NFL: Texans Won’t Fear Road Battle with Ravens

Two of the best defenses in the NFL take the field in Baltimore on Sunday as the Texans look to keep their dream season alive against the Super Bowl seeking Ravens. Al Dannity breaks down this Divisional Round playoff match-up.

Wade Phillips has a plan
The Ravens’ defense will gain much of the focus in the build-up to this game but NFL betting fans know Houston’s D could prove just as big a factor in this game. Baltimore’s offense is built around Ray Rice but it could fall apart in the hands of Joe Flacco. The former Delaware quarterback has been a mixed bag in his NFL career to date, regularly leading the Ravens to the playoffs but never delivering in the post-season.

That will make Flacco a big target for Wade Phillips on Sunday. Johnathan Joseph will, yet again, look to punish any errant passes. The big story however could come up front. If Antonio Smith can be as effective as he was last week then it’s going to be a long day for the Ravens’ quarterback.

Yates will be targeted
T.J. Yates has been a steady if somewhat unspectacular quarterback for Houston. That’s all the Texans need from him right now. As their third starter in 2011, following injuries to Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, Yates’ role is chiefly to avoid mistakes. No team is better suited to forcing errors from a quarterback than Baltimore. The Ravens will have noted that Yates gave up two sacks and only completed two passes on the eight plays he was pressured last Saturday. Run-stopping may be the chief priority against an attack led by Arian Foster but removing Yates as a factor would go a long way towards securing a home win for Baltimore.

The verdict
This will almost certainly be the biggest test faced by Baltimore’s offense in the post-season. Of the teams left, only the 49ers present a more formidable defensive test. Getting past Houston is far from a sure thing and I expect the Texans to stifle the Ravens early. The ground game will dominate but I like Baltimore to enjoy more success here on both sides of the ball. The Ravens stuff the run better than any other defense in the NFL. With Rice carrying the rock, I like Baltimore to pound out a hard-earned victory and move within one win of a trip to the Super Bowl.

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