Texans can't overcome Ravens early run

Texans Quarterback Matt Schaub really wishes that he was able to play today at Baltimore… Texans fans do too.

After destroying the Bengals last week for their first ever playoff victory, the Texans offense fell flat in a 20-13 loss to the Ravens. The Texans hoped to rise to the occasion against the third best defense in the NFL, behind only the Steelers and, coincidentally, themselves. After a sloppy first quarter, giving up 17 points, the defense was solid the rest of the way for Houston, only allowing a Field Goal in the fourth quarter. The offense, however? Not so much, as the Texans were held to just one touchdown, a one-yard run by Arian Foster, and had numerous missed opportunities to gain the lead in the second half.

The Ravens had their fair share of mistake, too. On a 4^th & Goal that would have increased the team’s lead to 20-13 with a field goal, Coach John Harbaugh decided to go for it, one yard away. Unlike the offense, the Texans defense did step up, stopping Baltimore from getting any points—points that probably would have ended up putting the game away earlier than it did. The Ravens also called for two pass plays on second and third down with less than three minutes to go, up seven points, instead of managing the clock and running the ball, giving the Texans an opportunity with a significant amount of time left on the clock. If they had lost the game, the Ravens would only have had themselves to blame, but luckily for them, the Texans failed to capitalize.

Quarterback T.J. Yates is only a rookie, so it’s not really fair to blame him for today’s loss; he came in for an injured Schaub, went a respectable 3-3 to end the regular season and played well in the team’s victory over Cincinnati last week. But it became apparent today that the Texans would not be able to win a Super Bowl with Yates at the helm this year. After multiple times driving down the field, he repeatedly went for the big throw and it was repeatedly picked off. The Texans could have won this game and it’s clear that, with a better quarterback, the team would be a Super Bowl contender. Sadly, for the Texans and their fans, they couldn’t pull off the upset today and they can only hope that, with Schaub back next year, they can make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl.

The game was expected to be a defensive battle, and barring an uncharacteristic 17-point first quarter against the Texans defense by Baltimore, it was. But that first quarter cost the Texans. They were never able to recover. But they might have dealt the Ravens a significant blow, as they could be without star safety Ed Reed depending on the severity of the injury he suffered in the Texans' final offensive play. The uncertainty could worry Ravens fans, but what's certain is that the Ravens are heading to New England to face Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Title game next Sunday.