Brian Orakpo has a message for every quarterback in the NFL: Slide earlier.

The Titans’ four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker put the onus on Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco for the punishing hit to the head he absorbed from Dolphins outside linebacker Kiko Alonso on a scramble late in the second quarter of Baltimore’s 40-0 victory against Miami on Thursday.

Flacco is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and may not play against the Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

“It’s definitely unfortunate,” Orakpo said after practice Monday. “But Flacco needs to get down a little earlier if you want to avoid that. I mean, just play the next down. Don’t be trying to reach for the first down. That’s what happens. Old buddy Kiko was in the situation where the guy’s still running the ball, and any defender will tell you they’ll do the same thing.

“Just get down early, play the next down, and you won’t be in that situation. That goes for any quarterback that’s out there, man. Don’t go out there running around, trying to make a play when it’s not necessary.”

Flacco, facing third-and-10 from the Dolphins’ 20-yard line and the Ravens leading 13-0, slid at the end of a nine-yard gain and was hit in the helmet by Alonso’s right shoulder as the linebacker dived to make a stop. The force of the blow ripped off Flacco’s helmet, knocked the quarterback from the game and sparked a melee along the sideline. Alonso was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

“Joe slid; he is protected,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday in Baltimore. “We have a technique to teach those guys coming in there, and we teach our guys that. They try to do their best with it, but the responsibility is on the defender, clearly. That is not even part of the conversation at the NFL meetings when we have the official meetings. We understand how that rule works.”

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Ryan Mallett capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson, giving the Ravens a 20-0 lead at halftime. Mallett played the remainder of the game and will start against the Titans on Sunday should Flacco be unable to play.

Harbaugh said Flacco is exhibiting “zero symptoms” and there is a “good chance” he plays against the Titans.

“As I have said before,” Harbaugh said, “I am not a doctor, but I play one in press conferences. That is my diagnosis.”

“We'll be ready for both quarterbacks,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said.

Titans safety Kevin Byard, who had three interceptions in the Titans’ last game, a 12-9 victory against the Browns in overtime on Oct. 22 in Cleveland, winced when he saw Alonso’s hit on Flacco, but shared a similar experience.

“It was a pretty nasty hit,” Byard said. “Do I think it was legal or not legal? I don’t really think that’s up to me, but I know for a fact, playing defense, knowing it was third-and-long, he was trying to get the first down, and I’m pretty sure Kiko Alonso didn’t want him to get the first down, so it’s kind of a bang-bang type deal.

“It’s tough, because I had a situation like that in college, where I had got a flag where I hit a quarterback when he was sliding. You kind of want to get those free shots on a quarterback a lot of times, so when you’re kind of zoned in, running full speed, it’s kind of hard to put on the breaks real fast. He probably already made up in his mind five yards before that he was going to hit him, and he really couldn’t turn the switch off fast enough.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter at @JasonWolf and on Instagram and Snapchat at TitansBeat.

WEEK 9: RAVENS (4-4) AT TITANS (4-3)

When: Noon, Sunday

TV/Radio: CBS / 104.5-FM