The Texans have never won in Baltimore (0-4, including playoffs), and they won’t win this time, either.
WHAT: Week 12, Game 11 vs. Houston Texans
WHEN: 8:30 p.m. (ET); Monday, November 27
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore (71,008)
RECORDS: Texans, 4-6; Ravens, 5-5
LIFETIME SERIES (regular season): Ravens lead, 6-2; Ravens lead at home, 3-0
TV: ESPN; WBAL-TV, Channel 11 (Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, booth; Lisa Salters, sidelines)
RADIO: WIYY-FM, 97.9 (Gerry Sandusky, Stan White, Justin Forsett)
REFEREE: Brad Allen
About the Texans
—One week after playing the NFL’s third-oldest franchise, the Ravens will take on its newest. The Texans are the league’s 32nd and most recent addition to the league, born out of expansion and realignment in 2002. Houston had been the home to the Oilers, which were part of the old AFL from 1960-69 and the AFC from 1970 until 1996, after which they moved to Tennessee.
—Mostly because of its short lifespan – the franchise is in its 16th season of existence – Houston has accumulated only four playoff berths, the fewest among the current 32-team lineup. However, all of their postseason appearances have come as a result of AFC South Division titles (2011, 2012, 2015, 2016). The Texans have won more than ten games in a season only once (12 in 2012), but are 3-1 in wild-card games. The team has never reached the AFC Championship Game. In its first playoff appearance (2011), it was eliminated at Baltimore in the Divisional round. The Ravens and Texans met on a Monday Night in 2011 with the visiting Ravens winning in overtime on a Josh Wilson (Maryland) interception return for a touchdown.
–Houston is not the first franchise to use the ‘Texans’ name. The AFL’s Dallas Texans eventually moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. An earlier version of the Dallas Texans folded and was purchased by an investment group headed by Carroll Rosenbloom. The team moved to Baltimore in 1953 and the group changed its name to the Colts. That team played in Charm City until 1983.
—The Texans are not unfamiliar with traveling to this part of the country, having conducted their 2017 training camp at the renowned Greenbriar resort in West Virginia. The game in Baltimore kicks off what looks to be a very tough regular season-ending stretch of four road games in six weeks. Houston will face all three AFC South opponents on the road and the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
—Head coach Bill O’Brien (32-29, including playoffs) is the fourth man to hold the position in Texans history. He follows illustrious names such as Dom Capers and Wade Phillips. Gary Kubiak coached in Houston just before coming to Baltimore as OC in 2014. O’Brien is the first head coach in Texans’ history to lead the team to three straight winning seasons. Last year, the Texans finished with the league’s top-ranked defense and went 7-1 at home. A former New England offensive assistant, O’Brien was Penn State’s head coach in the 2012 and 2013 seasons and was on the Maryland staff in 2003 and 2004.
—Noteworthy assistant coaches on O’Brien’s staff include former Maryland TE and assistant coach, Craig Fitzgerald (strength and conditioning); multi-team special teams standout Larry Izzo (special teams); longtime DC Romeo Crennel (assistant head coach); ex-New England linebacker Mike Vrabel (DC), former Patriots receiver Wes Welker (special teams assistant); and ex-Ravens second-round pick Anthony Weaver (defensive line).
—Through ten games, Houston is 12th in total offense (sixth rushing, 17th passing, sixth scoring at 26.7 points per game) and 20th in total defense (seventh vs. rush, 26th vs. pass, 30th scoring, allowing 26 points per game). The Texans have the league’s eighth-best third-down conversion rate (34.6 percent) and the No. 1 third-down rate since 2014 (33.8). The Texans have dropped only six passes–the fewest in the league–but they have committed 71 penalties (the league’s seventh-most and 11 more than Baltimore) and have a sloppy minus-5 turnover ratio.
—Speaking of turnovers, Houston could play right into the hands of the aggressive Ravens’ defense, having given the ball away 19 times–the league’s third-highest total. The Texans are one of ten teams that have thrown more than ten interceptions (11) and have lost eight fumbles (tied for the third-most). Houston has recovered only four opponents’ fumbles (tied for the third-fewest). This has prevented Houston from getting leads in games, which they need to win. The Texans are an NFL-best 21-0 since 2014 when leading at halftime.
—On the penalty front, Houston has been a bit too aggressive, having been called for 14 defensive holding penalties, tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the league’s second-most, and only two behind leader Kansas City. Wideout DeAndre Hopkins has been flagged four times for offensive pass interference, but has dropped just three passes. DB Eddie Pleasant has been caught for defensive holding four times. Linebacker Jadeveon Clowney leads the team with six total penalties.
