Texans vs. Ravens: Why Joe Flacco and T.J. Yates Will Be Non-Factors in Divisional Game

If the Houston Texans limit Ray Rice's production to say, less than 100 total yards, they'll win on Sunday. If the Baltimore Ravens hold Arian Foster in check, they'll advance to the AFC championship.

Simple as that.

Football is usually led by quarterback play, but this game will come down to defense and more specifically, two ultra-talented and versatile running backs. 

Nothing against either signal-caller, but the proof is in the regular season.

Joe Flacco is easily the better of the two quarterbacks, but Baltimore realizes they're better off pounding the rock with Rice, taking the occasional shot down field and shutting down the opponents with Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  

In the Ravens' four losses, Rice totaled 36 carries and averaged less than 39 yards rushing. As usual, he was used in the passing game, and averaged 49 receiving yards while scoring one receiving touchdown.

Flacco averaged a 65.2 QB rating in those defeats and threw five touchdowns with six interceptions.   

All isn't as certain for Foster and the Texans. 

In his final two regular season games, he averaged 6.85 yards per rush and eclipsed the 100-yard mark, but Houston lost both contests.

Outside of a heroic Week 14 comeback victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati, T.J. Yates failed to demonstrated the ability to put the team on his back if Foster struggled. 

Even in the Wild Card victory, Yates completed only 11 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown that came a play after a Bengals defensive back dropped what would have almost assuredly been a pick-six. 

With both teams looking to impose their similar style of play on Sunday, the club that forces the opposing quarterback into pressure situations by curbing running back productivity, will emerge victorious.

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