NFL Playoffs 2012: Texans Will Ride Wave of Momentum to Victory vs. Ravens

When the Houston Texans lost Matt Schaub to a foot injury in November, the prevailing theory was that they would make the playoffs but not advance very far. Following their dominant victory over Cincinnati last week, they are going to carry that momentum into Baltimore and walk away with a victory. 

The Ravens are the perfect matchup for the Texans, because they both do the same things well: Play great defense, run the ball a lot and throw the ball only when absolutely necessary. The difference is that T.J. Yates knows his role, while Joe Flacco wants to be a superstar. 

It doesn't help that Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron forgets that he has Ray Rice in the backfield and order Flacco to throw the ball 25-30 times per game. 

The Texans know what to expect from the Ravens thanks to their Week 6 matchup, which the Ravens won 29-14, so there will be no surprises or gimmicks. It will be two physical teams lining up to hit the other in the mouth. 

As Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle pointed out, the Texans did not need any validation from their victory last week because they already knew how good they were, even when everyone else doubted them. 

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Little that happened Saturday will factor into what happens Sunday. It was fun while it lasted, but it is history. The Bengals are old news. Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Co. are waiting.

The Texans didn’t gain much confidence from their beatdown of the Bengals. Affirmation perhaps, not confidence. Several players all but told me last week they expected a blowout win. They were confident.

Even after they fell behind early, there was little doubt about what would happen.

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Whenever you play great defense, you have a chance to win. The Texans ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed, fourth in points allowed and 12th in turnovers. They are not going to be overwhelmed by the playoff stage. 

The key to this game will be which offense can breakthrough with one or two big plays. The Texans have the best offensive playmaker in this game in Andre Johnson. He is going to be huge, acting as the down-field threat and safety net for Yates to throw at. 

After so much talk about what they were going to do when Schaub went down, all the talk after Sunday will be about how they are one win away from playing in their first Super Bowl. 

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