Ravens Decide to Wing It With Banks

The passing game was sharp, the running game was solid and the defense stepped up in the fourth quarter.

It sure didn’t look like the Baltimore Ravens. And Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher is absolutely certain the team they beat in no way resembled his Titans.

Tony Banks threw a career-high four touchdown passes and Priest Holmes ran for 100 yards as the Ravens defeated the Titans, 41-14, Sunday.

Tennessee (9-3) had won three consecutive games and six of seven, but on this day the Titans were no match for the Ravens, who defeated a team with a winning record for the first time this season.

“It’s a great feeling and it’s been a long time coming,” said Baltimore defensive end Michael McCrary, who had 3 1/2 sacks. “It proves to us we can turn the corner. This isn’t a slouch team; this is a really good team that we played.”

The Titans had won 13 AFC Central games in a row, but that streak ended with a thud.

“This is not the football team I’m used to seeing,” Fisher said. “We didn’t play well and we didn’t make any plays.”

Baltimore (5-7) had lost five games by seven points or less this season and the Titans were 6-1 in games of that nature.

So when ahead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter, Baltimore didn’t opt to run out the clock. Banks threw four consecutive passes, the last one a 39-yard play to Jermaine Lewis for a touchdown that made it 34-14 with 6:02 left.

Rod Woodson then returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown with 4:12 remaining to complete a rare Baltimore rout. It was his ninth career interception return for a touchdown, tying Ken Houston’s NFL record.

Last week, the Ravens allowed 23 fourth-quarter points in a loss to Jacksonville. This time, Baltimore outscored the Titans 17-0 in the final 15 minutes.

Banks was 18-for-31 passing for 332 yards, his fourth career 300-yard game and first this season. Holmes, subbing for an injured Errict Rhett, had a franchise-record 72-yard run. Rhett hurt his ribs in the second quarter and although X-rays were negative, he did not return.

Holmes, who entered the game with 94 yards in 23 carries, needed only nine carries to become the first player to run for 100 yards against the Titans in 16 games.