the great running backs of his era, it will be tough against the Ravens defense but he has the ability to go for 150 yards.”
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Odell Beckham Jr shows his excitement at being able to link up with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and says he is worth all the money in the world
Marc Sessler is, meanwhile, braced for the most dynamic and dangerous MVP-winning Jackson yet as the Ravens seek to bypass the Titans’ stern ground blockade.
“They’ve been real up and down the Titans, and it starts with their quarterback play,” said Sessler. “I really think Tennessee’s strength in most games has been their run defense, and Baltimore wants to attack you with the run but they are much more competent through the air right now.
“This is a much more different Ravens offense through the air than we’ve seen in the past. We’re getting the best version of Lamar Jackson that we’ve gotten in a while.”
Watch the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in the final NFL London game of the season live on Sky Sports this Sunday, with coverage beginning at 1pm ahead of kick-off at 2.30pm at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.