Bryson Etienne’s 3-point play with 31-seconds left helped Texas Southern hold off a late Prairie View A&M rally to earn a 71-67 Southwestern Conference victory

Amorie Archibald had 14 points as Louisiana Tech narrowly beat UTEP 64-61

Derrick Henry gained 195 yards rushing and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass in the Tennessee Titans’ 28-12 victory over the Baltimore Ravens

Plus, Derrick Henry runs wild, Titans D forces Lamar Jackson’s bad night, Richard Sherman can’t stop, officials miss another blatant head shot, and much more.

Reacting and overreacting to everything that happened during Conference Semifinals Weekend…

Things That Made Me Giddy

The Titans Stole Baltimore’s Soul: We all pointed and laughed when Tennessee built an offense around a power running back. But what they ended up building is a team with a unique rushing element, and they supplemented it when they found a quarterback able to take advantage of play-action opportunities. Defensively they’re as well-coached as anyone—Saturday night they not only limited Lamar Jackson’s effectiveness with his legs, but forced him to make a ton of throws he’s not comfortable making (it helps that they feature one of the best secondaries in football). Apparently, it’s a formula that translates very well in January.

Derrick Henry at the Third Level: I can’t imagine anyone I envy less than a defensive back when Henry comes through with a head of steam. He is the rare running back who is a big play waiting to happen. He had 30 carries for 195 yards on Saturday night, giving him 64 carries for 377 yards (5.9 average) through two playoff games (which, by the way, would be a pace for 3,016 rushing yards over 16 games).

Yes, That 49ers Pass Rush: It was a nightmare scenario for the Vikings when Arik Armstead, the least terrifying of San Francisco’s front four, de-pantsed Brian O’Neill repeatedly in the first half. But the Vikings expected to lose the pass-protection battle. However, when their protection did hold up, Kirk Cousins rarely had anywhere to go with the ball. That Niners secondary was excellent; the lone play they gave up was an unusual jump ball (Stefon Diggs’ catch-point improvisations are something to behold) that went for the Vikings’ lone touchdown.

Tennessee Takes a Shot After the Fourth-and-1 Stop: An absolutely perfect call. After forcing the turnover on downs early in the second quarter, the Titans go with the play-action shot play, with Kalif Raymond running by Marlon Humphrey and a hapless Ravens secondary for the easy touchdown. Arthur Smith, I could kiss you.

The Richard Sherman Revival Rolls On: He was exceptional on Saturday—this time shutting down Adam Thielen—as he has been all season. It’s been incredible considering the Seahawks, the team that knew him better than anyone, thought he was done two seasons ago.

The 49ers’ Opening Drive: The play-calling was so good that, even though Jimmy Garoppolo looked jittery and put the ball in the wrong spot on a couple throws, they still went down the field with ease.

Eric Kendricks Is In Your Head: His second-quarter interception, leading directly to points in a game where points were at a premium, might have looked easy, but it was a combination of supreme instincts and supreme athleticism by a guy who is firmly in the “league’s best linebacker” conversation. Garoppolo is used to the linebacker biting a little on play-action, but Kendricks didn’t budge one bit. That was Kuechly-in-his-prime-type stuff.

Jimmy Garoppolo Navigating the Pocket: It looks like a more nimble Tom Brady back there, the way he’s feeling pressure, moving subtly, quickly re-setting then delivering the ball.

Jeffery Simmons’s Mouth Writes a Check His Butt Can Cash: Cameras caught the Titans rookie talking a whole lot to Lamar Jackson between the first and second quarters. It seemed like a bad idea to poke the best football player in the world, but, well, here we are.

* * *

Regrets

This Is a Penalty: This must be a penalty. There’s no other conclusion to be drawn. The NFL cannot be taken seriously on head safety unless they take action to legislate these completely unnecessary head shots out of the game. You do that by punishing players who deliver these hits. They chose not to do so with Jadeveon Clowney last week (and, incredibly, doubled-down by not fining Clowney). And they did it again this week on this Jeffery Simmons hit. (Also, I hate that the only replay I could find is in slo-mo, because like the Clowney hit, this looked just as egregious in real-time):

Titans Get Unprecedented Fourth-and-1 Stops: Which, literally, no one did against the Ravens during the regular season. (Also, the Ravens have yet to convert a fourth down in 2020, 0-for-4 on Saturday night.)

Lamar Jackson Throwing Outside the Numbers: Those out-breaking routes are his biggest weakness (and, arguably, his only weakness). The Titans forced him to try a lot of those throws.

Marcus Sherels Trying to Fielding Punts: Was like Mohamed Sanu trying to catch passes. Whether it was the wind, or the sun, or just “one of those days,” he was playing with fire all game until a devastating third-quarter muff gave the 49ers a first-and-goal after what looked like a big third-and-short stop by the Vikings defense.

