Lamar Jackson Runs Wild; Texans Playoff Dream Ends With Loss to Ravens
With a rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach, as well as a host of new additions to the roster, the Houston Texans were likely the last team anyone expected to make a post-season run.
However, that is exactly what they did, going from 3-13-1 to AFC South champions and winning a Wild Card matchup vs. the Browns last week.
Unfortunately for Houston, that improbable run finally came to an unceremonious end on Saturday, with the Texans falling 34-10 at M&T Bank Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens and star quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
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As the odds on favorite to win MVP, all eyes were on Lamar Jackson from the outset, with the star QB leading the Ravens to an early 10-3 advantage, thanks to a touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor.
The Texans were able to even things up at halftime with a Steven Sims punt return touchdown in the second quarter, but after that, the rest of the day belonged to both Jackson and the Ravens defense.
In the second half, the defense was able to continue their dominant showing from the first two quarters, holding the Texans to just 214 total for the game, and C.J. Stroud to one of his lowest offensive outputs of the season with just 175 yards through the air.
The Texans were also held out of the end zone offensively for just the second time this season, with the other coming vs. the Ravens on this exact same field in Week 1.
Meanwhile, after years of struggles to win in the postseason, Jackson finally lived up to his star billing when it mattered most, completing 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing 11 times for 100 yards and another score.
Following the loss, the Texans will now turn the page to the offseason, looking to take another step forward in Year 2 with C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans.
They will have a good chance to do so as well, with over $70 of projected cap space, ample and valuable draft capital, and a bevy of young stars on both sides of the ball to continue to build with.
