'Those Boys Deserve It!' Texans Complimentary of Ravens Ahead of AFC Championship
BALTIMORE, MD — The Houston Texans will not take part in the AFC Championship game Sunday afternoon. But as a result of their season coming to an end after a 34-10 loss in the Divisional Round on Jan. 20, the Texans received a first-hand look at what made the Baltimore Ravens arguably the league's best team.
The Ravens dominated the Texans on both sides of the ball. On the defense, they held Houston to a field goal, given that their only touchdown came during a 76-yard punt return by wide receiver Steven Sims.
"That’s a solid group, and those boys deserve it all for sure," wide receiver Nico Collins said. "That’s a solid team on both offense and defense. It’s a solid group, so they deserve it."
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs the ball to score a touchdown against Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Houston recorded 175 passing yards in the loss and could not get anything going in the run game, finishing with 38 yards on the ground.
But despite the Ravens' impressive play on defense, Baltimore's offense was just as impressive. Led by presumed league MVP Lamar Jackson, the All-Pro quarterback put on a show at M&T Bank Stadium.
He finished the game throwing for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But what made Jackson's performance dominant was his athleticism. He led the Ravens in rushing with 100 yards on 11 attempts while running in two touchdowns.
“He was just himself," Jonathan Greenard said. "He took what we gave him, he made plays when he needed to. I mean, a guy like that, he’s seen us already and saw how we wanted to attack him. We had his number for a little bit and then he just started to make more plays."
With the Texans at home, the Ravens hope to replicate their performance against the Kansas City Chiefs during the conference championship game.
A victory would give the Ravens their first Super Bowl appearance since 2012. Baltimore defeated the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Ironically, the Ravens knocked out the Texans in the Divisional Round of the postseason en route to their second title in franchise history.
