The Baltimore Ravens insist on celebrating the Tennessee Titans logo after the interception of Marcus Peters was not planned.
In the final two minutes of the Ravens ’wild card victory by 20-13 on Sunday, 15 Ravens defenders followed Peters and stormed midfield, where many stepped on the logo. The blast came two months after the Titans players piled up the Ravens logo before the teams’ last clash, prompting a clash between Ravens coach John Harbaugh and the Titans players.
“This is an emotional football game. Sometimes you act out of emotion,” said Derek Wolfe, a Ravens defender. “I thought it was a good time to go ahead and do it, so we did it. It wasn’t a lack of respect. It was something of team unity as if we were achieving something as a team, so we’ll go out there and get some revenge. I don’t think it’s a big deal. “
Baltimore defensive end Calais Campbell, who doubled the Titans’ logo, told the NFL Network when asked about concentration in midfield: “Respect is earned.”
Peters ended the Titans ’hopes of returning with two minutes left, when he caught Ryan Tannehill on the Ravens’ 40-yard line, returned the interception to 13 yards and crashed into midfield. He jumped on the logo, dropped the ball and called to the side of the Titans with outstretched arms. Pro Bowl corner Marlon Humphrey sat in the logo and center-back Patrick Queen made a signal on the Tennessee sideline.
The Ravens were penalized 15 yards for taunts, but had no impact on the game. Six plays later, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson knelt one last time and left the field without shaking hands with the Titans, signaling his teammates to do the same.
“I think it was disrespectful to see what was going on before the game the last time we played those guys, who were standing in our logo and watching them come in with our coach,” Jackson said. “That was a lack of respect, because we treated all our opponents with respect. There was no reason to shake hands and things like that. We’ll be the biggest guy, so we left the field. I feel like we’re the older guys. “
Tennessee offensive lineman Dennis Kelly doesn’t understand why the Ravens responded that way, because he said the Titans have come together in the middle of the field before all-season games.
“I don’t know what all this‘ disrespect ’came from,” Kelly said. “If that’s what Harbaugh wanted to use to motivate them, I guess it worked.”
Titans coach Mike Vrabel declined to go into detail about celebrating the Ravens midfield and not shaking hands after the game.
“I train the Titans, not the Ravens,” Vrabel said.
Peters was not made available to reporters after the match and Harbaugh was not asked about the celebration of his players.
“We just like to celebrate; you know what I mean? I think it was a good celebration,” Humphrey said. “Normally, whoever does the work runs towards that person; by chance, that person ended up appearing in the logo.”
ESPN’s Turron Davenport contributed to this report.