Did Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh Predict Matchup With Texans?
When the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play in the AFC Divisional Round game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., one team will have its season end against the same team that it started against.
The Ravens and Texans faced off in Week 1 in Baltimore in a game that the Ravens won 25-9. After that game, head coach John Harbaugh spoke about Houston's potential for the season.
Sep 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) attempts a pass as Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Rayshad Nichols (91) rushes during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium.
© Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
"Really proud of the guys and really proud of the win against a good Houston team," Harbaugh said. "I've said this before about certain teams early in the season—they're going to win a lot of football games this year. Mark it down. You'll see. That's a good, young football team."
The Texans were one of the biggest surprises of the season, going 10-7 in the first year of head coach DeMeco Ryans and quarterback CJ Stroud. Last season, Houston had the second-worst record in all of football at 3-13-1, but drafted their franchise quarterback in Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Over their last 11 games including their playoff win over the Cleveland Browns, the Texans have only lost three times. Stroud left one of those losses with a concussion and didn't play in their most recent loss which came against the Browns in Week 16.
The Ravens come into the game fully rested after their bye week with the best record in the NFL at 13-4. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Baltimore is favored by 9.5 points over the visiting team in Houston, tied for the largest spread of the weekend with the San Francisco 49ers over the Green Bay Packers.
