AFC divisional round Texans (11-6) at Ravens (12-4)
When » Sunday, 1 p.m. Where » M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore TV » CBS
Storylines
1 Not taking any Flacco » Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is sick of the criticism. But that doesn’t mean Baltimore should feel obligated to let Flacco prove his worth by putting the ball in the air. The Ravens were 6-0 in games in which Flacco attempted fewer than 30 passes. Running back Ray Rice is the key to the offense. In the Ravens’ four losses, Rice averaged just 9.0 carries a game. In the Ravens’ 12 wins, he averaged 21.25 rushes a game.
2 Andre the giant playmaker » Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who has battled various injuries throughout the season, looked healthy against the Bengals. In his first career postseason game, he had five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Houston went 6-2 in the eight games he played, including last week’s playoff victory. But will rookie quarterback T.J. Yates be able to utilize one of the league’s top targets?
Key matchup
Texans RBs vs. Ravens LBs
Texans running back Arian Foster ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Bengals. Foster is also dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, which will draw the attention of the Ravens’ talented linebacking group, led by Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. It’s the second-best run offense vs. the second-best run defense in the league.
By the numbers
48 » Sacks this season for the Ravens, the most in the AFC. Linebacker Terrell Suggs led the team with 14.0.
3 » Games in which Texans running back Arian Foster had more than 100 yards receiving this season. He was second on the team with 53 catches for 617 yards.
Last meeting
Ravens 29, Texans 14 (Oct. 16) » Joe Flacco threw for 305 yards and Ray Rice ran for 101 yards as the Ravens scored 13 fourth-quarter points to put the game away. Texans running back Arian Foster was held to just 49 yards rushing on 15 carries but added another 52 yards receiving. Without star receiver Andre Johnson, Texans quarterback Matt Schaub threw for 220 yards.
Examiner predicts …
Ravens 17, Texans 14
These two teams are built the same way. Both have a defense ranked in the top three in the league. Both have a run-first offense that features a back who’s also involved in the passing game. Both have playmaking receivers. And both have suspect quarterbacks, although Joe Flacco does have several big playoff wins under his belt. So the edge goes to Flacco and the home team.
