As Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson square off for the second time, history points to a shootout for the Ravens and Texans in Week 11.
The last time Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson were on a field together was a little more than three years ago, though they were wearing different jerseys. Jackson and Watson were trading figurative blows as Louisville and Clemson fought for supremacy through a shootout and four lead changes.
Jackson and Watson combined to run for nearly a quarter of the combined total yards in that game, putting up 253 rushing yards and two of the four rushing touchdowns scored. In one of the most exciting college games in recent history, they threw for a combined 601 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions en route to a 42-36 Clemson win.
Fast forward to 2019, and both Jackson and Watson are two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Jackson is in his first full season as the starter, leading the Baltimore Ravens to a 7-2 record and talk of an MVP award. Watson is in his third season with the Houston Texans and has them at 6-3 in the thick of the playoff hunt.
With the Texans and Ravens meeting on the field in Week 11, we could be in for a replay of that wild 2016 game.
Much like that Clemson-Louisville game from three years ago, Watson and Jackson have been huge parts of their respective offenses. Jackson leads the Ravens on the ground, accounting for just under 40% of the team’s total rushing yards. He’s been efficient as a passer, completing 65.9% of his passes with a 3-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Watson accounts for just under 22% of Houston’s rushing yards but has completed 70.2% of his passes while throwing 18 touchdown passes to just five interceptions.
Combined, Jackson and Watson total 5,449 total yards (rushing and passing), 33 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns while leading the first- and eighth-ranked scoring offenses in the NFL.
But the opposite side of the ball has been less spectacular. The defenses for both Houston and Baltimore have been suspect at times this season. Though both units have gotten the job done well enough to have them in the playoff race, neither defense is on par with what we’ve come to expect from these franchises.
They rank near the middle of the league (15th for the Ravens and 19th for the Texans) and have had some terrible outings this year. Baltimore has allowed 500-plus yards while giving up 30-plus points twice this season. Houston has given up 500-plus yards once and has allowed 30-plus points three times.
Both Jackson and Watson have unique abilities to avoid a pass rush, often making defenses look foolish for trying to pressure them. But with J.J. Watt on injured reserve for Houston and Baltimore not having a star pass rusher of its own, neither Jackson nor Watson should have very much trouble this week. That should free up both offenses to throw from the pocket and use their mobile quarterbacks as weapons on the ground.
Combine these suspect defenses with the multitalented quarterbacks and it seems like a recipe for fireworks reminiscent of that Clemson-Louisville game.
The Houston Texans face a tough task on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens. However, they can escape with a win if they run the no-huddle a bit.
The Houston Texans are preparing to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Though not an easy task, there are methods to besting the 7-2 black birds in Baltimore.
According to Sharp Football Stats, the New England Patriots found a susceptible wrinkle in the Ravens defense in Week 9: the hurry-up offense.
In their Week 9 loss, New England found their most success running the no-huddle, tallying a 62% success rate with it (58% pass, 73% run) as compared to 46% success rate without it (45% pass, 50% run).
For Houston, the Patriots’ success in Week 9 is a green light to run the NFL’s best fast-paced offense.
No NFL team runs the no-huddle better than the Texans. Per Sharp Football, they boast a top-ranked 85% success rate when playing hurry-up offense. Their hurry-up success includes an 82% successful pass rate and 89% on run plays.
The Texans gain an average of 7.1 yards on pass attempts and 6.8 yards per rush while running the hurry-up. They possess a perfect success rate on both first- and third-quarter hurry-up offense utilization.
Logically, the Texans will attempt to go fast in the first- and third-quarter while closing out each half with lengthy drives. That’s the hope, at least.
Naturally, one would conclude the Texans would run more hurry-up offense on Sunday. However, in 2019, that has not been the case, as they are doing so at the 29th-highest rate in the NFL.
Nonetheless, on Sunday, the Texans should consider turning the page by letting the offense run quickly. Of course, they won’t do so on any drive — they can’t against a run heavy offense that thrives on controlling the clock. However, if stuck in a pickle, they know where to go.
