Baltimore Ravens vs Tennessee Titans: 3 Bold Predictions

Oct 26, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger (7) is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) during the second half at LP Field. The Texans beat the Titans 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Mettenberger will throw for 300 yards but no touchdowns

In his first NFL start, Zach Mettenberger almost threw for 300 yards, falling just shy at 299. Expect him to cross that barrier against the Ravens’ tattered secondary, though that is no guarantee of offensive success for the Titans for two reasons.

First, the Ravens still have one of the best red zone defenses in the NFL, giving up a touchdown on just 46.67 percent of opponents’ red zone trips. If the Ravens could keep guys like Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan out of the end zone, they can do the same against Mettenberger.

Second, the Ravens should absolutely shut down the Titans’ ground game. The Titans have struggled against some pretty bad run defenses (Cleveland, Houston, Jacksonville), so there should be no expectation of success against the Ravens’ sixth-ranked rushing defense.

That said, Mettenberger will find success because he has a solid group of weapons (Nate Washington, Justin Hunter, Kendall Wright, Delanie Walker) and because two-thirds of the Ravens’ cornerback corps is brand new. Mettenberger might make a big play from time to time on a blown coverage, but consistency will be hard to find for the strong-armed, inconsistent rookie. Expect more turnovers and sacks than big plays from Mettenberger, despite the gaudy yardage total he should accumulate.