Tag: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans

Lamar Jackson leads Ravens to AFC Championship Game

The NFL should simply hand the MVP award over to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after his AFC Divisional Round performance.

The NFL should simply hand the MVP award over to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after his AFC divisional-round performance.

Tied 10-10 with the Houston Texans at halftime, the Ravens led an emphatic 24-0 scoring run in the 2nd half.  Jackson finished with a total of four touchdowns: two rushing and two passing.

The Ravens controlled the tempo of the game, winning the time of possession 37:35 to 22:25. In the third quarter, the Ravens capped off a 12-play, 93-yard drive to go ahead 24-10 in thrilling fashion.

Jackson seemed unbothered by the Texans’ blitzes, as he completed 16 of his 22 pass attempts with precision. His leadership created an aura of poise as Jackson connected with eight different receivers and rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries.

The Ravens will host the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium next Sunday against the winner of the divisional-round game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

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Ravens WR Zay Flowers may be the X-factor vs. Texans

Could Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers be an X-factor versus the Texans in the AFC Divisional?

The Baltimore Ravens rank No. 1 in rush yards per carry, and when opponents crowd the box, wide receiver Zay Flowers is often left guarded 1-on-1 on the outside. Could he be the X-Factor in the AFC Divisional?

After tallying a record-breaking 858 total receiving yards this season,  Flowers needs to transfer that season play-over into the playoffs. Surely, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is thinking of ways to stop Flowers, but that’s easier said than done.

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Flowers recorded 77 receptions this season, averaging 11.1 yards per catch. Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken has done a terrific job getting Flowers into space on screens, quick slants, comeback routes, wheel routes, and more.

Flowers runs a  40-yard dash speed of 4.42 and has yielded 387 yards after catch this season to lead the team. His electrifying speed was displayed when he ignited M&T Bank Stadium the last time he took the field in week 17 with a 75-yard touchdown catch.

Monken should use Flowers over the top this week, as Ryans may be looking to crowd the line of scrimmage and neutralize the Ravens’ running game.

Monken should be looking to use every misdirection play he has in the playbook to get the Texans’ defense out of position to open up lanes for his skill players. The speed of Flowers can be the x-factor on offense, compromising any attempt for the Texans to press at the line of scrimmage.

Want to win your NFL survivor pool? Who to take in Week 1

Breaking down the best strategies of how to win your NFL survivor pool as the season gets underway with Week 1.

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NFL survivor pools are a fun way to enjoy football. They don’t take a lot of time, but the payout can be big — depending on the number of entries in your contest.

Last season, this column suggested the top options each week. Well, we’re going to do things a bit different this time around where my “chalk” selection will be my play in the USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool — which is free to enter.

Unlike last season, I won’t list a “chalk” team more than once. It only seems fair as you won’t be able to take the same team twice in your contest — though some survivor games allow up to 3 losses.

However, I might suggest an already used team later in the season as my “No. 2 option” for those who might still have that team available, but a team will not be the “chalk” pick more than once.

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– All games Sunday and ET unless noted

The chalk: Baltimore Ravens

Who they play: Home vs. Houston Texans – 1 p.m. (CBS)

In the past 2 head-to-head meetings, Baltimore won by a combined score of 74-23. The Ravens cruised to a 41-7 home rout in 2019 and won 33-16 in Houston 3 seasons ago.

With the running ability of Baltimore, the Ravens will control the clock and keep the Texans and rookie QB C.J. Stroud off the field. When the Texans do get on the field, it will have a banged up offensive line attempting to keep Stroud upright. This could be futile as the Ravens will get to him early and often.

Houston offensive linemen Kenyon Green, Tytus Howard, Scott Quessenberry and Juice Scruggs are out. This will leave Stroud vulnerable.

For the Ravens, QB Lamar Jackson is back … and potentially happy. His talent will make it difficult for a young Texas defense, which includes CB Derek Stingley Jr. the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Even if Stingley Jr. and Co. succeed in shutting down the Ravens passing game, Jackson and RB J.K. Dobbins will have a field day on the ground. Stopping them will not just be less than easy, it may be impossible.

There is not much to go on in Week 1 besides feelings. Well, my feeling here is the RAVENS are the safest bet to get your survivor pool stated.

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No. 2 option: Washington Commanders

Who they play: Home vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1 p.m. (FOX)

Washington is not a world beater of a team, but it is better than Arizona, which has made trades to look like a team preparing for the next season.

While Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon came over from the Philadelphia Eagles — where he was the defensive coordinator — and knows to trust the process, a difficult season is in store for Arizona fans in 2023.

Washington has some talent on offense. With Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, the Commanders have a solid base at the WR position. With RBs Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson coming out of the backfield, new QB Sam Howell will have options to check down to when needed.

Washington will look to win its 1st game under new ownership.

While the Cardinals are heading in the wrong direction in hopes of returning to the playoffs in future seasons, the Commanders are hoping the future is now. A win against the Cardinals will be the 1st step in making this happen.

Other to consider

Philadelphia Eagles: At New England Patriots — 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

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Marlon Humphrey is our Player of the Game in Week 2 vs. Texans

Marlon Humphrey is our Week 2 player of the game after his 7 tackle performance along with a forced fumble which led to a touchdown.

While Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters earned the honor of being our most important matchup leading up to this game, it was his counterpart, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who was the player of the game.

It was Humphrey who made the biggest play of the game in the second quarter. He stripped wide receiver Keke Coutee, leading to a 22-yard scoop and score by linebacker L.J. Fort. This play proved to be a major difference in the outcome as it put the Ravens up 20-7, making it the last time Houston was within one score. Humphrey also had four tackles in the first half which tied him with Patrick Queen for the team-high at the half.

Humphrey finished the game with seven combined tackles, 0.5 sacks, one quarterback hit, and the aforementioned lone forced fumble.

Humphrey and the Ravens’ secondary had to overcome the rising-star quarterback Deshaun Watson who was without his primary receiver Will Fuller for most of the second half due to injury. Baltimore’s corners showed up and showed out the entire game, allowing just one touchdown all game long and none by any of Houston’s receivers.

Another impressive performance by Baltimore’s defense allowed quarterback Lamar Jackson to manage the offense and run the clock out for the majority of the fourth quarter. The Ravens finished with a pretty decisive 33-16 victory, bringing them to 2-0 on the season.

This isn’t Humphrey’s first impressive performance on the season, however. He followed up an interception in Week 1 with a forced fumble in Week 2. After a Pro Bowl season last year, Humphrey has stepped up his game this season, making several big plays on top of being a consistent lock-down cornerback too.

Humphrey, along with Peters, have formed a dynamic tandem that has paid dividends in overcoming the loss of safety Earl Thomas this offseason and fellow cornerback Tavon Young to injury in this game. In the first two games, Humphrey and the rest of Baltimore’s secondary hasn’t allowed a touchdown or even a 100-yard performance by a receiver. While it’s still only Week 2, this could be the beginning of what is a double All-Pro season for the two Ravens’ corners.

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Ravens vs. Texans inactives: Who’s not playing in Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens have the same list of inactive players against the Houston Texans as last week despite being a little healthier.

The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans take the field in the afternoon games. The Ravens have the same inactive list as last week, even though only two players were ruled out this time around.

While most of the decisions aren’t terribly shocking, running back Justice Hill being held out of this game is notable. Hill was listed as “questionable” on the final injury report but had returned fully to practice late in the week. However, with three other running backs on the depth chart, Hill isn’t exactly needed. As the season progresses, it’ll be interesting to see if Hill is active more often and gets some meaningful snaps to help rest the other top backs.

Take a look at the six players the Ravens and Texans have inactive for Week 2.

Baltimore Ravens Week 2 inactives:

Player Position
Trace McSorley QB
Chris Moore WR
Justin Madubuike DT
Geno Stone S
Justice Hill RB
Ben Bredeson G

Houston Texans Week 2 inactives:

Player Position
Duke Johnson RB
Cornell Armstrong CB
Jonathan Greenard OLB
Peter Kalambayi ILB
Charlie Heck T
Pharaoh Brown TE

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Ravens vs. Texans NFL Week 2: Time, TV channel and how to stream online

Here’s how you can watch the Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans for Week 2, including TV channel, live streaming options, and schedule

The Baltimore Ravens will try to continue their regular-season dominance in Week 2 over the Houston Texans. Here’s how you can watch the Ravens vs. Texans on your TV, as well as live streaming options.

After obliterating the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, Baltimore has won 13 straight regular-season games which is the longest active streak in the NFL. But they’ll get a tougher test in Deshaun Watson and Houston, who are looking to stop a potential early-season slide from happening.

Before you even touch the remote to find this matchup, we’ve got all the information for you. Here’s how to stream Ravens vs. Texans in Week 2.

