No Style Points Necessary, Just Beat Baltimore
What to watch for and a score prediction
The Houston Texans need this win against the Baltimore Ravens. No team has better defined the gap between where the Texans want to go in the AFC and where they have been. The Texans haven’t scored an offensive touchdown against the Ravens since C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans teamed up two seasons ago.
There was a three-field goal debut in 2023. The playoffs that year saw only a special teams touchdown as Baltimore steamrolled past Houston. Then there was the massacre on Christmas Day last season.
Baltimore outscored the Texans by 69 points in those three games.
That isn’t the Ravens the Texans play today.
Star quarterback Lamar Jackson is out. Star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is out. Star linebacker Roquan Smith is out. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey is out. Other key players are set to miss. The remaining Ravens, while playing, are far from fully healthy.
It’s time to beat Baltimore, no matter how it looks. Last week against Tennessee, there was hope and almost a need for style points. Some signs of life from the offense. Something to instill some confidence that the winless and toothless start was a fluke and not the standard. Three touchdowns in the final quarter are hopefully the start of something for the offense.
Houston can’t help Baltimore beat Houston. That’s one of the only ways the Ravens pull this one off. The consistent mistakes and miscues present as the season started can sink the Texans.
This is a wounded Ravens team, but they won’t be a pushover. Thursday Night Football showed that even a wounded dog has bite as a shorthanded San Francisco 49ers upset the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans surely saw that, and can’t underestimate the Ravens.
Christmas Day still rings in the back of the heads of the players. DeMeco Ryans downplayed it, but the players didn’t. They hated getting embarrassed at home. They know physicality can help them get revenge. Will Anderson said they are ready for an old-school physical football game. Remembering Christmas hopefully keeps the Texans dialed in despite the Ravens missing players.
The Texans being at 2-3 at their bye week would be an accomplishment that seemed unlikely weeks ago. Owning a tiebreaker over Baltimore, who surely won’t linger in the basement of the AFC, is key too.
It doesn’t matter how it looks. Houston needs to beat the Ravens, even if they aren’t the usual Ravens.
One Player to Watch
Zay Flowers is the player to watch for the Baltimore Ravens. He can be an equalizer for Cooper Rush in this one. Flowers is the most gifted receiver for the Ravens. They will line him up in a variety of places, but he can do some damage from the slot. He has to give Rush chances to get the ball into his hands quickly. That means beating his coverage consistently. He’s tenth in the NFL in yards after catch. Don’t let him make a play to help what should be a struggling Baltimore offense.
One Matchup to Watch
The front seven of the Houston Texans against the Baltimore offensive line and Derrick Henry. This is a larger selection of players for a matchup than usual, but the game will be decided here. Baltimore’s offensive line has been a disappointment. They haven’t made things as easy as they can be for Henry. Henry has made some mistakes this season. The Texans must know his ball security is an issue. They can’t let the locomotive get going. That’s on the defensive line penetrating and the linebackers being ready for the challenge. Houston must pressure backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
One Stat to Watch
The Baltimore Ravens have allowed the sixth-worst quarterback pressure percentage at 39.9% this season. That’s much worse than this year’s version of the Texans. It’s worse than last year’s version of the Texans. The Ravens have not protected the mobile Lamar Jackson well. How can they be up to the task of preserving the pocket passer in Cooper Rush? Houston could really use some pressure from their tackles in this one.
Score Prediction
The Houston Texans win 20-13. I still don’t feel like the offense is clicking on all cylinders, but surely they will score against a depleted Ravens team. This game is largely about the Texans avoiding their mistakes and the defense imposing its will on a Lamar Jackson-less Ravens. I believe they will be up for the challenge as a defense. The Ravens might get in the way of the Texans enough to keep them from really getting going on offense, but Houston has enough for the win.
It would be an understatement to say this is a must win. You can’t ask for a better situation to win a game that preseason I never thought we would win.
31-10, I don’t know how San Francisco pulled that off, but the ravens won’t. The offense clicks behind woody and Cj gets back to form, Andersen n hunter each get a sack. We go into the bye week feeling good.