NFL Playoffs 2012: Ravens Will Beat Texans in Ugly AFC Matchup

The Houston Texans won their first playoff game in franchise history on Saturday, but their season will end next week in Baltimore.

The Texans have an elite defense and Arian Foster is one of the best running backs in football. However, they won't get past the vicious Ravens defense with rookie T.J. Yates at quarterback.

Yates was decent in the first round against Cincinnati, completing 11-of-20 for 159 yards and a touchdown. Although he played well, he isn't capable of leading the team if Foster struggles.

Luckily for Houston, Foster was excellent against the Bengals, racking up 153 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. It was his third straight 100-yard game and eighth on the season.

However, don't expect similar similar success from him against Baltimore's stingy D.

In the regular season, the Ravens allowed just 92.6 rushing yards per game (second in NFL) and 10 rushing touchdowns (T-sixth in NFL).

In their first matchup this season, they suffocated Foster, holding him to just 49 yards on 15 carries.

That was back in October, when the Texans still had Matt Schaub at quarterback. Now that Yates is starting, the Ravens will be even more focused on stopping Foster.

I'm not overly confident in the Ravens offense, because Houston can slow Ray Rice and Joe Flacco scares the hell out of me with his decision-making. But with the game on the line, I still trust Flacco more than Yates.

It won't be pretty, but the Ravens will eventually prevail.

Prediction: Ravens 17, Texans 10