Ravens vs. Texans game information:

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) at Houston Texans (0-1)

Sunday, Sept. 20, 4:25 p.m. ET

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX

Ravens vs. Texans streams:

Live stream: fuboTV (Watch for free)

Ravens vs. Texans TV channel:

CBS – WJZ Ch. 13 (Baltimore)

Week 2 NFL broadcast map

TV broadcasters:

Kevin Harlan (play-by-play)
Trent Green (analyst)
Melanie Collins (reporter)

Radio:

WBAL (1090 AM/101.5 FM)
98 Rock (97.9 FM)

Radio broadcasters:

Gerry Sandusky (play-by-play)
Femi Ayanbadejo (analyst)

Ravens vs. Texans injuries:

Ravens vs. Texans injury report: Final game status

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Ravens CB Marcus Peters vs. Texans WR Will Fuller V is the key matchup of Week 2

Baltimore Ravens CB Marcus Peters will be matched up against Houston Texans deep threat WR Will Fuller V in Week 2.

When the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans this Sunday, a highly anticipated matchup will go down. It’s not between quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson like you might be thinking, however.

Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters will be looking to lock down Texans’ big-play threat wide receiver Will Fuller V. Baltimore’s shutdown corner has a tall task defending a receiver who is in much need of a standout 2020 campaign and more than capable of delivering on it when healthy.

Eyes are on the 26-year-old Fuller after the shocking trade which sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona early this past offseason. This move put an abrupt end to what was supposed to be a dynamic deep threat duo of Hopkins and Fuller. With Hopkins now out of the picture, Houston is counting on Fuller to live up to being the 21st pick Houston used to select him back in 2016.

In order for Fuller to live up to his hype, he first needs to stay healthy. He hasn’t played a full season yet, missing five games last season and 22 over his four-year career. “If I can play 16 games, the sky is the limit,” said Fuller, per “Around the NFL” writer Kevin Patra. Despite being the obvious No. 2 receiver on the depth chart, the Texans averaged 5.6 more points-per-game when he has been on the field. Fuller enters this game healthy, having appeared on the injury report Friday for a non-injury reason.

Fuller was impressive in the Thursday night opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, catching 8-of-10 targets for 112 yards. He’s clearly the favorite target of Watson as he received double the targets of any other player on the offense — Brandin Cooks had the second-highest targets with only five. Fuller is sure to have a similar workload in this Week 2 matchup, especially if Houston has to play catch-up with Baltimore.

For Baltimore, a major key to their defense is the ability of Marcus Peters to matchup against an opponent’s No. 1 wideout. The Ravens acquired Peters in from the Los Angeles Rams at the trade deadline last year. Only having to give up linebacker Kenny Young and a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, adding a top-five corner was an easy decision for Baltimore. Peters got to work quickly repaying the Ravens, earning First-Team All-Pro honors.

Peters’ teammates have loved what he has brought since arriving last season. Fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey raved about what he’s learned from Peters.

“He sees it a lot different than the average corner,” Humphrey said in August. “He’s able to see things as it kind of comes. He’s really good at film study and different things. Me trying to turn on that, being more of a student of the game, leaning on him to add something to my game I think is the biggest thing. That’s what I think has led him to be so successful; mainly just the film study and being able to see things way before they happen.”

Humphrey’s praise was more than just kind words, however. Peters accounted for three interceptions in his limited time with Baltimore last season, including two returned for touchdowns. One came against Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson while the other was against Cincinnati Bengals’ Ryan Finley. Both plays required Peters to read the quarterback’s eyes in order to jump the out routes, giving him a clear path along the sidelines for the score.

Peters has continued his impressive play into this season. Despite Baltimore releasing safety Earl Thomas, Peters and the Ravens’ defense didn’t skip a beat in Week 1. They demolished quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns 38-6. Peters and the secondary made life miserable for Cleveland’s top wideout, Odell Beckham Jr, holding him to just three catches for 22 yards.

The Ravens shift gears now to a Texans team which is in danger of falling to 0-2 on the season. Knowing both of these teams seek to put points on the board with explosive plays, you can bet Peters will have to be at the top of his game for the Ravens to pull out the victory.

The matchup between Peters and Fuller is set to be an interesting subplot to this Week 2 game. The Texans can’t afford to start the season 0-2, and Fuller is looking to put himself in position for his first 1,000-yard season. If Peters and the secondary can shut down Fuller the way they did to Beckham in Week 1, the Ravens could be in for another blowout victory and smooth sailing to a 2-0 start.