If one were to bet on when the Texans hurry it up, it would be on their first drives of the first- and third-quarters, as previously stated. Not only do they thrive running the hurry-up in each respective quarter, it would allow them to punch Baltimore in the mouth, then control the clock in their ensuing possessions.
Houston running the hurry-up on Sunday won’t be an every-down, drive or quarter thing. However, it’s a potential favorable matchup for an offense that must keep-up with a high-powered opposing offense.
Previewing Sunday’s Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens Week 11 matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets
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The AFC South-leading Houston Texans (6-3) face the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens (7-2) at M&T Bank Stadium at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
We analyze the Texans-Ravens odds and sports betting lines, while providing betting tips and advice on this Week 11 NFL matchup.
Texans at Ravens: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes
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Houston is 3-2 straight up against the moneyline on the road.
Baltimore has hit the Over in six of nine games this season.
The Texans have hit the Under in five of nine games this season.
Baltimore is 5-0 straight up in five home games against Houston, but the Texans are 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings with the Ravens.
The Ravens are the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 33.3 points a game. Houston is eighth in scoring at 26.4 points a game. Both teams are in the middle of the pack in points allowed – Baltimore giving up 21 PPG and Houston allowing 21.2 PPG.
The teams have met just 10 times in their history with Baltimore winning eight.
Texans at Ravens: Key injuries
Several Texans were limited in practice this week, including OT Laremy Tunsil (shoulder), WR Will Fuller (hamstring), CB Bradley Roby (Hamstring), S Tashaun Gipson (back/wrist), OL Tytus Howard (knee) and LB Dylan Cole (knee). All are questionable.
The Ravens had two players who didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday – WR Marquise Brown (ankle) and DT Michael Pierce (ankle). Both will likely be game-time decisions.
Texans at Ravens: Odds, betting lines and prediction
For a team that is 6-3 and proved the ability to win on the road, the Texans (+165) are getting a pretty good return on investment for a win straight up, which is possible in this projected battle of quarterbacks. The Ravens force players to bet double the amount of return (-200), which makes betting on them a little too spendy. If you’re going to make a bet, a small wager on Houston is the way to go if you believe there is an upset brewing, but most people won’t feel comfortable betting $100 on the Ravens to win just $50.
This is a difficult number at 4½ points (-115 for bets on Houston, –106 on BALTIMORE) because this has the potential to be a shootout. If the Ravens get up by more than a touchdown late, they may try to take the air out of the ball which often leads to a meaningless score late in the game that keeps the final score closer than it should be. This is a tough call, but the Ravens have the horses to get the job done. Lay the points.
This is a high number (49½ points) and the sportsbooks are almost daring bettors to take the Under, which is +110, while the Over is -134. This is a game that will feature two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league in Houston’s Deshaun Watson and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Both are capable of huge days and both defenses have allowed big games through the air (Houston has the 29th ranked pass defense and Baltimore is 20th). It will take seven TDs and at least one field goal to get over that number, but this game has all the earmarks of a shootout. Take the OVER and tune in late.
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ESPN recently released their NFL MVP stock watch, with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the thick of the race to win the award.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to make those that picked him to win MVP look smart. After nine games of play, the third-year Pro Bowler has his Texans at 6-3. Individually, he is in the thick of a three-man race for MVP.
Watson, Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson are all in contention to win the league’s highest individual honor. According to ESPN, Wilson leads the pack, with Jackson and Watson following, in that respective order.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Kevin Seifert and Field Yates are complimentary of the third-place candidate in Watson.
“In his first nine games, Watson reached career highs in passer rating (107.1), completion percentage (70.2%) and passing yards per game (270.2). He has plenty of MVP-worthy moments, such as throwing a winning touchdown pass against the Raiders after being kicked in the eye and leading Houston to a blowout against Jacksonville the following week in his fourth game this season with multiple passing touchdowns and no interceptions. The only player with more such games is Wilson (seven).
