Ravens vs. Texans: SB Nation's Match-Up

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 11, 2012 8:00 PM EST

Baltimore Beatdown is part of the SB Nation network of its current lineup of 317 sports blogs. The NFL section has posted a bunch of stories related to the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Houston Texans in this Sunday afternoon's 1pm (ET) match-up.

Their stories include the health status of Texans TE Owen Daniels, who has been dealing with an injured hand, but it has been reported that it will not stand in the way of his playing in this crucial game. Another story focuses on the fact that QB Joe Flacco is not concerned about the pressure to perform in this game to deflect the criticism of his consistency that has followed him throughout his four-year career.

The other stories related to this game are the opportunity for Houston to seek revenge for their week six 29-14 loss and the two big pass plays of 50+ yards that led to the game being broken open in the third quarter after the Texans had actually grabbed a short-lived 14-13 lead. Check it out.

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Completely OT, but

In his most recent column, Peter King ranted that he wants the PI rule changed to a 15 yard penalty. So, let’s see, Andre Johnson is flying 35 yards down field and has Cary Williams beat. Yates throws him the ball. If King gets his way, why wouldn’t Cary just interfere with Johnson and take the 15 yard penalty?

What am I missing here?

by Sam25 on Jan 11, 2012 8:54 PM EST reply actions

That's why it won't work

It’ll happen all the time.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 11, 2012 9:30 PM EST up reply actions

it’s the same thing as fouling a guy on a fast break in basketball. You’re supposed to foul him rather than giving him his 2 points.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 7:35 AM EST up reply actions

First, this doesn’t happen in college where that is the rule.

Second, so what? A free 15 yards and a first down without having to complete a pass.

by tvon on Jan 12, 2012 10:10 AM EST up reply actions

It will happen in the pro's

A HUGE diff from the college game.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 12, 2012 10:12 AM EST up reply actions

I’ve definitely seen it happen in college. A CB, knowing he’s completely beat, will totally mug a guy. Saw it happen to Michael Floyd of ND earlier this year; it was a smart play by the DB.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 10:30 AM EST up reply actions

I actually agree with the idea

but see how it’s wildly unpopular. I don’t think a PI penalty should result in the ball being spotted at the infraction. A 15 yard penalty and automatic first down are sufficient IMO. To have a game completely flipped due to a penalty shouldn’t happen. Let the players decide the outcome. Not a refs judgement. Just my two cents.

You like Thai? Tie good. You like shirt?

by Dynamo38 on Jan 11, 2012 9:42 PM EST up reply actions

How about to have a 60 yard TD catch nullified by a penalty

and turned into 15 yards and a first down? Does that not completely flip the game?

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 11, 2012 10:08 PM EST up reply actions

Declined

But before they change this rule, they should take a close look at ball spotting

by Evan Skev on Jan 11, 2012 10:19 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I wasn't clear in what I meant.

Torrey Smith is sprinting past a defender. The defender realizes he will score. The defender grabs him, 40-50 yards downfield. We get 15 yards and a first down instead of a TD. How does that not change the game? (If you’d like it to be more realistic, as in a WR who really doesn’t have a chance to drop the HR, you can make it Megatron, or even AJ).

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 12:07 AM EST up reply actions

Didn’t understand the last sentence…what condition?

by Evan Skev on Jan 12, 2012 12:46 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Instead of long TD catch,

DB pulls down WR with the ball in the air. We get a college PI penalty, then punt, as opposed to scoring 7. Just as game changing as placing the ball at the spot of the foul.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 1:55 AM EST up reply actions

I meant the final sentence… The qualifier

by Evan Skev on Jan 12, 2012 2:44 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Oh.

