Texans vs. Ravens: Keys to Houston Pulling off Massive Upset

The Houston Texans can upset the Baltimore Ravens if they can accomplish the following four things. This is not going to be easy, but it is also far from impossible. 

According to Football Locks, the Texans are 7.5-point underdogs, and this is for good reason. They are on the road for just their second playoff game in franchise history, and they are starting a rookie QB.

All of these factors will only serve to make victory sweeter, and that is exactly what the Texans will have if they can pull off these things. 

Stop Ray Rice

When the Ravens can run the ball, they win. It is that simple. Baltimore has lost four games this year, and the most yards Rice has gained on the ground in any of those four losses is 57. 

They have only won one game where Rice did not cross that 57-yard mark.

The first time these two met, Houston allowed Rice to run for 101 yards on 23 carries. That is not going to cut it. Houston can, and must, do better than this. 

The Texans finished the season ranked 11th in the NFL in yards allowed per rush at 4.1, and they have been even better over their last three games, having allowed just 3.5 yards per rush.

The Texans would be well served to stack the box and force Joe Flacco to beat them in this game.  

Pass successfully on first down

The Texans are going to have to find success on the ground if they are going to win this game. Rookie QB T.J. Yates simply is not prepared to lead an offense to success against a defense like the Ravens. I know this, you know this, and you better believe the Ravens know it. 

Baltimore is going to be geared up to stop the run, and this is going to make it hard for the Texans to run. They are going to have to loosen up this defense with first-down passes.

They can also take a few shots downfield. Even if those passes are not completed, they will stretch out the D and make life easier for Arian Foster and company. 

It is the shorter, efficient strikes that are going to be key, though. Houston must pick up positive yards. This will not only keep the Ravens' defense honest, but it will help the Texans avoid obvious passing situations that Yates has little to no hope succeeding in. 

Win time of possession

Houston must control the ball in this game. It has to wear out Baltimore's defense while keeping its own fresh. 

This will help the Texans keep the crowd out of the game and make it easier to run the ball in the fourth quarter, and both of these things will help take the pressure off Yates. 

Turnovers

This is the no-brainer. Winning the turnover battle is one of the keys for every team in every game, but it is especially important when your team is a road underdog in the playoffs and starting a rookie QB. 

The Texans can't afford to hand the ball over to the Ravens, and any time their defense can give Yates a short field, or even add a score itself, it will be a huge plus.