Top-seeded Ravens set for Divisional Round matchup vs. upstart Texans
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Leading MVP candidate Lamar Jackson & the Baltimore Ravens are fresh off of a season in which they finished with a league-best 13-4 record. They will host the AFC South division champion Houston Texans, led by rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who is having a phenomenal season of his own.
The class of the AFC
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The Baltimore Ravens were able to improve upon what felt like a disappointing season in 2022-23. An injury to quarterback Lamar Jackson hampered the offense late in the season, ultimately leading to the Ravens losing to their AFC North division rival Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round after finishing 10-7.
Jackson was able to return to his previous MVP form, finishing with over 3600 yards passing, throwing 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He also led the Ravens’ league-best rushing attack, adding over 821 yards and five more touchdowns on the ground.
Looking at the defensive side of the ball, behind All-Pro players including linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton, the Ravens completed the defensive “triple crown”, leading the league in sacks, points per game, and takeaways. The first team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat.
A team far ahead of schedule
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Just last season, the Houston Texans finished 3-13-1, the worst record in the AFC. This secured them the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They would also secure the No. 3 overall in a trade with Arizona. These picks would be used on standouts Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud & Alabama linebacker Will Anderson. Houston would enter the season under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, who spent 10 seasons playing in the NFL as a linebacker, the first five seasons being in Houston where he was the 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year and a future All-Pro.
Stroud would go on to have one of the most impressive seasons in NFL history by a rookie quarterback. He would finish the season with over 4100 passing yards & 23 touchdowns. In 499 regular season pass attempts, he threw just five interceptions (just a 1% interception rate).
He also became the youngest quarterback to start and win a playoff game, in a 45-14 demolishing of Joe Flacco & the Cleveland Browns during Super Wild Card weekend, having 274 yards and three touchdown passes against the top-ranked passing defense in the NFL.
Houston would also get surprisingly good seasons out of young wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins, also adding running back Devin Singletary and tight end Dalton Schultz to an offense that finished 7th in total passing offense.
The Texans would win their first AFC South title since 2019, finishing 11-6. No one expected the Texans to be this good, this fast, and they are showing no signs of slowing down as they head to Baltimore on Saturday.
The Showdown
These two squads matched up during Week 1 of the season, with Baltimore coming out on top 25-9. Both teams had been on the uprise as the season went on, and both teams were on fire and playing with confidence.
In a battle of perhaps the team of now in Baltimore and the team of the future in Houston, who will come out on top? We will certainly find out on Saturday in what looks to be an increasingly exciting game for fans to see.