The Houston Texans (1-3) are entering yet another big game Sunday, as they travel to face an injured Baltimore Ravens (1-3) team.
The Texans are coming off their first win of the season, beating the Titans down 26-0, with rookie running back Woody Marks leading the offensive surge. The Ravens are coming off an awful 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Texans will have to be prepared for anything going into Sunday’s game, as Lamar Jackson’s gameday status is still up in the air. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush looks like he will get the nod, and he had a decent game against Houston in 2024 when he was starting for the Dallas Cowboys. They also need to be prepared for Derrick Henry, who has been historically successful against Houston.
Keep Using What’s Working
The Texans’ offensive game plan looked a lot better last week against the Titans, and they have to keep going with what worked.
The offense was more spread out, giving more opportunities for receivers to work the field, moving more up-tempo, and it allowed running lanes to open up for Nick Chubb and Marks. Operating like that allowed C.J. Stroud to do 22/28 for 233 yards and two touchdowns.
Starting fast offensively will help Houston take advantage of an injured Ravens defense, which is currently last in the NFL in points allowed, giving up 33.3 points per game. The team cannot afford to wait until the fourth quarter to start scoring touchdowns.
Don’t Get Beat by History
The Texans have struggled historically against the Ravens, only winning two of their 13 matchups. The last three games have seen the Ravens outscore the Texans 90 to 22, and the defense will have to step up to prevent history from repeating.
The Texans’ defense is ranked first in points allowed, allowing only 12.8 points per game, and with Lamar Jackson being questionable for the game should help Houston buck their losing trend.
Rush had a solid game last season against the Texans when he was starting for the Dallas Cowboys, going 32/55 for 354 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Getting him off his game will be pivotal.
The bigger problem will be stopping Derrick Henry, who has run all over Houston his entire career. Henry has clocked 1578 yards in his 15 games against the Texans, and for a Texans team allowing 102.3 rushing yards per game, they will have to make sure he doesn’t run wild yet again.
Go to the Bye Week with Momentum
Carrying the momentum from the Titans game into this week is a must. The Texans cannot afford a slow start, regardless of who starts at quarterback. With the Ravens’ defense being at the bottom of the league and injured, they have to push through.
The Texans can flip the script on their season narrative with a win on Sunday to go into the bye week at 2-3 instead of 1-4.
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