Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans: Three Bold Predictions

Dec 14, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak congratulates tight end Owen Daniels (81) after his touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens will run a trick play

Call this a hunch. Gary Kubiak is playing his old team, and though he has been the consummate professional in talking about it, this game will be an emotional one for him. There will be part of him that genuinely wants to make the Texans regret letting him go. It’s human nature.

Usually, Kubiak’s style is vaguely reminiscent of Herman Boone from Remember the Titans. Run a few plays, and run them well. There are a few wrinkles here and there, but the Ravens’ offense is actually pretty simple, which is part of its genius. So if Kubiak busts out a trick play, it should definitely catch the Texans off guard.

The Ravens do have a history of using trick plays, especially early in Joe Flacco’s career. They had a lot of success using Troy Smith on various gadget plays, and just last year they used Tyrod Taylor on the occasional trick play, though that never really worked.

Considering Flacco’s disdain for coming out of the game or letting anyone else play quarterback, the Ravens might try a halfback pass or a flea-flicker. Nothing too fancy, but it certainly would catch the Texans off guard. And if it works, it would be a great exclamation point for Kubiak.