Ravens Not Holding Back vs. Texans

The Baltimore Ravens don't believe in hiding their game plan in case of a potential playoff rematch.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball to score a touchdown against Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) and defensive tackle Khalil Davis (94) during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans sure are getting familiar with each other.

Last season, the two teams met twice in Baltimore, with the Ravens winning 25-9 in the season opener and 34-10 in the divisional round. Now, they meet once again in front of a national audience on Christmas Day, this time in Houston, and they could be headed for another playoff showdown as well.

If the season were to end today, the fifth-seeded Ravens would travel to Houston to face the fourth-seeded Texans in the AFC wild card round. The final two weeks of the regular season could very well change that, especially as the Ravens are still competing for the AFC North title, but there's a good chance Baltimore and Houston play twice in three weeks this season.

There have been several similar occurances in recent NFL history, and some seem to believe in holding back certain plays in the first game to save them for the playoff matchup. However, it's safe to say that John Harbaugh and the Ravens do not subscribe to that idea.

"[It's] not a priority. You try to win the game," Harbaugh told reporters Monday. "There's plenty of things that we can come up with for the next game that would be the next iterations of whatever we're doing. Everything we can think of that's good, we're going to try to do it."

Last season, the Ravens witnessed the Texans grow from a team that no one had their eyes on to one of the most intriguing teams in the league with 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud leading the way. Houston hasn't quite lived up to the sky-high expectations placed upon it this season, but still won its second-straight AFC South title. Make no mistake, this is still a team to take seriously, and Stroud makes them especially dangerous when he's rolling.

"He's just a super talented guy," Harbaugh said Sunday. "I remember watching him at Ohio State – he'd make all those outside-breaking routes on the dime on the sideline, and [he] just has a strong arm. He's very accurate, [has a] quick release [and] makes a lot of tight windows throws to his receivers – ironically to a Michigan guy, Nico Collins. [He has] a great back [in Joe Mixon], who is a home run hitter, but he's surrounded with some good weapons, and he gets the ball out quick.

"He handles pressure well, he can move, he's athletic, [he] scrambles and makes plays. All those things are things that he does."

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