Mark Andrews Can’t Extend: He didn’t look right all night, but the inability to bring in a high-but-not-that-high throw from Lamar Jackson in the first quarter, deflecting it into the arms of Kevin Byard, was killer.

Ravens’ Communication Breakdown: It’s always the same. They’re having a nervous breakdown. Drive them insane! (Probably, because how do your headsets go out in your own building during a playoff game?!)

Hayden Hurst Channels His Inner Coby Fleener: I don’t know what it feels like to be an NFL quarterback, but I’d assume there are few things more infuriating than a tight end not getting his head around when he’s 15 yards up the seam.

Kyle Shanahan’s Hat Choice: I spent the season trying to get used to it, but the final verdict is the red hat with the miniaturized black 49ers logo is a bad hat. The 49ers’ logo is so good, it should be worn large and proudly. Instead, Shanahan looks like he’s wearing something out of Julian Edelman’s crappy store.

NBC’s Musical Selection: It’s usually impeccable—tip of the hat for the tribute to the late Neil Peart during the first half (“Limelight,” CBS went with “Tom Sawyer,” both are fine choices but “YYZ” would have been the most correct selection). Anyway, while I realize nu metal band Trapt is local, “Headstrong” is an objectively bad song and a total outlier among NBC’s typically stellar selections. It was a tough way to go out on NBC’s final broadcast of the season.

* * *

Moments We’ll Tell Our Grandkids About

Tebow? More Like Derrick Henry as David Lee Roth: Might as well jump (Jump!) . . .

Jonnu Smith Is an Absolute Magician:

This Catch and Throw, Neither of Which Had Any Right Being Made:

Garoppolo Tries to Block Anthony Barr: Across the infinite multi-verses, only in ours did this scenario end up with Barr on his backside.

* * *

What We’ll Be Talking About This Week

Lamar Jackson’s Very Bad Day: There was the bad break on the early tipped interception and two fourth-and-inches failures. But he misread coverages, missed open receivers, and threw a whole lot of ducks on Saturday night. Anyone with a basic understanding of football knows he was the best player in the league this season (well, except for the architect of the 2011 Indianapolis Colts), but Jackson was bad on Saturday. (Some days are like that. Even in Australia.) It was also a reminder that he has some flaws in his game (throwing to the perimeter) that he’ll have to clean up.

Robert Saleh Reminds Cleveland Why He Should Be Their Next Head Coach: And he could end up bringing one of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive assistants with him to run the other side of the ball. It seems like a no-brainer for the Browns, which is probably why they’ll end up tabbing, like, Rich Kotite.

What Can the Vikings Do About This Offensive Line?: All season, their offense was non-operational against teams that could create pressure without blitzing—that includes NFC contenders 49ers and Packers, who figure to have similarly stellar pass rushes next year. In other words, Minnesota’s championship window is open, but they won’t get there with a front five playing like this. They also have growing issues at the other reactionary position (cornerback, with the decline of Xavier Rhodes), and probably won’t be able to fix both in one offseason considering their tight cap situation.

• Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com.

Derrick Henry rushed for 195 yards to lead Tennessee to an upset victory over Baltimore.

Throughout the entirety of the 2019 regular season, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated the NFL like few singular players ever have. He captivated fans through a combination of elusive, head-turning runs, coupled with timely darts through the air. But on an unseasonably warm Saturday night in Baltimore, Jackson played second fiddle to one of the game’s prolific runners—one who also threw a timely, and surprising, pass through the air. 

Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing yards during the regular season and bulldozed through the New England Patriots last weekend in the wild-card round. But his performance in No. 6 Tennessee’s 28-12 win over No. 1 Baltimore—coupled with Tennessee’s stellar defense—brought the Titans to within four quarters of their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. By defeating the Ravens, Tennessee became the first 6-seed to defeat a top seed in the playoffs since 2010.

Throughout the game’s first 30 minutes, the Titans did more than just frustrate Jackson’s team. Tennessee safety Kevin Byard intercepted Jackson midway through the first quarter on what looked like a surefire Baltimore scoring drive and the Titans recorded their first score of the game (a 12-yard touchdown catch by Jonnu Smith) on the very next possession. 

After Baltimore was stopped on fourth-and-1 on the ensuring series, Titans QB Ryan Tannehill threw arguably his best pass of the night, a 45-yard touchdown bomb to wide receiver Kalif Raymond, who had missed the past two games because of a concussion. 

