Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans: Game Preview
The Baltimore Ravens will go on the road for the final time this regular season. They will be facing off against a tough Houston Texans team, but that tough team will be putting a fourth-string quarterback onto the field.
After backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a season-ending injury in last week’s game, third-string quarterback Tom Savage was slated to start. However, he suffered a knee injury and has been ruled out of this game. The Texans have said that they will start either Thaddeus Lewis or Case Keenum, who started eight games for Houston last year.
Houston currently holds a record of 7-7 and is in no position to make a run at a playoff berth. They’re not mathematically eliminated, but they are pretty darn close to being that. Let’s just put it this way: They have no shot at making the playoffs.
More from Baltimore Ravens
- Baltimore Ravens: Will this be Breshad Perriman’s last game as a Raven?
- Baltimore Ravens: Why RG3 Will Not Make the Ravens’ 53-Man Roster
- Baltimore Ravens have to make a decision on resting key offensive players
- Baltimore Ravens Cornerback Situation With Jimmy Smith Likely Suspended
- Top 5 Baltimore Ravens to Get on Your Fantasy Football Team
That however, does not mean that they will have no interest in winning this game. Everybody loves to play the spoiler role, and that’s exactly what Houston will be doing in Week 16.
It will be hard for Houston to beat the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens with a 22nd-ranked defense and a backup quarterback. One player that could help them accomplish this is defensive end J.J. Watt. Many think he is in consideration to be the 2014 NFL MVP, or at the very least receive the Defensive Player of the Year award. Regardless of whether he wins one of those awards or not, he is still an extremely dominant player with a ton of talent.
Not only has he recorded 16.5 sacks this year, which is third in the NFL only behind Elvis Dumervil and Justin Houston, but he has also caught two touchdown passes on offense. That’s right, he’s a tight end as well as a defensive lineman. He can do it all.
With that being said, one player is not enough to take down a strong Baltimore Ravens team. They excel at almost every spot with the exception of the secondary. The Ravens hold the 30th-ranked passing defense in the league and have suffered through injuries galore.
Let’s just hope that this group of defensive backs for the Baltimore Ravens don’t get torn apart by a fourth or fifth-string quarterback in Week 16.