Ravens Have Something on Titans No Other Team Has

Home-field advantage?

The Tennessee Titans earned it during the regular season, but in next Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game they will face the only team that has beaten them at Adelphia Coliseum.

The Baltimore Ravens beat Tennessee, 24-23, at Adelphia in November when Titan kicker Al Del Greco missed a 43-yard field-goal try to end the game.

Tennessee since has improved its record at the two-year-old stadium to 16-1, including a playoff game last season.

“There’s a great deal of respect between these two teams, and I think they knew we were going to be back there and we knew we were going to be back there,” Baltimore Coach Brian Billick said.

The game also should decide the NFL’s “real” No. 1 defense: Baltimore is No. 1 in points against, but Tennessee is No. 1 in yards against, the official standard.

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The Baltimore-Denver game was the first playoff game in the Ravens’ five-year history, and the first in Baltimore since the Colts played the Raiders in 1977.

“The emotion was high because it’s been 23 years since this city had a playoff game. I was 2 years old the last playoff game that was in Baltimore,” Raven linebacker Ray Lewis said.

A victory over the Broncos was sweet revenge for Raven owner Art Modell, who moved the former Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in 1996.

The Broncos kept the Browns from going to the Super Bowl three times, beating them in the AFC title game in the 1986 season with John Elway’s famous drive and again in 1987 and 1989.

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Baltimore quarterback Trent Dilfer left the game because of a mild concussion but returned to finish. However, headaches and nausea still were affecting him after the game. Asked how he was feeling, he said, “Not good at all,” holding onto a microphone stand for support before he cut interviews short.

In addition, Baltimore safety Kim Herring is questionable next Sunday because of a sprained left ankle.

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Raven running back Jamal Lewis and Bronco linebacker Al Wilson were college roommates at Tennessee, but Lewis got the better of Wilson by scoring two touchdowns.

On the first, he leaped over the line from a yard out, saying he waited to jump until Wilson did because he knew Wilson knows he likes to leap. On the second, a bulldozing 27-yard run in the third quarter, he ran over Wilson.

“I think he ran well,” Wilson said. “He is a good friend of mine and I’m happy for him. He played the game the way it was supposed to be played, and that’s all you can ask. He is big, strong and quick.”

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Denver had never been held without a touchdown in the playoffs. The Broncos crossed midfield only once, on the 68-yard drive that led to a 31-yard field goal by Jason Elam.