Ravens defensive tackle Justin Bannan said his interception during a 13-10 loss to the Titans was more luck than skill.
On Tennesse’s opening drive, defensive end Haloti Ngata deflected Kerry Collins’ pass high in the air, with Bannan snagging the ball with his heavily-taped right hand for the first interception of his seven-year career.
Now, he just has to work on his return skills.
“I didn’t even have time to think, I just grabbed it and tried to do something,” Bannan, who lost four yards on the return, said. “I tried to get to the sideline and got my leg taken out. It’s always good to get a present like that.”
But it’s been Bannan’s ability to tie up offensive linemen and get off blocks to make tackles that’s made him invaluable to the Ravens (2-2).
He’s been a major contributor to the defense, as he has filled in for Kelly Gregg, who missed all of the preseason and the first five weeks of the season with an injured left knee.
And with no timetable for Gregg’s return, the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder is cementing a spot in the lineup.
“It’s nothing new for me, I just get a chance to have some more playing time,” Bannan, who made his first interception since he starred at Bella Vista (Calif.) High, said. “I wish we would have Kelly back, but in the meantime, I have to get it done.”
Bannan has been getting it done his past three seasons in Baltimore.
He has started all four times this fall, recording 12 tackles and a sack after making two starts and appearing in 26 games the previous two seasons.
“The way Bannan’s been playing,” Ngata said, “it’s like we never lost Kelly.”
The defense entered the game allowing just 14.3 points and 186.7 yards per game and was solid against Tennessee (5-0), yielding just 210 yards. The Titans entered the game ranked just 22nd in the league in total offense, averaging 305.5 yards per game, but eighth overall in rushing with 137 yards per game.
The defense, however, couldn’t get the final stop it needed, as the Titans drove 80 yards for the game-winning touchdown with just 1:56 remaining.
“It’s tough the way it went down, and it’s been two weeks in a row now,” Bannan, who had three tackles against the Titans, said. “We have to make our corrections and come back out ready to go.”