The Texans are atop the AFC South because of what they’re doing offensively with Watson at the helm. In two full seasons’ worth of games, Watson has 75 total touchdowns, the second-most during such as span in NFL history. Coming off a bye in Week 10, Watson has the chance to put his MVP candidacy front and center when he faces off against Jackson and the Ravens.”
On the season, Watson has thrown for 2,432 yards and 18 touchdowns to five interceptions, while also pitching in 279 rush yards and five ground touchdown. If he can lead Houston to a win over the Jackson-led Ravens on Sunday, those MVP chants may be getting louder.
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly likes the way his unit has taken advantages of drives to score against the opposition.
The Houston Texans offense is 10th in the league in points for (238) and sixth in the NFL in total yards (3,570), which are part of the club’s 6-3 record and first place in the AFC South.
There is plenty with the unit to be pleased with, but first-year offensive coordinator Tim Kelly really likes the way the offense has concluded their drives with quarterback Deshaun Watson at the helm.
“We’ve shown the ability to sustain and finish drives,” Kelly told reporters Thursday. “Deshaun’s doing a good job of really going out there and getting us into good plays, and our guys are going out there and making the plays that are coming their way and they’re able to do it and, like I said, sustain the drives.”
The Texans are averaging 2:59 time of possession per drive, fifth-best in the NFL, and 2.47 points per drive, the fourth-best in the league. The biggest stat that shows the offense is finishing drives is their 65.7% red zone conversion rate, tied with the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday’s opponent, for the fifth-best in the NFL.
Not bad for a unit that last season finished in the bottom-10 in red zone conversion at 50%, the only other playoff team other than the Dallas Cowboys to finish that low in red zone conversions.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a chunk play in order for us to score,” Kelly said. “So, that’s something that we’re continuing to try and get better at, but have shown improvement at.”
The Texans will need to sustain long drives, and finish them off, when they take on the Ravens Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore is the highest-scoring offense in the NFL with 300 points tallied thus far. In order for the Texans to keep the Ravens at bay, Houston will need to out-play them on the scoreboard both proactively and in an indirect manner via time of possession.
The Houston Texans will soon get back former Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller, who has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 7.
Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller V has been out with a hamstring injury since getting hurt in Week 7, but the speedy receiver is nearing a return for the Houston Texans.
After a bye week last week, Houston reported that Fuller is a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with the Ravens.
#Texans Injury Report: Limited: LB Dylan Cole (knee), WR Will Fuller V (hamstring), S Tashaun Gipson Sr. (back/wrist), G/T Tytus Howard (knee), CB Bradley Roby (hamstring), L. Laremy Tunsil (shoulder)
Fuller is in his fourth NFL season, all spent with Houston after they plucked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Fuller was a monster in college, recording back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons as a sophomore and junior, and totaling 30 career touchdowns.
Although he has yet to find that level of success in the NFL, he is liable to break out in any given week, and will help the Texans the rest of the way as soon as he is healthy.
Houston Texans third-year quarterback Deshaun Watson is leading the next generation of quarterbacks, which includes Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.
Quarterbacks aren’t what they used to be. No longer are pocket passers dominating the NFL. Corresponding with a league-wide uptick in passing efficiency is a Big Bang effect of scrambling, dual-threat quarterbacks.
Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray and others, are ushering in the new generation of quarterbacks bound to take over the NFL, with each more of a two-way threat than the previous kings of the hill.
Watson, who is at the forefront of the MVP debate, sees that as only a positive. There are no guarantees in football, the leaders of the early 2010s are fading out, while the pioneers of the 2020s are pouring in.
“It’s good to have the generation that’s behind legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), (Drew) Brees, Aaron (Rogers), Ben (Roethlisberger), (Philip) Rivers, all of those guys. Who knows how long they’re going to continue to play and continue to be around. ”
On Sunday, Watson, 24, will face Jackson, 22, in an AFC showdown highlighting their MVP resumés. It will be the first of a potentially budding professional — previously, the two thrilled in a 42-36 Clemson over Lousiville win in 2016.
Watson — in his third year in the NFL — has the Texans at 6-3 and in the thick of the hunt for a first-round bye. He has passed for 2,432 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 70.2% completion rate, culminating in a 107.1 passer rating. With his legs, he has fought for 279 yards and five touchdowns.
