How Joe Flacco and the Ravens Offense Can Bounce Back from Bad Game vs. Houston

Sunday's 25-13 Baltimore Ravens loss to the Houston Texans might not have been Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's worst game of his career. However, it was his worst game of the 2014 season, and it happened at a costly time.

The loss dropped the Ravens to 9-6 on the season and have put them yet again on the outside looking in, as far as the AFC playoff race is concerned.

Though they aren't mathematically eliminated, the Ravens' postseason destiny isn't solely in their hands; they not only need to defeat the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 but also need the San Diego Chargers to fall to the Kansas City Chiefs to get in as the conference's sixth seed.

The Ravens lost on Sunday almost solely because of Houston's defensive pressure. Flacco was harassed to the tune of two sacks and 10 hits and was hurried 16 times, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He completed only 21 of his 50 pass attempts for 195 yards. He threw two touchdowns to three interceptions, his only three-interception game of the season. He had just three completions in the first half.

Not helping matters was the Houston front seven's ability to stop the run. Collectively, the Ravens averaged just 2.1 yards per carry, rushing 16 times for 33 yards. The Ravens' standout running back, Justin Forsett, had only 19 yards on his 10 carries. Houston's defense recorded 21 stops in the game, which include tackles for no gain or a loss and sacks.

Flacco spoke to reporters following the game, via Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com:

"

"We never really got anything going or got into a groove of any kind. We couldn't move the ball, couldn't make first downs, couldn't get any completions, just couldn't get ourselves going and moving forward. It just wasn't good.

[...]

They got me on my back foot, they had good coverage, they took away the main two guys [Steve Smith and Torrey Smith]. They did a lot of things. They were disruptive. They got to me. They got us off our spot. Nothing was easy."

"

It was an anomaly for the Ravens. In Flacco's previous four games, he completed 69.5 percent of his passes for 958 yards, six touchdowns and one interception while taking two sacks. In that span, he was Pro Football Focus' top-rated quarterback. 

Forsett, however, has struggled as of late, held to rushing totals of 71, 48 and then 19 yards after three straight games with 100 or more rushing yards. Though he still maintains a rushing average of 5.3 yards per carry, he's had just one touchdown in four games.

Both Flacco and the Ravens run game should improve on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns' defense. 

	Atts.	Comp.	Comp.%	Yds.	Yds./At	TD	INT	Sack	Rating
Weeks 12-15	118	82	69.5%	958	8.1	6	1	2.0	107.2
Week 16	50	21	42.0%	195	3.9	2	3	2.0	41.7

In the past two weeks, Cleveland's run defense has given up 244 and then 209 rushing yards, first to the Cincinnati Bengals and then to the Carolina Panthers, respectively. The Browns currently have the league's worst rushing defense, allowing an average of 142.4 yards per game. 

This game should allow for Forsett to bounce back from his unproductive spell the last three weeks. And that will be good news for Flacco and his ability to avoid pressure, especially with the latest developments to befall his offensive line.

Rookie right tackle Rick Wagner was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Fellow tackle Eugene Monroe is also in a walking boot, with his status for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns unknown.

Wagner had given up only two sacks in his 15 starts, while Monroe had allowed three. The two have helped keep Flacco's sack total to just 18 on the season, the lowest of his career. 

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Without Wagner, James Hurst will be the Ravens' starting right tackle, though that could be shuffled even further depending on Monroe's status. Right guard Marshal Yanda could move to right tackle, with John Urschel moving into guard. Hurst could also play left tackle, with Yanda at the right, should Monroe be sidelined.

Even if the Ravens are without their two starting tackles, Flacco won't have to worry as much about the Browns bringing pressure in the same way that Houston did.

Though Cleveland boasts a good defensive front that has been better at affecting opposing quarterbacks as the season has progressed, it still is only sacking opposing quarterbacks on 5.16 percent of their dropbacks, according to TeamRankings.com. On the season, Cleveland's defense has 30 sacks, tied for 26th in the league.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

It will be a far more favorable environment for the Ravens offense to get back to moving the ball and scoring points on their home field against the Browns than it was in Week 16 against Houston. The difference in the defenses is practically night and day.

That's good news for a Ravens offense that needs to play well in order to keep its team in playoff contention. Though the Ravens' postseason hopes also hinge on the Chargers losing on Sunday, what happens in Kansas City would be moot without a Baltimore win.

What happened to the Ravens offense in Houston was atypical of how the unit has performed all season. The Texans defense had all the right answers to everything the Ravens threw at Houston; the same won't likely be said for a Browns defense that doesn't boast the same strengths.