Texans vs. Ravens: Why Ravens Defense Is Too Much for T.J. Yates

T.J. Yates has been among the most unexpected success stories in the NFL this year. From a fifth-round draft pick to a playoff winning quarterback, Yates has impressed and perhaps earned himself some big money in the future.

On the other hand, Yates has not been asked to do much for the Houston Texans. He has only passed 30 attempts twice in his seven games, including playoffs. In those two games, Yates combined for three interceptions.

Further, Yates is really only .500 as a starter, including playoffs. With a strong finale to the season, the Texans could have clinched a first-round bye. Instead, the Texans lost their final three games with Yates as the starting quarterback.

Yates will face his stiffest test of the season this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens defense has given elite quarterbacks such as Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Schaub fits. How, then, will T.J. Yates be able to handle them?

The easy answer is that he won't be able to handle them. While Yates will continue to build a connection with star receiver Andre Johnson, Johnson still isn't completely healthy, and he looks rusty. Other than a rusty Johnson and Owen Daniels, Yates does not have a great group of downfield threats at his disposal.

Further, the Texans offensive line is susceptible to strong pass-rushers. Twice in Yates' seven starts did they surrender four or more sacks. The Ravens have the best pass rush that the Texans have faced under Yates, and the Ravens defense was able to rack up four sacks against the Texans in Week 6.

Another thing to note is that Yates has yet to play a 3-4 defense this year. Further, 3-4 defenses are rare in college, so Yates will have limited game experience against a 3-4 defense. While Yates does practice against a 3-4 defense, the difference between practice and game experience makes this a difficult matchup for Yates.

Finally, Yates gains most of his deep passing success on play-action passes. The Ravens defense is very well suited to stop the Texans rushing attack, so they will not be as susceptible to play action. Yates has a tendency to float his deep passes, and with a defense that will be ready for him, passes that went for completions against the Bengals could turn into interceptions against the Ravens.

The key player for the Ravens defense will be Ed Reed. Reed has had a down year, but he still has a knack for reading the eyes of opposing quarterbacks. With Yates' propensity towards floating deep balls, combined with his lack of finesse in executing the offense, Reed should have opportunities to make big defensive plays.

All in all, the Ravens defense is motivated, talented and too much for the Texans to handle. Yates has been a nice success story, but his luck will run out against the Ravens.