WHEN: 12:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium
FORECAST: Mostly cloudy, 44 degrees, 11 mph winds
FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @averydduncan, @MrRadioMann
LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] and 100.3 The Bull [KLOL]
WATCH: CBS (Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Red: Houston-Baltimore
Blue: Denver-Minnesota
Green: Buffalo-Miami
Yellow: Jacksonville-Indianapolis
10. ravens qb lamar jackson’s rank for touchdown passes
The second-year field general from Louisville is just as dangerous through the air as he is on the ground. His 15 touchdown passes are tied with Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz for the 10th-most in the NFL. If the Texans can take away his proficiency through the air and make him one dimensional, it should help them try to steal a road win.
9. ravens cb marlon humphrey’s pass breakups
The Baltimore cornerback has broken up nine passes this season, tied for the 11th-most in the NFL. Wherever Deshaun Watson decides to go with the football, he is going to have to be aware of Humphrey. One method that could negate Humphrey’s defense is to outlast the initial wave of pass rushers, because no one can cover forever.
8. ravens rb mark ingram’s rushing touchdowns
The former New Orleans Saint is tied with Derrick Henry for the fourth-most in the NFL. Ingram’s ability to find the end zone makes him one of the best additions of the offseason. The Texans will have to keep him bottled up inside the red zone and take him away as a viable rushing option.
7. texans rb carlos hyde’s rank for first downs rushing
The 29-year-old has tallied 37 first downs on the ground in 2019, tied with Jackson and also Nick Chubb for the seventh-most in the NFL. Hyde will need to make his presence felt and keep the Texans offense diverse so they can’t key in on Watson.
6. texans lt laremy tunsil’s false starts
The solution to protecting Watson’s backside has incurred six false starts this season. Houston can’t avoid to give away free yards that could kill drives against the Ravens, especially in the red zone.
5. ravens te mark andrews’ touchdowns
Andrews has been a viable target for Jackson, and he is their leading receiver in every main statistical category. Even though the Texans defense is good at defending tight ends, they will have to take away Jackson’s best target if they hope to come away with a win.
4. deshaun watson’s rank for quarterback rating
The Pro Bowl field general has generated a 107.1 passer rating, good for the fourth-best in the NFL. Watson has melded his big playmaking skills with also protecting the football. The former 2017 first-round pick will need to amplify this skill as he takes on a tough Ravens defense.
3. kenny stills’ rank for yards per target
This is a stat from two weeks ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it is still true even after the bye week. The former New Orleans Saint and Miami Dolphin has a 13.1 yards per target, which is the third-highest in the NFL. Stills has filled in as the deep threat for Will Fuller, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. The Texans will need Stills to make a bevy of those 13.1-yard type catches to beat the Jaguars.
2. ravens’ rank for blitzing
The Baltimore defense has sent a defender on a blitz 175 times, the second-most in the NFL. The dividends haven’t exactly paid off as they have generated just the fourth-fewest sacks in the NFL with 16. If Watson can survive the first wave, he can find the open man downfield.
1. ravens’ rank for points per game
The Ravens defense scores 33.3 points per game, the most in the NFL. The Texans have had two games above the 30-point mark in Week 5’s 53-32 win over the Atlanta Falcons and Week 6’s 31-24 win at the Kansas City Chiefs. It will take that level of keeping the Ravens down for Houston to have a chance to win the game.