NASHVILLE — When the 2023 NFL season is all said and done, we may look back on Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens as what set the tone for the rest of the way.

The Titans will take the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday morning with a 2-3 record and desperately in need of win. After a disappointing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, the Titans are currently dwelling in the basement of the AFC South.

With the bye week looming after the team's trip to London, getting back to .500 before having a week off could not be more important for morale.

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Looking at the Titans' schedule at the beginning of the year, most fans would have been more than comfortable going into the bye week 3-3. Tennessee has had to play some of the AFC's top preseason contenders in the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Baltimore Ravens. 

Ironically, those have been the games Tennessee has won up until this point. It's the teams with the stifling defenses like the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns that have given the Titans trouble.

Either way, a 3-3 record through the most difficult part of the schedule seemed like a very realistic expectation for a team that had playoff aspirations. At the beginning of the season, I wouldn't have thought a 2-4 start was detrimental for Tennessee. But considering how good (relative to the expectation) Houston and Indianapolis have looked this season, losing back-to-back games heading into the bye week would feel deflating.

"It'd be nice to get back even and then give ourselves a chance after the bye to put something together. I don't disagree with you one bit," said head coach Mike Vrabel when previewing Sunday's game.

Titans safety Kevin Byard told the media on Wednesday that Tennessee's sense of urgency is at an all-time high heading across the pond to London. 

"The urgency is at an all-time high. We've got to find a way to get back on track. It's gonna be important for us to get on the road, across the water, and get off to a fast start," said Byard.

With a win over Baltimore, the 2023 season is right on track for the Titans. They'll still be right in the middle of things in the AFC South with a stretch of winnable games after the bye. Tennessee plays Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Indianapolis in five of their six games after the bye week. Sitting at 3-3 before that slate is a good place to be.

With a loss to Baltimore, the 2023 season might be on the ropes. The Titans are already in last place in the AFC South and the only team without a divisional win. Falling to 2-4 would eliminate the margin for error in the second half of the season. It could also make momentum spiral.

Titans vs. Ravens will kick off from London at 8:30 a.m. CST on Sunday morning and the stakes could not be higher. 

Essential Titans player questionable for London game

Titans are going to need him this week.