Ravens/Texans

[vmax]

Lamar Jackson has now been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in five of his last nine starts.

Look out Houston!

68.5 win probability for Ravens at +7.

The Texans are coming into this game healthy with a few extra days rest and time to prepare. They know what they are up against and they are planning an ambush.

Ravens in purple. Texans in black

 

OFFENSE

11th

 

19th

 

 

DEFENSE

9th

 

18th

 

PASSING

7th

 

15th

 

 

RUSHING

19th

 

8th

Houston's keys to winning the game:

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Keys to winning v. the Ravens Offense

1. TACKLE. It isn't that the Texans had 20 missed tackles against Kansas City. It isn't that quarterback Lamar Jackson is the most slippery runner in the league. It isn't that Mark Ingram and rookie J.K. Dobbins have tremendous contact balance. It's ALL of the above.
2. Spill, spill and FLY to the ball - The last thing that the Texans can do is give any of the Ravens ball carriers a direct line to the second and third level. If there's anything that can slow this running attack, it's forcing these runners to run more east-west than north-south. Teams that had any success against Baltimore forced the Ravens running backs to bounce runs to the outside, which allows defenders more time to help make tackles in space.
3. Tighter on the tight ends - Mark Andrews is a massive problem but he's a massive problem in a different way than Travis Kelce was for the Chiefs. Andrews made a sterling one hand catch for a touchdown in the back of the end zone for his first touchdown and then was wide open for another nine yard touchdown as the Ravens pulled away from the Browns in week one. Figuring out who's covering Andrews in man coverage is trickier with the way run responsibilities have to be doled out this week. Whoever earns that responsibility must get in Andrews' hip pocket and fight through the catch point.
4. Is pressure the answer? - Typically, it is, against most quarterbacks, but that doesn't always work against a dynamo like Jackson. That is the most commonly held thought of most teams. Yet, the Browns sent some 5-man pressures at Jackson that did get home, including a sack by blitzing cornerback/nickel Tavierre Thomas.
5. Be the bigger bully, Part one - For all of the flash in the Ravens offense, this unit wins by completely dominating at the line of scrimmage. The Texans must punch back, harder and with more bite than ever...............https://www.houstontexans.com/news/2020-baltimore-ravens-know-your-foe

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Keys to winning v. the Ravens Defense

1. Don't fall for shenanigans - Defensive coordinator Don 'Wink' Martindale will show a bunch of different pictures pre-snap, then do something completely different post snap. The pre-snap shenanigans and disguises have confused the best of quarterbacks in the league. As such, it baffled Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield last week on his interception early in the game.
2. Guard-to-Guard wall - The interior trio of Max Scharping, Nick Martin and Zach Fulton must set up shop at the line of scrimmage and not yield an inch. The Ravens interior players aren't dominant pass rushers, but they're powerful and can push the pocket back into Deshaun Watson's lap.
3. Ball. Security - The Ravens defensive backs will punch the ball out, in particular Marlon Humphrey who channels his inner-Peanut Tillman every time he approaches a ball carrier.
4. Calais...AGAIN??! - Well, at least, the Texans have experience facing one of the best interior players the league has seen - Calais Campbell. He's also one of the most unique defensive linemen in the NFL, given his 6-8 frame, monster long arms and agility. The man dropped into coverage last week against the Browns and nearly had a pick! Either way, he's tricky to slow down/contain and very few teams have had success against him in his career, including the Texans.
5. Be the bigger bully, Part two - Does this key look familiar (see above)? Yeah, thought so. Look, the Ravens are going to play their game - fast, physical and nasty - no matter what and it works for them. Teams can't, or won't, physically match them, especially at the line of scrimmage and, ultimately, those teams lose the game. It's time to unleash the inner-beast, play in and play out, to be successful on offense, which will lead to overall team success...........https://www.houstontexans.com/news/2020-baltimore-ravens-know-your-foe

 

Keep an eye on this..Wink Wink!

