Texans vs. Ravens Named On Of NFL's Top 2023 Games

The Texans have never won in Baltimore and have not beaten the Ravens since 2014.

The Houston Texans have a chance to make history in Week 1 when they travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans have never won in Baltimore and have not beaten the Ravens since 2014. 

The Texans have a fresh start with new coach DeMeco Ryans, a talented rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud, and an improving defense. However, Houston will be tested right away by a Ravens team that added weapons for Jackson in receiver Odell Beckham and rookie wideout Zay Flowers.

With that in mind, Sports Illustrated ranked the 10 best games of the 2023 NFL season and Houston vs. Baltimore is near the top of the list at No. 6.

Strange choice? Maybe. While I would have liked to have seen the Ravens and former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale take on C.J. Stroud, I will settle for the current Ravens, who play a vastly different scheme that is less dependent on generating free rushers at the quarterback.

Here’s why I’m interested in this game, in particular: Baltimore is very athletic up front on defense and presents a lot of challenges to young quarterbacks. John Harbaugh’s record against rookie quarterbacks is excellent and, like Bill Belichick to the Jets, can represent a bit of a benchmark as to how prepared the young passer can get in a short period of time.

There are some ancillary benefits to this game. We’ll get to see Derek Stingley Jr. against either Odell Beckham Jr. or Zay Flowers. We’ll get to see Will Anderson against a very good offensive line. And we’ll get to see how Stroud can maximize possessions against a team and a coach that still value milking the clock, all in the first game of the year.

Houston certainly has the chance to surprise the NFL in Stroud's first NFL start. The Texans are 9.5-point underdogs vs. Baltimore, the worst odds of any team in Week 1. Ryans described the Week 1 contest as "tough" but "exciting."

"You’re always excited to see where that first game is, and we get the opportunity to go up to Baltimore versus a very tough team," Ryans said. "Lamar Jackson. Going to be a tough matchup. They added some firepower to the offense this offseason. A great challenge for us to start out. We’re excited about that."

The New England Patriots' matchup against the New York Jets earned the 'best game' of the season. The Patriots have not lost to the Jets since 2015, an impressive seven-year winning streak totaling 14 victories against the AFC East foe. It's the longest active winning streak by one team to a single opponent. This year brings a big difference in four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers... Definitely, another one to watch.

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