Jackson — now a professional sophomore — has Baltimore at 7-2 and in possession of a first-round bye. With his arm, Jackson has 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 65.9% completion rate, worth a 101.7 passer rating. He leads the Ravens in rushing with 702 yards and six scores.
“So, you want that next generation to continue to have this league and have the NFL very exciting and have a lot of good teams and a lot of points being scored. It’s encouraging,” concluded Watson. “It’s very cool to be a part of that.”
Like Mahomes vs. Watson in Week 6, Jackson vs. Watson isn’t just a matchup between two of the NFL’s best. It’s an ushering in of the new NFL.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a nominee for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
The NFL announced their nominees for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and quarterback Deshaun Watson was the representative for the Houston Texans.
A panel of former NFL players including Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler will select four finalists per conference, and the finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.
A team cannot vote for its own player; therefore, if Watson were to win it, the votes would come from the other 31 NFL teams’ players.
The NFL created the award in 2014 in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founding owner Art Rooney, who was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The award goes to the NFL player who, “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a league statement.
WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014), CB Charles Woodson (2015), RB Frank Gore (2016), LB Luke Kuechly (2017), and QB Drew Brees (2018) have been past recipients.
Other quarterbacks nominated for 2019 include Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz.
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for Week 11 of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.
QUARTERBACKS
LAMAR JACKSON- $7700 DRAFTKINGS, $8800 FANDUEL
Lamar Jackson is averaging 28 DraftKings points per game and is coming off another dominating performance where he performed the spin move of the season. Now he has a matchup versus a Texan team who ranks 26th against opposing quarterbacks. The Texans are getting gashed by both the run and the pass which should lead to a big game for Jackson in Week 11. He will have the safest floor of the week and should provide a high ceiling as well.
DAK PRESCOTT- $6700 DRAFTKINGS, $8100 FANDUEL
The Cowboys need a win to stay in the playoff hunt and they will rely heavily on Dak Prescott for the rest of the season. Dak has averaged 24 DraftKings points per game and is coming off a 29 point performance versus a stingy Viking defense. I view this as a bounce-back spot for both the Cowboys and Dak. We can easily see a 30 point performance versus the suspect Detroit Lions defense. Detroit is ranked 29th against opposing quarterbacks and allowing 272 yards in the air per game. Where other quarterbacks will be dealing with harsh winter weather Dak will playing in a dome and he should find the warmth in your lineups as well in Week 11.
RUNNING BACKS
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY- $10500 DRAFTKINGS, $10500 FANDUEL
Christian McCaffrey is a stud and he should be locked into your lineups every week regardless of who he plays against. He is having an MVP caliber season and is averaging 32 points per game. He gets a great matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons who have trouble covering pass-catching running backs. McCaffrey should feast and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 2 touchdown and 200 all-purpose yards out of him in Week 11.
JOSH JACOBS- $7000 DRAFTKINGS, $8000 FANDUEL
Josh Jacobs is highly involved in this Raider offense. As each week grows, he becomes more and more the focal point of this offense. Coming into Week 11 he is averaging 17 points per game and I think that goes up after this game versus Cincinnati. The Bengals are allowing 173 rushing yards per game and continue to get torched each week by opposing offenses. The Bengals have given up on the season and a big game is coming for Jacobs.
WIDE RECEIVERS
MICHAEL THOMAS- $9900 DRAFTKINGS, $9000 FANDUEL
The Saints shockingly lost to the Atlanta Falcons and knocked a bunch of people out of their survivor pools. Thomas didn’t disappoint and had another monster game. He is expensive but your paying for his consistency and upside in your cash lineups. He is averaging 114 receiving yards and 25 fantasy points per game. He is the equivalent of Christian McCaffrey at the wide receiver position and he is a lock in my cash and tournament lineups. The matchup provides a boost to an already great play in Thomas. Tampa Bay ranks 31st against wide receivers and should be a lock in your lineups.
