Ravens Can’t Take Texans Lightly

First Down: The Ravens can’t take the Texans lightly 

Looking at the matchups, the Baltimore Ravens are the better team. They are favorites in their home opener. But…it’s the NFL; he Detroit Lions just handed an L to the defending Super Bowl champions. It serves as a timely reminder that nothing is promised in this league. The Texans have a rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach, and are coming off a 3-13-1 record. If things go as expected, the Texans will start the DeMeco Ryans/C.J. Stroud era with the anticipated lumps. To ensure that things go as expected, the Ravens can’t feed the Texans an ounce of hope. A fast start is the way to a Week 1 party. A slow start allows a young and hopeful team infectious hope.

Stroud was the second overall pick in the 2023 Draft for a reason. An Ohio State quarterback known for being a pocket passer, he made his mark in college because he was such a proficient passer, with touch and a bit of magic with his deep ball. Dameon Pierce is suddenly a known commodity. He’s coming off a season where he rushed for over 900 yards. The Texans’ defense should be better after adding a former linebacker as their head coach and investing in defense in back-to-back years in the first round of the NFL Draft. They are probably a year or two away from what they hope to build, but this isn’t a team that’s going to roll over and take it.

Lamar Jackson and most starters didn’t play in the preseason, which makes rust one of the most logical concerns facing the team. The Todd Monken offense has a lot of buzz, yet it hasn’t been tested under scrutiny in Baltimore. In theory, the Ravens said farewell to many of their problems when they parted with Greg Roman. They have a new and improved group of receivers. The promise and potential that this offense has is off the charts – but this is our first real chance at a first impression. Will this offense need to work out some major kinks? Are Jackson and company ready to make a statement early? If this game doesn’t go as smoothly as expected it may give us the answer to these questions.

Second Down: Stars missing in the secondary

The Texans will be without Jimmie Ward in their defensive secondary. Ward was a star in San Francisco and was one of the biggest additions the Texans made this offseason. The Ravens’ top cornerback Marlon Humphrey is out for the beginning of the season. Which absence will be felt the most in this contest? Answer: Ward.

The Ravens present a lot of matchup problems. It sounds weird to say this after last season but the Ravens are loaded with talent in the passing game. Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham are very capable of winning one-on-one matchups with cornerbacks. Mark Andrews remains a matchup nightmare while Zay Flowers is the exciting new toy for the offense. The Texans have to contain all these weapons without a veteran starter at safety. If the Ravens can protect Jackson in the pocket, he has a chance to pick apart the Texans’ secondary and show off his new allies.

Humphrey being out is less than ideal, though the Ravens have known this was coming for a while. Rock Ya-Sin, Ronald Darby, and Brandon Stephens should be able to get the job done in this game. The Ravens are loaded at safety and we already know they like to use Kyle Hamilton as situationally needed. Mike Macdonald has it covered.

While we’re talking about the injury report it should be noted that Andrews has been listed as questionable. It looks like a minor concern and he is expected to play, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Third Down: Can the pass rush heat up?

The Ravens are at home against a rookie quarterback huh? Baltimore wants to see some sacks. There is a lot of excitement about David Ojabo getting his first full season in (he missed much of last season due to a pre-NFL Draft injury). Odafe Oweh has a lot of pressure on him as a first-round pick who hasn’t become an NFL sack artist to this point. Can either of them step up and become difference makers? Do the Ravens have a double-digit sacker on their defense at the end of this season? Jadeveon Clowney will fill the Justin Houston role, but most of the expectations are heaped upon the aforementioned two edge rushers on their first NFL contracts. What about the defensive line? Is Travis Jones going to start looking like the next Chris Jones in the NFL? Is Justin Madubuike going to have a breakout year?

The Texans put Tytus Howard on injured reserve to start the season. The Texans are already on a plan B at offensive tackle but Houston isn’t a pushover when it comes to the overall talent of their offensive line. That said, if the Ravens can’t take advantage of Howard being out, and they can get a pass rush at home against a rookie, it wouldn’t make you feel great about the defensive front. This is a game where a strong pass rush should be an expectation.

Fourth Down: Bringing the fun back to Baltimore Football

Last season was the least fun season of Ravens football in recent memory. Jackson missed the games at the end of the year again, and Roman made finding a groove on offense like pulling the teeth of a great white shark in the depths of the ocean. Do you remember the Broncos game the Ravens won 10-9? Do you remember Baltimore losing 13-3 to the Cleveland Browns in the ugliest game you ever need to remember? Charm City was full of bitter venom at the end of last season. The offseason was mired by drama, most of it centering around Jackson’s contract situation. How did we get here? You were in NFL purgatory months ago, and now you’re reading this thinking the season is going to be an exciting breath of fresh air. I already know that, you know you can feel it.  Collectively, Baltimore believes.

The Ravens have a chance to bring fun back to football Sundays. They have more talent on offense. Todd Monken seems to have the right approach. Flowers doesn’t look like a rookie. Jackson is back and re-energized after he got his contract. While I do offer reservations about the offense being completely new, it’s undeniably fresh. Macdonald has given Baltimore reason to have confidence in the defense. Take the Texans seriously. If the Ravens take care of business they should start the season with a thrilling win that ignites hope of a potential Super Bowl campaign.

Eat good food. Have a cold one or two. Enjoy this Baltimore. Football has a chance to be an absolute blast.

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