Well that was completely unnecessary. I just didn’t want someone to walk in and say Torrey would drop it anyway.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions

solid texans team could upset the Ravens… respect

by Evan Skev on Jan 11, 2012 9:00 PM EST via mobile reply actions

And now that Andre’s back, they’re obviously going to win… their fans told me so.

by StuckInUtah on Jan 11, 2012 9:09 PM EST up reply actions

I can't believe Texans fans think

Yate w/ Andre Johnson is better than Schaub without AJ"

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 11, 2012 9:31 PM EST up reply actions

You only have one AJ not 2. Meaning Reed can play over top of him all game and our run defense wont miss a beat because thats his job no matter who we are playing. Pollard on the other hand will stay in the box and we will force Yates to beat us. Since he is a monster as you Texans fans think, yaw will win on the shoulders of Yates.

by Raven_all_day on Jan 11, 2012 10:45 PM EST reply actions

Reed played over top of him last year as well.

Or he thought he did. ’Til AJ scored that first TD.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 12:08 AM EST up reply actions

I think I remember that game

Oh yeah, the Ravens won.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 12, 2012 10:30 AM EST up reply actions

grats

Week 19 Texans > Week 6 Texans….and I can’t wait to see the look on some Ravens faces when that reality hits home!

by MeMongo on Jan 12, 2012 10:43 AM EST up reply actions

Ravens fans think Texans fans are "unreasonable" when they boost their team

Texans fans think Ravens fans “expect” a win and you can put it in the books.

I think the home field favors the Ravens and for this reason, they should win. All other history and stats, you can just throw them out the window. Both of these teams are good but they also have their warts, They have earned their way to this game. It should be a good game and I won’t be surprised if either team wins. I just think it will be a great game to watch, probably frustrating for both fan groups, because I think we all have high expectations and want to see our team dominate. Unless there are a lot of turnovers one way or another, it will be a close game and a good test of players, coaches, strategy and execution.

"All our lives we're taught to get in line. The ones who conform never discover." - Undrafted Free Agent and NFL Rushing Leader Arian Foster

by Rip Jersey on Jan 12, 2012 8:46 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Let's be reasonable

No one expected Denver to beat the steelers, but there were so many extenuating circumstances that led to the upset. This is a home game, and while the past is thrown out, the likelihood of a Houston win is still slim by any reasonable fan’s outlook.

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Jan 12, 2012 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

I agree to being reasonable

The Ravens “should” win this game.

The Texans are far from being out of it though.

Week 19 Texans > Week 6 Texans….and I can’t wait to see the look on some Ravens faces when that reality hits home!

by MeMongo on Jan 12, 2012 10:45 AM EST up reply actions

Extenuating circumstance = Halo over the field.

I've got nothin'...

by Bennyscrap on Jan 12, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions

I dont see how any Ravens fan can think this is an auto win for them when....

you lost to the Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Seahawks……..did I mention the Jaguars on MNF!!!

I think it will be a close game, but the Texans will win and shock the Ravens. We are not the same team as week 6! The pressure (both physically and mentally) will ge to Flacco and he will turn the ball over at least twice!

Texans have nothing to lose, BULLS ON PARADE!!!!

by Texas08 on Jan 12, 2012 11:10 AM EST reply actions

The pressure (both physically and mentally) will ge to Flacco and he will turn the ball over at least twice!

or he could just simply pass for five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

I dont see how any Ravens fan can think this is an auto win for them when….
you lost to the Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Seahawks……..did I mention the Jaguars on MNF!!!

I dont think this is an auto win for the ravens but I truly think the losses to jaguars, titans, chargers, and seahawks are so overrated my attitude to such statements is so what also it really doesnt matter its the playoffs

by jazz20 on Jan 12, 2012 11:18 AM EST up reply actions

You neglect the pressure on Yates

Rookie in the playoffs after a big win against Cincinnati. Want to talk about pressure? I’d be mroe worried about the pressure on him in a hostile M&T Bank Stadium. We have so many playmakers on defense that while yes, he may connect big with AJ a few times, he doesn’ have nearly the weapons on offense as Joe Flacco: Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin, Pitta, Dickson. All guys he can connect with for big plays. Heaven help you if Rice has another week like when we were in Cincinnati (he probably won’t, you guys do have a good run defense). But don’t count Flacco out. He can be absolutely brillant at times (see both games vs. Pittsburgh this year, who have a better defense than Houston). On paper, the teams might seem close and I get wanting to support your team, but keep talking big, because come Monday, I expect you guys to be replaced by even more annoying Patriots fans.

