Houston Texans: Winners and Losers from Texans' Loss vs. Ravens

The Houston Texans were defeated 29-14 on Sunday when they traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. With key players out for both teams, it was a close game right until the end.

Despite decent play from both teams, there were some key players that stood out with their impressive performances. 

The following is a list of the winners and losers from the Texans' loss against the Ravens. 

Torrey Smith: Winner

With Lee Evans out, John Harbaugh called on rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith to fill in for his injured teammate. Smith certainly stepped up to the challenge. 

The Ravens receiver caught three passes for an incredible 84 yards. That turned out to be a game-high 28 average yards per reception. 

Smith's 84 yards made him the game's second leading receiver. He was only outperformed by his teammate, Anquan Boldin, who had eight receptions for 132 yards.

This is the second game this season that the rookie Smith has had 80 or more yards this season. His receptions on Sunday helped put the Ravens in scoring position on multiple instances.

His performance helped the Ravens improve to a 4-1 record on the season. 

Texans' Running Backs: Losers

The Texans' running backs knew that they would have a tough task ahead of them going into Baltimore. The Ravens boast the league's second best rushing defense, and it showed against the Texans. 

Ben Tate and Arian Foster combined for a disappointing 90 yards, which was a key reason for the Texans' offensive struggles. 

Coming into the week, the Texans had the fifth-best rushing offense in the league, with an average of 132.8 yards per game. 

Foster was particularly disappointing, averaging just 3.3 yards on 15 carries. 

Texans' Defense: Loser

The Texans' defense was in absolute shambles on Sunday afternoon. The Ravens' offense tormented the visitors and finished the day with 402 total yards. 

The Ravens entered the day averaging just 358.5 total yards per game, which ranked them 14th in the NFL. 

If the Texans hope to improve, their defense is going to have to quickly adjust to life without Mario Williams.

Houston will face a tricky test next week as they go into Tennessee to take on the division-leading Titans.  

Billy Cundiff: Winner

Baltimore fans will be praising Billy Cundiff after Sunday's win against the Texans. Cundiff was instrumental in the Ravens' victory. 

The former Drake kicker hit all five of his field goals attempts, and hit both of his extra point attempts. He had a game-high 17 points. 

Cundiff's five field goals had an average distance of 37.8 yards. His long was 48 yards. 

With a less-clinical kicker, the Ravens may have struggled to get the victory, but luckily, Billy was there to help his team to a win. 

Gary Kubiak: Loser

Gary Kubiak has done himself no favors with his team's recent performances. The Texans have started the season with a disappointing 3-3 record. 

Fans had certainly expected more from the Mike Shanahan apprentice. This is Kubiak's fifth year as head coach of the Houston outfit, and it has to be said that Kubiak has never put in an above-average performance. 

The Texans are a team that can never hold on to a lead. They tend to lose interest and have blown far too many fourth-quarter leads. 

If the Texans fall to the Titans next week, don't be surprised if Kubiak doesn't stick around for much longer.