After Embarrassing Performance Against Colts, Titans Coach Mike Vrabel Aims to Stop Ravens' Rushing Attack: 'It is a Great Challenge'

The Tennessee Titans allowed nearly 200 rushing yards to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 and the job doesn't get any easier in Week 6 when the Titans face the diverse run game of the Baltimore Ravens.

The Tennessee Titans have been able to count on one thing at all times through the last twenty or so weeks of games and that is their run defense. The best in the NFL in 2022, the Titans run defense got off to a great start this season as well until they faced the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.

The Titans let backup running back Zack Moss and the Colts without starting quarterback Anthony Richardson run for 193 yards. It was a jarring performance from a unit that has been reliable in that realm for so long.

Was this a blip on the radar or the beginning of a concerning falloff from the run defense? That question should get an answer this week when the Titans travel to London to face the Baltimore Ravens and their diverse rushing attack.

The Ravens are currently the fourth-best rushing offense in the NFL, averaging over 146 yards per game. They have a stable of backs they can rotate through and the most dangerous weapon of all, Lamar Jackson, at quarterback. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel knows it'll take the entire defense to bounce back from last week.

"We're all responsible," Vrabel said. "It'll be more than just the front seven, we'll all be responsible. Corners will have to tackle and safeties will have to tackle and fit, especially when the quarterback has the football. It is a great challenge, they don't just run it with the quarterback. Edwards is a tough, physical runner. Hill is a great change of pace back and whoever else they activate between Drake or Gordon. Those guys have been doing a nice job and then when the quarterback has his opportunities, he's making the most of them."

The talent available isn't the only thing that makes the Ravens tough to defend on the ground. They also feature a very diverse run game that includes multiple different schemes and types of running plays.

"It is a great challenge. It's a multiple run scheme, not just inside, outside zone, they have gap schemes and pull guys," Vrabel described. "The quarterback reads stuff. They've always done a nice job and that's something that they've been able to do."

The Ravens got a new offensive coordinator this offseason in Todd Monken. Monken came over after coordinating the Georgia Bulldogs offense, but before that Monken had NFL experience already having coached with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Monken has kept a lot of the diverse run game the Ravens featured before him, but is now adding more sophisticated layers to the passing game. While that improved passing attack is something to worry about, as the Titans learned last week, stopping the run has to be first on the to-do list.

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