—The Ravens will be facing a backup quarterback for the sixth time this season. Rookie sensation DeShaun Watson (knee) is out for the season. In his place will be 2014 fourth-round pick Tom Savage from the University of Pittsburgh. The Ravens’ Joe Flacco began his college career at Pitt before transferring to Delaware. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Savage has lost six of the team’s eight fumbles and has completed only 53% of his passes. With four touchdowns and three interceptions, he has compiled a 71.2 QB rating. He has been sacked 13 times and is averaging a mere 5.9 yards per attempt. But, to Savage’s credit, he played to a 97.1 rating last week.
—Savage is backed up by two quarterbacks who have Baltimore connections. TJ Yates was the starter in the Texans’ 2011 Divisional round playoff loss to the Ravens and he also played at M&T Bank Stadium during the 2017 preseason. Josh Johnson was in the Ravens’ camp several years ago as a third-stringer and was impressive in limited duty. He was cut and went to the New York Giants before landing in Houston.
—Six-year veteran RB and former Miami Dolphin, Lamar Miller, is the Texans’ workhorse runner, having carried the ball 162 times–more than double the attempts of anyone else on the roster. Yet, he’s averaging only 3.7 yards per rush with no carry longer than 21 yards. Miller is one of five AFC backs with over 600 rushing and 200 receiving yards. The now-absent Watson had the team’s longest scoring run of 49 yards. Fourth-year backup Alfred Blue was injured and inactive last week.
—Through the air, six Texans targets have caught 13 or more passes, with all of those players averaging ten or more yards per catch. Hopkins leads the way with 62 receptions, a 14.2 per-catch average, and an NFL-best nine touchdowns and 11.5 targets per game. It’s likely that the Ravens’ Jimmy Smith will be assigned to cover him. Miller has 26 catches out of the backfield and Bruce Ellington has chipped in with 25 catches. Injured receiver Will Fuller (inactive last week) has 17 grabs and seven TDs.
—Houston has a pair of veteran offensive tackles in eight-year left-sider Chris Clark, a former Denver Bronco, and ten-year veteran RT Breno Giacomini, who has played for Seattle, Green Bay and the New York Jets. RG Jeff Allen is a bit light for the position (306), while LG Xavier Su’a-Filo plays with a Ryan Jensen-type edge and leads the line in penalties. Center Nick Martin is a Notre Dame graduate in just his second year in the league. The line has allowed 32 quarterback sacks, 19 of them despite Watson’s mobility.
—The Texans’ three-man defensive line is made up entirely of second-year players. They’ve taken up slack in the pass-rush left by injured DE JJ Watt. Brandon Dunn is the NT and he’s surrounded by Joel Heath and 2016 fifth-round pick DJ Reader, who has five quarterback hits and three tackles for loss. Houston has allowed just three rushing touchdowns all year.
—The team’s linebacking corps has been decimated with the suspension of Brian Cushing and Whitney Mercilus’ injury. The good news is that OL and former top overall pick Clowney (team-high eight sacks) is healthy and playing well. Clowney also leads the team in tackles for losses (15) and QB hits (11). On the other side, second-year man Brennan Scarlett is one of four players with two sacks. ILBs Bernardrick McKinney (team-high 62 tackles) and Zach Cunningham (39 tackles, fourth) are constantly flowing to the ball.
–Fourth-year safety Andre Hal leads the team with three of its ten interceptions and partner Marcus Gilchrist is in his seventh NFL season. The tandem is good in coverage–six and four pass breakups, respectively. CB Johnathan Joseph, a former Cincinnati Bengal who has picked off Flacco four times, also has six breakups and an 82-yard interception runback for a touchdown this year. He is one of only two active players with at least 25 interceptions and 150 pass breakups. CB Kareem Jackson is second on the team in tackles with 53. He also has four pass breakups.
—Backup safety Kurtis Drummond leads the Texans with ten special-teams coverage tackles. Brian Peters is right behind him with seven. Cunningham has with six. On punt coverage, the Texans have the league’s third-worst unit, allowing over 11 yards per runback. They are slightly better covering kicks, ranking 20th by yielding over 22 yards per return. Kick returner Chris Thompson may have to fill in for Fuller on punt runbacks as well. He is averaging 22 yards on kick returns and six yards on punts, but Fuller has a nearly 15-yard average on punt returns.
—Veteran NFL punter Shane Lechler is in his 18th NFL season and his fifth with the Texans. He has played in 248 straight games, the longest active streak in the league. He has just three touchbacks in 57 punts and is grossing 49 yards per kick while netting 42. Second-year kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (UCLA) has missed two of 29 extra points and is 12-for-14 on field goals. Both misses came in the 30-to-39-yard range.
Prediction
Even though the Ravens are a middling 3-2 against backup quarterbacks this year, Savage presents no real challenge. Season-ending injuries to the Texans’ biggest defensive stars give Baltimore an even bigger advantage.
But the Ravens’ offense has to prove it’s good enough to take advantage of such advantages. So far this year, it has barely gotten by–even against mediocre teams.
The Texans have never won in Baltimore (0-4, including playoffs), and they won’t win this time, either.
Ravens 19, Texans 13
