A look into the Ravens’ AFC opponents (outside the AFC East) before the schedule is released tonight.
Houston Texans (Home)
All-time record against
5-1 (2-0 home, 3-1 away)
All-time score against
156-132
Most recent meeting
Week 7, 2012 season (Loss at Houston, 43-13)
Prediction
Ravens 27, Texans 23
The Texans don’t lack much, but what they do lack is experience and an ability to finish, both from week-to-week and throughout the season.
They have an excellent offensive line and elite playmakers at wide receiver in Andre Johnson and running back with Arian Foster. Their defense is big, fast, physical and has good depth.
Still, in the last quarter of the 2012 season and in their (brief) playoff history, they’ve simply been unimpressive. In those last four games, they lost three of them by a total of 57 points.
Sure those three losses (at New England, Minnesota, at Indianapolis) were all against playoff teams, but great teams will relish those challenges instead of making them into excuses.
Although the Ravens got handled in Houston in Week 7 this season, next year’s game will likely have a different result, especially since it’s in Baltimore.
This may turn out to be a game with postseason home field advantage on the line. Since it’ll be a home game for the Ravens, they’ll probably be favored, especially considering how each team has performed in big games over the past five years.
Since 2008, Houston is 45-35, with a postseason record of 1-2. Since 2008, Baltimore is 54-36 with a postseason record of 6-4.
Courtesy: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Denver Broncos (Away)
All-time record against
5-4 (4-1 home, 1-3 away)
All-time score against
205-170
Most recent meeting
Week 15, 2012 season (Loss in Baltimore, 34-17)
Prediction
Ravens 20, Broncos 24
There aren’t many players better, now or ever, than Peyton Manning.
No matter what they do, no matter who they add, the Ravens will have their hands full when they go to Denver next season. Manning proved he’s able to overcome adverse odds and perform highly in just about any situation.
Will he have another great season in 2013 like he did in 2012? If not, will he have a good enough season to where the Ravens lose to the Broncos in the regular season for a second consecutive year?
The Divisional Playoff game this weekend will tell a lot about how Baltimore will react to playing in Denver against Manning, those receivers and that defense.
While we can only go on what we know, it’s reasonable to think that the Broncos won’t have many major changes in their roster. In 2012, their offense ranked fourth and their defense ranked second in the NFL.
Can the Ravens win? Yes. Will they? Who knows?
One thing that’s fairly certain is that this game will likely have the feel of a playoff game.