JOHN BROWN- $6400 DRAFTKINGS, $5900 FANDUEL
Brown is quietly on pace for a 1200 yard receiving year. He is averaging 75 yards receiving and 14 fantasy points per game. He provides consistency and a nice value on both sites. The Buffalo Bills are coming off a tough loss to the Cleveland Browns and head to Miami for a must-win game. I expect the Bills to pepper Brown early and often with targets to take advantage of the matchup versus the weak Miami secondary and you should do the same in your lineups.
TIGHT ENDS
MARK ANDREWS- $6100 DRAFTKINGS, $6900 FANDUEL
Mark Andrews bounced back in a big way with a 23 point performance in Week 10. He grabbed 6 receptions, totaling 53 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is the third time this season where Andrews has eclipsed a 20 point fantasy performance, and I see a fourth one coming. It looks like Andrews is finally healthy and Vegas has this game currently projected at 49 points. I wouldn’t be shocked if it reached 50 by game time and I still like the over. Like I said above, I like the Ravens offense in this matchup versus the Texans and I think pairing Jackson with Andrews is the right way to stack the Ravens.
GREG OLSEN- $3900 DRAFTKINGS, $5100 FANDUEL
Greg Olsen just keeps on ticking. The guy is a warrior and at 34 years old he is still putting up numbers at a high level. DraftKings and FanDuel haven’t raised his price in relation to his performance if you ask me and I will lock up some Olsen shares for value on both sites. He is averaging 10 fantasy points per game at a position where if you miss you might end up with 0-2 points and that could be the difference in you cashing your lineups. Pair that with the fact he draws a matchup against the Falcons who rank 24th against opposing tight ends and you have safe tight end play for Week 11.
DEFENSES
VIKINGS- $3400 DRAFTKINGS, $4700 FANDUEL
The Vikings are coming off a big win versus the Cowboys and should have an easy victory lined up against the Broncos at home. The Vikings defense is averaging 7 fantasy points per game and has scored double digits on three occasions this year. I think their defense will stifle the Broncos which lack any true offensive weapons. Denver is only projected to score 15 points in this one, so there should be a solid floor when taking the Vikings in both cash games and tournaments.
JETS- $3100 DRAFTKINGS, $4500 FANDUEL
Sometimes you need to take a shot and hope for the best. This is a calculated shot with the Jets coming off a win and playing against a rookie quarterback. Haskins is struggling and surrounded by a bad overall offense. The Jets come at a slight discount and will be low owned as well. If they find a way to score a defensive touchdown for the second week in a row this defense can set you apart in your tournaments.
Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson aren’t just game-changers in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott share one similarity. They are franchise quarterbacks for their respective teams.
Each is African American. They are, in 2019, pioneers of their position group, a position group that, historically, has been white.
They are the faces of multi-billion dollar organizations which don’t hope to win, but expect to win.
On Sunday, the NFL will get the joy of seeing two of the aforementioned play: Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson vs. Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.
Watson and Jackson enter Sunday as bonafide MVP candidates. Watson with his 23 total touchdowns, 6-3 record and 107.1 passer rating; Jackson with his 21 total touchdowns, 7-2 record and 101.7 passer rating.
The two aren’t just talk of B’more and H-town, they are the talk of the nation — in doing so, breaking barriers.
Watson takes pride in that.
“It’s awesome to be a part of it and be one of those guys,” said Watson on Wednesday. “It’s something that we take pride in and continue to change that narrative and just continue to do it the right way.”
Watson can attest to a specific message: it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is, if you can play, you can play.
Watson and Jackson can play.
“It really doesn’t matter what race you are, what color you are. If you can go play football, you can play football,” Watson said. “If you’re smart, you’re smart, and if you have the right coaching you can go out there and perform, especially playing quarterback.”
Sunday’s matchup between Watson and Jackson could contain never-ending thrills. Watson shines with his escapability, decisiveness and an ability to make the improbable probable; Jackson dazzles with his electricity, ankle-breaking footwork and his pursuit of greatness.
This anticipated showdown is a reminder of one grand truth: football is for everyone.