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Watson was pressured on 13 of his 40 dropbacks on Thursday, and completed only one pass with an interception and four sacks taken, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.

The Texans posted their worst pass-block win rate in a game since the start of the 2018 season, sustaining their blocks for 2.5 seconds just 38% of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Each Texans offensive lineman allowed at least two pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Second-year right tackle Tytus Howard had a 75% pass-block win rate, the second-worst mark of his young NFL career, and allowed two sacks, the first time in his career he has been responsible for multiple sacks in a game. Coach Bill O’Brien said the Texans had trouble with Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark and “some of their games up front.” Defensive tackle Chris Jones had a 21.2% pass-rush win rate and six pressures.........https://www.espn.com/blog/houston-texans/post/_/id/25103/with-ravens-up-next-texans-quickly-must-figure-out-what-went-wrong...............

Can the Ravens add to this?

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Biggest hole in the game plan: The defense picked up where it left off in that playoff game, allowing 369 net yards and 31 unanswered points. After falling behind 24-0 in the playoffs, the Texans allowed 82 points in the next six quarters spanning that January game and Thursday night. Houston allowed three different Chiefs receivers to score touchdowns on Thursday, led by wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who had seven catches for 82 yards........https://www.espn.com/blog/houston-texans/post/_/id/25089/texans-squander-chance-to-show-they-can-thrive-without-deandre-hopkins

[oldno82]

I don't think the Texans match up well against us. I foresee another victory though by a smaller margin.

[papasmurfbell]

Hou can't stop the run.   That team is a hot mess.

[Spen]

I feel better about Sunday's win after watching the game last night.  And I felt pretty good about it before. Houston is very humid so I see neither team being able to throw the ball through the thick thick air. So once again I see punt returns as the key. 27 - 14 Ravens

[tsylvester]

Don't like this game, so many distractions from the virus & traveling trying to keep safe to a blow out win and overconfidence. In my opinion even though they blew them out & chased Watson from the game last year, that game could have, maybe even should have been different if the refs calles a PI in the endzone....

Texans get revenge...

[tsylvester]

I know 2 things; 1)fake crowd noise is anoying as all get out-stop it! Turn it down... 2) these games are bad-like watching pre-season.... Oy

[Spen]

Not so humid, passing game might open up 

[tsylvester]

Including the scrambles, they have thrown the ball almost 25 times this half; what the eep are they doing?

Defensively, sucks losing Young, again, to another acl/mcl/pcl.... One blown coverage by Elliot, one poor coverage by Clarke, should have been playing outside technique with safety help inside....

Let's see what they last 2 mins brings us.

[tsylvester]

Forte! Forte! LJ Forte! Well done Marlon! Ya know, two of my favorite teachers in Middle School were named one Forte, one Fort, no relation... This fumble should hold up...

[tsylvester]

Funny, not, no flags for PI all half until now? Come.on refs....

[tsylvester]

Are the Ravens in trouble in the 2nd half? 7 of the 20 pts were scored by the defense. 7 of the remaining 13 pts were scored on a short field thanks to a bone headed coach of the Texans...

No running game to speak of, piss pior pass protection..... Ouch...

[Spen]

Very good first half. Defense looks great,  with the possible exception of the last drive, and the offense has been solid. Up 20-10 on the road against a good team, I'll take it. 

[papasmurfbell]

Hou looks not very happy.  I can see the team giving up on the coach in a few weels.

[Spen]

Pretty great game today. A few issues but overall a well coached and well played game.

Dobbins with a great run as I post this. I like him.

Edited September 20, 2020 by Spen

[tsylvester]

Harbs shows he is an idiot once again, challenging a spot to gain a few inches... Play calling outside runs when you are trying to keep the clock moving? Come on man!

But a win is a win....

[Spen]

Dammit. My beer is a quarter empty. I can't stop crying.  

[tsylvester]

Keep making the same mistakes every game and you won't win a playoff game... Or should I say, spill a quarter of your beer and not only do you have less to drink, but a mess to clean up too....

