FNIA BAL at HOU Preview: Baltimore is 6-0 vs Houston all time but will that change this Sunday?

RAVENS (5-1) AT TEXANS (5-1)

By Football Night in America’s Eliott Kalb

• With no other AFC teams better than 3-3, it’s not unrealistic to say that the winner of this
game has the inside track to the number one seed in the AFC playoffs.
• Baltimore has never lost to Houston winning each of their six all-time meetings including
twice last season. The Ravens beat the Texans 29-14 in mid-October last season before
dispatching them 20-13 in the AFC divisional round in January.
• Joe Flacco has thrown six TD with just one INT in four career games vs. the Texans.
• The Ravens enter this game having won four in a row but four of their next five
games come away from home beginning Sunday in Houston.
• Baltimore’s defense surrendered a franchise-worst 227 yards rushing to the Cowboys last
week but escaped with a 31-29 victory after Dallas failed to execute in the final seconds
first on a two-point conversion, then on a 51-yard field goal.
• The Ravens defense also suffered two devastating blows as both Ray Lewis (triceps) and
Lardarius Webb (ACL) were lost for the season. As Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun
points out: Though Lewis is the emotional leader of the defense, the bigger loss might
be Webb as opposing quarterbacks had thrown in his direction just 24 times this season
while averaging a ludicrous 4.6 yards per attempt. For comparison’s sake, All-Pro corner
Darrelle Revis allowed 5.5 yards per attempt in 2011.
• Jimmy Smith, the Ravens 2011 first-round pick, is expected to enter the starting lineup in
place of Webb. He’ll be lining up against All-Pro Andre Johnson in a matchup to watch.
• The good news for Baltimore, reigning NFL defensive player of the year, Terrell Suggs
practiced Wednesday for the first time since tearing his Achilles in late April. Suggs isn’t
expected to play for at least another couple of weeks.
• Baltimore’s defense has allowed 441 yards rushing in the past two games and now faces Arian
Foster who is second in the NFL with 561 yards rushing, trailing only Jamaal Charles (591).
• Though Charles (716) leads the NFL in scrimmage yards through six games, Ray Rice
(715) is second and Foster is fourth (633).
• The Texans are looking for their first 6-1 start in franchise history
• Houston is coming off its first loss of the season – a 42-24 drubbing at home to the
Packers on Sunday night. It was Houston’s first loss with Matt Schaub under center since
losing to the Ravens last October. The Texans had won each of Schaub’s last nine starts
prior to the loss to Green Bay.
• Despite allowing 42 points on six touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers, the Texans
defense still leads the AFC, allowing just 19.2 points per game. It’s worth nothing that
seven NFC defenses are allowing fewer points per game than Houston.
• The Texans are the only team in the NFL that has yet to allow a rushing TD this season.
• The Texans secondary will be watched closely Sunday after being shredded by Aaron
Rodgers. Johnathan Joseph, slowed by a sore groin vs. Green Bay, didn’t practice this
week but the Texans believe he’ll play Sunday.
• An interesting story Sunday will be the reception of Jacoby Jones by Texans’ fans. Jones
returned a kickoff 108 yards for a TD last Sunday vs. the Cowboys. Jones was cut by
Houston after muffing a punt and losing a fumble in the Texans loss to the Ravens in the
playoffs last January.
• Including last year’s playoffs, J.J. Watt has recorded at least one sack in eight straight
games. He leads the NFL with 9.5 sacks this season.