11 Observations from the Christmas Day Massacre

The Ravens dominated the Texans

The Houston Texans lost to the Baltimore Ravens 31-2. It was atrocious.

Here are 11 observations from the Christmas Day Massacre.

1. C.J. Stroud played a horrendous game. His trademark accuracy from last season is gone. He’s missing easy throws. He’s sailing passes that hit guys in the chest last year. Stroud’s touch on passes outside the numbers is non-existent. Make any excuse you’d like for him, but this was among the poorest performances he has ever had. He almost seemed unfocused at times. Stroud said he was a little banged up and didn’t make the plays, dismissed that as an excuse, and then said he has to start making these throws. It does feel like an injury could excuse some of the issues he is dealing with, but why isn’t it on the injury report? This team only has a chance on offense when he is on, but when he’s off like this they can’t beat many teams, and certainly not the Ravens.

2. This is one of the least prepared games a DeMeco Ryans team has ever played. The defense got steamrolled by the Baltimore Ravens. They adjusted and held for a moment, but the white flag was out quickly in the second half. The offense was, as typical, inconsistent from the start. It wasn’t easy to play two AFC elites in four days, but it shouldn’t look this bad against Baltimore when it looked somewhat okay on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ryans was a broken record after the game. He took accountability and said it was on him to fix it. He also said the team didn’t come out like he expected them to come out. He must have the team more prepared for the next game that matters which is likely the second Saturday in January.

3. The offense is broken. It has been for a while. Good defenses figure it out and if Stroud isn’t otherworldly they’re sunk. Nothing works. Nothing looks easy like other offenses. They’re lightly talented and easy to scheme for weekly. Take away Nico Collins and there isn’t anything else to be worried about. The tight end room provides next to nothing and are frequently asked to do things they are incapable of doing, like blocking.

4. The offensive line can’t block. Simple defensive approaches lead to massive hits on the quarterback. It is week 17 and simple stunts confuse the offensive line. Unblocked rushers frequently are let through. It’s maddening. It’s now apparent why Kendrick Green wasn’t given a chance earlier. Blake Fisher doesn’t look ready. A new blocking scheme, a new offensive line coach, and probably a new offense are all necessary in the offseason.

5. The ability to run the ball has disappeared. This version of the line gets no push. The Ravens bullied them. It was something they could count on for a stretch midseason but I would be surprised to see it appear again when they’re playing like this. Joe Mixon has nowhere to go and tries to make something out of nothing frequently.

6. The air left the building when the red zone woes resurfaced. The Texans had gotten everything they could have asked for from the defense and the special teams. Tommy Townsend buried the Ravens deep. The defense forced a safety. The ensuing return from Dameon Pierce was excellent. The offense sputtered and got a questionable pass interference to extend their drive. But uh oh, it was the dreaded red zone! After a rush for seven yards, the Texans lost a yard, Stroud had a pass batted down over the middle to John Metchie, and then a dump to Joe Mixon saw the Ravens make a tough stand and keep Houston out of the end zone. They’re putrid in the red zone. The Ravens marched it 99 yards for a touchdown and that was the moment it felt inevitable for the Texans.

7. The Ravens bullied the defensive tackles. Houston wasn’t ready for the physicality and was blown off the ball. Will Anderson made a few plays off the edge but up the middle the Ravens got nearly whatever they wanted. That was uncharacteristic from a defense that is usually a little more stout up the middle.

8. The linebackers were in a blender all day. The Ravens were either too physical or too athletic. Christian Harris looked like he lacked his top-end speed when he couldn’t catch Mark Andrews. This was a tough matchup but they weren’t up to the challenge.

9. The Jimmie Ward replacement plan is clearer. The Texans put Myles Bryant on the field as the nickel cornerback. Will that last against good teams? I’m not sure but it might be better than Jeff Okudah at cornerback. They also tried that a time or two and even put three linebackers on the field. There’s no good answer but Bryant seems to be the initial choice.

10. This will be a big test for the coaching staff down the stretch. Robert Woods and Stroud said the energy was lacking. Danielle Hunter said they needed to gameplan better. The scheme was abused defensively. The offense, well, it’s hopeless at this point. Just try to figure out a way to get the rushing attack going and get Nico Collins the ball. If Ryans wants to take the blame, then it is up to him to make sure this never happens again.

11. Teams should be clamoring to play the Texans in the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers seem likely at this point. That’s a scary thought. There will be a lot of terrible towels in the building along with Steelers fans. T.J. Watt would feast on this offensive line, but the Pittsburgh offense is mediocre. The Los Angeles Chargers are scary too because Justin Herbert is excellent and they have some impressive defenders. Jim Harbaugh is an excellent coach and his team would be prepared for the challenge of playing in Houston. There exists a small possibility of the Ravens in a rematch but that seems unlikely.

    ---

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!