Titans' A.J. Brown says pregame altercation with Ravens 'set the tone of the game'
Brown isn't 100 percent sure why John Harbaugh went after his teammates, but he's sure glad he did

The Tennessee Titans downed the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 30-24 on Sunday thanks to a 29-yard touchdown run in overtime by Derrick Henry, but there was also something that occurred in pregame that ended up helping the Titans get back into the win column. Before the Week 11 conference clash, the Titans' team was seen gathering at the Ravens' logo, and a couple of players including defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and cornerback Malcolm Butler started barking at Baltimore's sideline. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh clearly took offense to this and ran out to midfield to confront the players. Other coaches broke up the spirited debate, and cooler heads ended up prevailing.
Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown said after the game that the quick interaction at midfield boosted the Titans to a win, and that he was shocked the opponent's head coach came out to confront his teammates.
"They set the tone of the game from being out there from doing just that," Brown told PFT. "They told us what type of game it was going to be. It was gonna be a physical game. People don't think that that matters, but it definitely does.
"The coach just came over there and I was like, 'Did he really?' . . . I was just in the way. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was trying to keep the peace, you know, because they're coaches, not like they're players. I was just trying to keep everybody calm and separate everybody and get ready to play. Things were heated."
JOHN HARBAUGH WANTED THE SMOKE pic.twitter.com/C5K7fwlKVL
— Pick Six Podcast (@picksixpod) November 22, 2020
The interaction certainly boosted Brown, who caught four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown in the win. This appears to be a budding rivalry in the NFL, as the Titans upset Lamar Jackson and Co. in the divisional round of the playoffs back in January despite being double-digit underdogs. There were several skirmishes during the course of Sunday's game and also some drama when it came to the head coaches shaking hands after the matchup. Brown isn't sure what specifically caused Harbaugh to approach his team before kickoff, but he is sure glad Harbaugh did.
"Some words were said, and they said some words back. They kind of rushed the field like they were players," said Brown. "They definitely set the tone of the game. That's when we what type of game it was gonna be, from right then."
















