Home Field Advantage Shines In Ravens' Win Over Texans: 'Our Fans Were Incredible'
It wasn't just the dominant Baltimore Ravens defense that helped pave the way to their 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round.
A raucous crowd at M&T Bank Stadium also played an imperative part in energizing the Ravens and effectively became the 12th man on defense. Houston had six pre-snap penalties with five false starts and one delay of game.
Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith credited the fans and how it helped the defense in big moments throughout the game.
"It's big," Smith said. "Having our crowd behind us [on] big plays, big stops, it's amazing. And this energy here, it's contagious, and it just helps us on the field more and more."
Having the crowd behind them is nothing new for the Ravens. The fans at M&T Bank Stadium were also a problem for opposing teams in the regular season, as they had 19 false starts and nine delay of game penalties in Baltimore, both of which led the league.
After the fans' role in the win over Houston, they'll have another chance to be just as loud, if not louder, when the Ravens host their first AFC Championship game in franchise history.
"We're excited about that," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "Our fans are going to get the chance to cheer just as loud or louder than they did in this game. They were amazing...I thought our fans were incredible. It was deafening out there."
The home crowd helped fuel what was a dominant defensive showing against a Texans offense. Rookie phenom C.J. Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and was under pressure nearly every time he dropped back to pass. Houston could never get the running game going, as it only ran for 38 yards.
Baltimore's defense only allowed three points, as the Texans' lone touchdown of the game came on a 67-yard punt return from Steven Sims in the second quarter.
Smith and fellow linebacker Patrick Queen each led the team with five tackles. Smith had two tackles for loss, while defensive tackle Justin Madubuike had three tackles, including one for a loss.
"That's how we're supposed to come out," Queen said. "That's how you're supposed to play the game. We don't shy away from that kind of stuff. There was a lot of jawing back and forth. Some people probably thought we shouldn't have been playing like that in the game. That's just what we do. We like that kind of stuff."
Having home field advantage is something that can go unnoticed when the crowd doesn't have an impact on that game. That wasn't the case in Baltimore, and whoever enters M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday at 3 p.m. for the AFC Championship game, whether it's Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills or Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, they'll have a tough task facing the fans and the best defense in the NFL.
"I know it's going to be rocking next week in the AFC Championship game," Smith said. "But it was huge today. Coming to the M&T Bank Stadium, I was a witness to it last year, how loud and how hostile the environment can be as well as this year. They love their football and the way they come out...They got at the top of their lungs, and it's a big part for us."