[Spen]

Your post really was a work of art. The second half of your post you complain about them not running out the clock well enough even though the game was not really that close.

And the first half you complain about Harbs challenging a play "for a few inches" conveniently leaving out that the few inches would have given them a first down - which would have allowed them to run down the clock. And the timeout they lost with the challenge then? Pretty much worthless.  

So great post, I would have thought it was well executed dry wit - but coming from you I knew it wasn't.  

But by all means bitch all game every game and just think- when they do lose you can really take delight in saying you knew it was going to happen. 

[papasmurfbell]

1 hour ago, tsylvester said:

Harbs shows he is an idiot once again, challenging a spot to gain a few inches... Play calling outside runs when you are trying to keep the clock moving? Come on man!

But a win is a win....

He has no idea what's going on at any given time.  He will find a way to screw it up again.

[Spen]

230 rushing yards to just 51 for Houston!

 

[tsylvester]

11 hours ago, Spen said:

Your post really was a work of art. The second half of your post you complain about them not running out the clock well enough even though the game was not really that close.

And the first half you complain about Harbs challenging a play "for a few inches" conveniently leaving out that the few inches would have given them a first down - which would have allowed them to run down the clock. And the timeout they lost with the challenge then? Pretty much worthless.  

So great post, I would have thought it was well executed dry wit - but coming from you I knew it wasn't.  

But by all means bitch all game every game and just think- when they do lose you can really take delight in saying you knew it was going to happen. 

Challenge- yes a first down was on the line, however, the refs rarely move the ball unless there is a clear line to go by, they had none in this situation, your team is up big, stop the theatrics, either call the time out, go for it or punt. There was no chance the refs would move the ball a few inches; none. This is just another example in a long line of bad challenges by Harbs.

Time management- did you see all of the comebacks this week end? Teams down big winning in the last moments, other teams just falling short because they literally were out of time by seconds? With 5 mins to go there was plenty of time for a freak fumble, a blown coverage, a few big plays. So your players and coaches should know-stay in bounds to keep the clock moving in the 4th quarter when you get to the 5 minute mark. What does Roman call? Sweeps, end runs, to the short side of the field, meaning it is harder to stay in bounds and keep the clock moving.

Yes, they finished with over 200 yards rushing, very impressive, most of those yards were in the 4th quarter, 100 or so on 2 runs late. As I said they threw or attempted to throw 25 times in the first half, thankfully the defense gave them a score, and they had a very short field to score.

I realize they want to work on pasing and be unpredictable offensively, but that was pushing it, hey they won, it worked.

But as I said, they make the same mistakes that kept them from winning even one playoff game- throw throw throw, then try to run.. Poor game management, poor play calling. What, we can't be critical of the team? Sheesh

[Spen]

28 minutes ago, tsylvester said:

What, we can't be critical of the team? Sheesh

Of course, you can and you do. Enjoy

[oldno82]

As I thought might happen, the Ravens offense came out of the gate slowly, picked up some speed after the defense gave them a TO then went on to win. The good stuff was the continued maturity of Lamar, Miles Boykin and the other receivers playing really well (when was the last time you saw anybody in this group have a drop?), JK and Edwards.

Now the not so good: Ingraham may have lost something due to age...other than the trick play for a TD he had trouble running; he looked slow too...the offensive line had both protection issues and problems opening up the running lanes...Orlando Brown couldn't handle JJ Watt...Skura might not be back enough to normal to warrant all the playing time he's getting...Phillips is going to  be learning the RG position but he needs to be a quick learner in the NFL...Tavon Young's injury made me ill---he can't catch a break...Averett couldn't handle his position.

So, good news and still lots to work on. KC may give them fits.

[tsylvester]

Well said 82, I was remiss in not talking about the receivers and how nuce it is to have more than one who can catch!

 

[papasmurfbell]

As was said on 1057 today hou is not built to run.  I don't think they have a plan to be built for anything.   So comparing running totals is ridiculous.