The layoff. Those twenty days separating the Baltimore Ravens from their last full throttle competition and the next. We’ve seen it before, and it didn’t work out so well. And as fans of the team, it haunts us. Will these upstart Houston Texans who have competed at a high level during the past three weeks against the Titans, Colts and Browns, respectively, have an edge over the Ravens who will have been idling for a prolonged period by the time kickoff arrives at 4:30 PM on Saturday.
On one hand the rest is welcomed. It allows key players like Kyle Hamilton, Ronnie Stanley, Zay Flowers, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams among others, to heal and get their bodies ready for the ultimate 3-game stretch. It gives the team time to work Mark Andrews back into the mix as well as newcomer Dalvin Cook who could play a key role in the postseason. The free spot on the bingo card (the bye) also prevents further injuries. But does it challenge the sharpness of the team’s execution on game day of the Divisional Round?
The Ravens management more than likely shares these concerns and they’ve made changes to how they approach the down time. This edition of the Ravens is also a more battle-tested team with great leadership. That’s not to say that the 2019 team lacked leaders. This one just has more, with more decorated resumes and a quarterback who has lived this experience before. Despite the truckload of accolades bestowed upon him, none of it sparks his competitive spirit more than his insatiable desire to prove the naysayers wrong, to show the world that he can win in the postseason and to ultimately hoist the prize Lamar Jackson covets most, the Lombardi Trophy.
The Texans
There’s a lot of hype for the Texans coming into this game and the accolades for the league’s likely rookie of the year, C.J. Stroud, are as plentiful as the calls in Dallas for Mike McCarthy’s head. Stroud is a more accomplished player than the one who visited Baltimore back on September 10th when the Ravens beat the Texans 25-9. And while it’s fair to say that the Texans offense is improved, it’s equally fair to suggest that so too is the Ravens defense. Kyle Van Noy wasn’t on the scene. Jadeveon Clowney hadn’t yet stepped on the field of play with the Ravens. Kyle Hamilton wasn’t yet the All-Pro force he has become and Brandon Stephens hadn’t yet settled into his role on the boundary.
