Ravens topple the Texans and head to the AFC Championship
By Drake Skelly, WEBN
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 tonight in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to move on to the AFC Championship for the first time since 2012.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense struggled to pull ahead of the Texans in the first half with the teams going into halftime tied 10-10. The Ravens were able to rally in the second half to score on every second-half drive, three of the four ending in the end zone.
When asked after the game how important the Ravens’ defense was to the win, Jackson said “they motivate us to put more points on the board.”
Jackson was able to score both in the air and on the ground with 2 passing and 2 rushing touchdowns. He had just over 150 passing yards and an even 100 rushing yards. The Texans run defense was able to hold the Ravens leading running back Justice Hill to only 66 yards. The Texans knew going into the game how important it was to stop Jackson, so they sent blitz after blitz and were able to sack him three times.
The Texans traveled into Baltimore hoping to make up for their loss when these two teams matched up during week one of this season, but the offense struggled and their only touchdown came from a punt return by Steven Sims Jr. towards the end of the second half.
The Ravens run defense was able to hold Devin Singletary to just 22 yards, so first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans turned to first-year quarterback C.J. Stroud to move the ball down field. Stroud threw for 175 yards and 19 completions, but struggled to get past the Ravens defense in the Red Zone, resulting in two field goal attempts with only one making it through the uprights.
The Ravens have struggled in the postseason during the Lamar Jackson era, and Jackson told reporters that the difference this year is the veteran influence in the locker room.
The home-field advantage was felt by the Texans tonight as Ravens fans roared through M&T stadium. The Texans had eight pre-snap penalties on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Whoever wins in the Chiefs vs. Bills matchup needs to come prepared to block out the noise of the Flock.
Despite the loss, it’s hard not to think of the Texan’s season as a success. They ended last season with the second-worst record in the NFL and at the bottom of the AFC South. This season, they jumped up to 10 wins, the division title, and the franchise’s fifth playoff victory; all with an incredibly young team. The Ravens took home the win and the chance to keep fighting for the Lombardi, but the Texans proved they’re a team to watch the next few years.