The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Houston Texans on Saturday in what should be a great NFL playoffs matchup.
In Week 1, the Ravens faced Houston and walked away with an easy 25-9 win, but Baltimore coach John Harbaugh doesn’t think it will be so easy this time around, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN:
“Earlier today, John Harbaugh was asked about playing Texans after beating them in Week 1: ‘[The Texans] are 17 games different. I’d say [it’s] coaching [and] experience – all the things that a good team does that continues to improve throughout the season.’”
He’s probably right, as the Ravens’ upcoming opponent has won seven of their last 10 games behind the electric play of rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. Stroud was even better in the Texans’ playoff game against the Browns, throwing three touchdown passes without being sacked or intercepted.
But the Ravens have MVP candidate Lamar Jackson at quarterback and reinforcements coming after their first-round bye. For example, the Ravens recently opened up Mark Andrews’ practice window.
Andrews has been out with leg and ankle injuries since Week 11. Having him on the field would be a major boost for Baltimore. While he still needs to fully recover from his injuries, the fact that Andrews’ practice window has been opened is a great sign.
Before suffering his injuries, Andrews had caught 45 passes for 544 yards and six touchdowns. Despite missing so much time, Andrews still leads the Ravens in receiving touchdowns, ranks second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards.