Ravens players dropped untimely third-down passes and committed penalties on special teams. They trailed 14-0 for the first time this year, silencing a crowd that entered M&T Bank Stadium dreaming of an imminent Super Bowl title. What was seemingly automatic all season long, became a major challenge for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

After taking a 14-6 lead into the locker room, the Titans didn’t let up. With just over 10 minutes to play in the third, Jackson was stopped inside Tennessee’s red zone on a fourth-down attempt. But a 66-yard burst by the NFL’s leading rusher just plays later put the Titans in position to call a pass play for their RB. With 6:54 to go in the period and Tannehill on the sideline, Henry tossed a jump-pass to WR Corey Davis, extending his team’s lead by another seven points.

“He’s like one of those guys that kids create on Madden,” Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale said of Henry earlier this week. “You shouldn’t be that big and be able to run like he does.” Or pass like he does, as Saturday’s game revealed.

Baltimore failed to score in the third quarter and trailed 28-6 entering the fourth. The Ravens got into the end zone for the first time all game early in the period, but they still couldn’t stop Henry and the Titans’ attack. 

The Alabama product entered Saturday night having recorded six 100-yard games and an NFL-high 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns over his last seven contests. He finished the game with 195 yards rushing, becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 180 yards in three straight games.

“We ain’t gonna do too much talking,” Henry told CBS’ Evan Washburn after the game. “We just gonna work and believe in each other.”

Throughout the regular season, Jackson was the main component on a team that ranked No. 1 in the NFL with 531 points and set an NFL record with 3,926 yards. But he appeared to be flustered at times on Saturday. While he finished the game with 365 passing yards, one touchdown and 143 yards on the ground, Tennessee had built its 22-point lead by the time Jackson did most of his damage. He threw two interceptions and lost one fumble as well. Jackson will all-but-certainly win the league’s MVP award in a few weeks, but he’s discussed ad nauseam how winning a Super Bowl was his goal this year. That dream will have to wait another year.

Tannehill, the former No. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, is now just 60 minutes away from making a Super Bowl appearance in his former home stadium. He threw for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the win, but his insertion into the team’s lineup earlier this year is one reason why Tennessee is on the verge of a Super Bowl appearance.

The 2019 regular season might be remembered for the Louisville product’s record-breaking season. But through two weeks of the playoffs, another former Heisman Trophy winner has looked like the league’s best player. 

The Patriots couldn’t stop Henry and neither could the Ravens. Still, Titans fans hope that Henry’s best performance of the season has yet to come.  

Lesley Varner II had 21 points as Texas Rio Grande Valley routed Chicago State 87-63

Doncic, Powell lead Mavericks past Embiid-less 76ers, 109-91

Dikymbe Martin had 13 points off the bench to lift UC Riverside to a 65-59 win over Cal State Fullerton

Tom Brady said a new contract is “really not my concern at this point” one week after the Patriots’ season ended.

One week after the New England Patriots fell to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round, Tom Brady ensured that no decisions have been made on his future in the NFL.

“We are a week removed from the end of our season,” Brady said to Jim Gray in his weekly spot on Westwood One. “There is a lot of time to figure these things out. I don’t think any player or team is ready to make any commitments at this point, and I’m sure as the offseason progresses those things will take care of themselves.”

Brady, who is set to become a free agent on March 18 after his 20th season with the Patriots, said he has been spending time with his family and loved ones since the end of the season. 

“The contract things, a week after the season, I would say these things haven’t even started to pick up,” Brady said. “It’s really not my concern at this point. It’s been about decompressing and resting my mind a little bit and resting my body and spending time with the people who have supported me over the last six months.”

On Wednesday, Brady took to social media to thank his fans for the past season and say that he has more to prove, hinting at his future in the NFL. Brady said that he has experienced his limits “push back” at him, but also remains motivated to keep going.

“I also think I’m inspired by so many people who push the limits,” Brady said. “I love watching documentaries of incredible human feats. They’re inspiring. People climb these mountains and do things that people never thought were possible. I’m at a certain point in my career where people think what I’m doing is to a degree impossible. For me, it’s about continuing to prove to myself that I can lay it on the line and we can still try to achieve the ultimate goal, which is winning Super Bowls.”

Brady threw for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2019-20, including a pick-six on his final play of the year. While Bill Belichick called Brady an “iconic figure,” Brady knows his future in the league will not be decided soon.

“I can only say how I feel, and that’s what’s the truth to me and what’s authentic to me,” Brady said. “And I have no decision that I have made, and there won’t be for some considerable time. So I know there is speculation; there always is. That’s just part of being in professional sports; that’s part of being a professional athlete.

“When people aren’t talking about this season, they want to talk about next season, and the reality is that next season is quite a ways away. I have some other things that are happening at this time. Like I said, spending some time with my family, my loved ones and giving them the time they need. And then as people begin to plan for next season, like I said, these things will take care of themselves.”