Bengals vs. Texans: Houston Must Show Offensive Balance to Compete vs. Ravens

T.J. Yates did an awful lot to silence some doubters on Saturday, including myself.

I knew that Houston's defense would keep the Bengals offense out of the end zone, and the solid running attack didn't surprise me. But I never expected Yates to do as well throwing the ball as he did. 

If the Texans are going to beat the Ravens and advance to the AFC Championship game, Yates will need to be even better. 

Remember that when the two teams met during the regular season, the Texans had Matt Schaub, and the Ravens won by 15 points.

When the Ravens are in Baltimore, you can't be one-dimensional on offense. I don't care who your running backs are, if the Ravens defense knows the run is coming, you are going to lose in a big way. 

Yates was good against the Bengals. He was 11-of-20 for 159 yards, one touchdowns and no picks. But if the Texans are going to beat the Ravens, those numbers will not be good enough.

No interceptions will work well. But 11-of-20 passes will not be good enough, neither will 159 yards or one touchdown. 

The Texans will do well defensively. Baltimore doesn't have a great overall offense. Against a defense like Houston's, they will struggle to put up a lot of points. Do not expect this to be a blowout in any way. 

But offensively, the Texans will need to move the ball well and consistently. That's not going to happen without a good passing game. 

The last and most important advantage to a big passing game is that it allows Houston's best player the chance to get the ball in his hands. If Andre Johnson is not given a chance to make big plays, then the Ravens will easily win.

Beating the Bengals on Saturday was nice. It was a big step for the franchise. But at this point, the focus can't be on what it means for the franchise. That can happen after the playoffs.

There's another game to prepare for. If the Texans want to prepare for yet another, they will need Yates to have an even better performance.

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