by Steven_G on Jan 12, 2012 11:56 AM EST up reply actions

Joe Flacco also seems to perform much better against 34 defenses and zone blitzes. I think his familiarity with Pittsburgh has helped him sort of develop a rhythm against that type of D.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 12:14 PM EST up reply actions

Barwin and Cushing will bring him some rhythm

Week 19 Texans > Week 6 Texans….and I can’t wait to see the look on some Ravens faces when that reality hits home!

by MeMongo on Jan 12, 2012 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

So do a couple of guys named Harrison and Woodley. Flacco’s pretty cool in there despite the licking he so often takes.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

You lost to an even worse team, the Colts.

Yates is going to need a psychiatrist to get out of fetal position after this game.

daytime commentator. night time ninja.

by El.Dude on Jan 12, 2012 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

That's

Pretty funny. I hope its true, but very funny nevertheless.

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."

For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind

by vlad755 on Jan 12, 2012 4:28 PM EST up reply actions

Notice anything about all these:

Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Seahawks?

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 12:53 PM EST up reply actions

They all suck and the Ravens lost to them

by Texas08 on Jan 12, 2012 2:19 PM EST up reply actions

But you guys are a good team and we were 6-0 against good teams so…

by mookie_20 on Jan 12, 2012 2:27 PM EST up reply actions

More about where those games were played.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

by organizedchaos52 on Jan 12, 2012 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

go broncos

im a texans fan and i believe that both teams deserve to be playing each other at this stage in the playoffs. i think everyone has plenty of reasons to be confident in a victory on sunday but i’d rather face the broncos in the afc championship than the patriots and i am sure ravens fans would too. i’ll admit that the ravens should be favored in this game for reasons other than your home field record. the game is going to be won by the defenses so in my book, that makes for an excellent game. too bad the national media doesnt see it that way. so go broncos, it’ll bring so much attention and pressure away from whom ever wins in our match up on sunday. in tebow we trust.

by Coach Red Beaulieu on Jan 12, 2012 11:16 AM EST reply actions

Ravens will go into NE and whip the cheats.. again

Hopefully they get that chance.

by Evan Skev on Jan 12, 2012 3:16 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

So misinformed

Yates isn’t afraid to go deep. Not even a little bit

Gary kubiak has been ultra conservative, but if we are going to win that will have to change. And it will

I love how Mr moderator talks about things in which he doesn’t know

@THEREALALLENOU on twitter - "The man, the verb, the legend" OU'd

by AllenOU on Jan 12, 2012 11:57 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Front page article up right now about Yates vs. Schaub, and every point Bruce made is backed up by statistical evidence. You, on the other hand, have been happy to tell us how misinformed we are without bothering to offer us any actual information yourself. Thanks!

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 12:16 PM EST up reply actions

Andre Johnson made David Carr's stats look good too

and he’s a disaster

Week 19 Texans > Week 6 Texans….and I can’t wait to see the look on some Ravens faces when that reality hits home!

by MeMongo on Jan 12, 2012 3:04 PM EST up reply actions

Schaub had some pretty damn good stats without Dre.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

particularly the fact that Yates is wayyyy more sack-prone than Schaub is.

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 12, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

based on?

Week 19 Texans > Week 6 Texans….and I can’t wait to see the look on some Ravens faces when that reality hits home!

by MeMongo on Jan 12, 2012 4:05 PM EST up reply actions

taking as many sacks in only 6 games

I love it knowing that there are a handful of Ravens fans in this area who despise the fact that Joe will be our QB for the next 10 years. --Mr. MaLoR

by jackmca on Jan 13, 2012 6:39 PM EST up reply actions

I feel like this game is gonna come down to the QBs since both defenses are determined to stop the run. This is where the Ravens have the advantage. I trust an experienced Flacco at home more than a rookie on a very hostile environment.

by mookie_20 on Jan 12, 2012 2:45 PM EST reply actions