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Against Texans, Ravens can prove they’ve learned from tough playoff loss

The Baltimore Ravens can prove they’ve learned playoff lesson to not overlook an opponent when they take on the Houston Texans in Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens looked great in their Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. But as attention is turned to the Houston Texans for Week 2, Baltimore is presented with a unique test. The Ravens need to prove they’ve learned from previous mistakes and remain focused on the opponent at hand.

On paper, this week’s matchup against the Texans is one the Ravens should win handily. Houston has struggled to stop the run and protect quarterback Deshaun Watson, two things Baltimore has done well. Considering the Ravens destroyed the Texans in Week 11 last season and their wildly divergent performances in Week 1 — Baltimore beat the Cleveland Browns 38-6 while Houston looked like a second-tier team in every regard against the Kansas City Chiefs — it’s no shock Baltimore is heavily favored for this game.

But an inclination to overlook the Texans in order to mentally prepare for a much tougher Week 3 game against Kansas City would be a big mistake, and one the Ravens should have fresh in their memory.

As quarterback Lamar Jackson noted this offseason, Baltimore was booted from last season’s playoffs because they overlooked the Tennessee Titans. Much like this week’s matchup, the Ravens looked to be the superior team on paper but started the game flat, allowing the Titans to dictate the game en route to an embarrassing loss. After an entire offseason bemoaning crushed Super Bowl dreams, Baltimore seems to know better this time around.

Defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who is normally unafraid to make bold statements and create headlines, shied away from any such declarations this week. When asked about the team’s success against Watson and the Texans’ offense, Martindale wasn’t taking the bait.

“Oh, we’re not overconfident – trust me,” Martindale said Thursday. “He gets better every year. He’s a Pro Bowl quarterback for a reason; it was just one of those days last year.”

With Super Bowl aspirations once again this season for Baltimore, it all starts with beating the opponent put in front of them until they get there. But how they perform on Sunday night will go a long way toward dictating if that hard-earned lesson has stuck with them or not.

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Ravens vs. Texans over/under: Oddsmakers predicting high-scoring game

Oddsmakers are predicting a high-scoring game when the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play in Week 2, setting a high over/under

It’s a clash between two of the best young passers in the league when Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson takes on Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 2. With two great quarterbacks slinging the ball, oddsmakers are predicting a pretty high-scoring affair.

Over on BetMGM, the over/under is currently set at 50.5 points. That’s the second-highest total of Week 2, falling just below The Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys.

There’s good reason to believe this game could have fireworks. Baltimore had the highest-scoring offense last year, averaging more than 33 points per game. Houston was no slouch there either, averaging nearly 24 points a game themselves. Not only are Watson and Jackson two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, but there are also a few other big producers on the field along with them.

For the Ravens, tight end Mark Andrews and running back J.K. Dobbins are coming off a Week 1 win in which they each found the end zone twice. But you can’t forget wide receiver Marquise Brown and running back Mark Ingram either.

For the Texans, running back David Johnson was once considered to be among the best rushers in the league after posting 1,239 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in 2016. While DeAndre Hopkins was traded, Brandin Cooks is more than capable of making big plays down the field.

It’s worth noting that Baltimore failed to hit the 50.5-point total in either Week 1 against the Browns or the Week 11 matchup against Houston. With how the Ravens have been playing, both on offense and defense, there’s a real chance this game will be one-sided as well and fall short of the over/under set, making it an enticing but problematic bet.

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Ravens vs. Texans: Updated Ravens odds before Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens’ odds are holding tight at a 7-point spread over the Houston Texans with Week 2’s betting matchup only a few days away.

The Baltimore Ravens opened Week 2 as heavy favorites over the Houston Texans. But with a few days of practice and one injury report already out, things frequently change from Monday to Thursday when it comes to the NFL betting.

The injuries to left tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Jimmy Smith don’t seem to be concerning oddsmakers any, however. BetMGM still has the Ravens as seven-point favorites over the Texans for Week 2.

That still remains one of the highest point spreads of the week. Only three games have a higher spread than this one, and they’re all pretty lopsided matchups featuring a playoff team against one of the worse franchises in the league. For the Ravens’ odds to be so high against a team that went to the AFC Championship Game last season, there has to be a lot of confidence in Baltimore here.

Ravens bettors remember last week’s lofty spread over the Browns. And everyone remembers Baltimore actually beating both Cleveland and that 7.5-point spread to the tune of 38-6. So for those that are interested in plunking down a few bucks to potentially win a good bit more, this might be the matchup for you. A $100 Ravens bet with BetMGM will return $91 if Baltimore beats the Texans by at least eight points.

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