The Houston Texans prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, seeking their first victory against the Ravens since 2014. Matchup History The Texans come into the matchup with a miserable all-time record of 2-13, playoffs included, against Baltimore. The team is riding a six-game losing streak against the Ravens. Based on their last three encounters with new head coach DeMeco Ryans, they’ve lost 90 to 21, so this one will be particularly hairy.
The Ravens have owned this one in their brief history, mainly on the greatness of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson has an unblemished 4-0 record against the Texans, with a marvelous passer rating of 122.8. In their four meetings, he’s amassed 763 passing yards and thrown for seven touchdowns. Jackson, who is now dealing with a hamstring injury, experienced it last during the Ravens’ 37-20 Week 4 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite the Ravens’ offensive prowess, averaging 32.8 points per game this season—the third highest in the league—the Texans are struggling offensively. They’ve scored only an average of 16 points per game, ranking them 29th in the league. Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud isn’t the first player to have trouble piling up yardage versus the Ravens. In reality, he’s done it more than two dozen times over his career. In their last meeting, Stroud was able to pass for 185 yards but did throw one interception.
DeMeco Ryans, in his third year as head coach, is realistic about the heavy lifting that still lies ahead. During our conversation, he particularly stressed the idea of keeping eyes on what lies ahead, as opposed to getting caught up in where they’ve been.
“We understand where we’ve been in that battle,” – DeMeco Ryans
Ryans was quick to remind everyone that this game isn’t a celebration of history. It’s just about executing the right way and just playing as one solid group.
“It hasn’t been good, but that doesn’t matter. The past is the past. It’s all about these teams, this year, at this specific time. How do we go out and do what we need to do to execute, to play complementary football, play as a team, play together? How do we need to finish? We finish the right way; we can go win the football game.” – DeMeco Ryans
In Houston’s last game, an impressive offensive display led the Texans to a season-high 26 points. They pulled off this Herculean effort in a shutout win over the Tennessee Titans. The biggest test for Ryans’ squad will be finding consistency. Still, they are focused on continuing what they started two weeks ago against the first place Ravens mean defense.
The Ravens are looking to focus on their offensive strengths. They don’t want to lose their unprecedented hold on the all-time Texans series. How well Jackson can play through his injury will be a major factor in determining how far the Ravens can go. The Ravens’ offense knows how to exploit weaknesses effectively, and they will likely aim to take advantage of any lapses in the Texans’ defense.
As kickoff approaches, all eyes will be on both teams to see if Houston can finally break its losing streak against Baltimore. The Texans will need to play a perfect game. More importantly, they NEED to figure out how to contain Lamar Jackson, who has time and again been a difficult thorn in their side.
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