Monday Night Football - Ravens at Texans
Preseason pressure can be a poison that haunts a team for an entire season. Just look at the Dallas Cowboys or the San Francisco 49ers.
Two other NFL teams that entered 2010 with high expectations take the field at Reliant Stadium on Monday night, when the Houston Texans host the Baltimore Ravens. Both of these clubs were expected to compete for playoff spots – and beyond – this season. But, as of Week 14, only one has lived up to those lofty predictions.
The Ravens, who are 3-point road favorites Monday, are in hot pursuit of a postseason spot. Baltimore, which fell to AFC North rival Pittsburgh last weekend, is 8-4 (5-6-1 ATS) and second in the division. If it doesn’t make a run at the division crown, it will likely earn one of the AFC’s two Wild Card berths.
The Texans, on the other hand, have fallen very short of people’s preseason expectations. Houston opened the schedule strong with a win over Indianapolis and a 3-1 record in its first four games. But a shoddy defense, which is bleeding yardage, has erased the team’s offensive efforts, leading to a 5-7 record (5-7 ATS) with five of those defeats coming in the last six games.
Despite their poor efforts in recent outings, the Texans enter Week 14 just two games back of Jacksonville and Indianapolis in the AFC South. While a Wild Card spot seems impossible - having to leap teams like the Jets, Chargers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Ravens - making a run at the division title is not.
Beating Baltimore would be a huge step in that direction, not only giving the team a much-needed win but also building confidence for the final three weeks of the season.
In order to do so, Houston’s offense must crack one of the toughest stop units in football and find running room for the NFL’s leading rusher Arian Foster, who faces the sixth-best run defense in the league.
On defense, the Texans must keep a close eye on Ravens running back Ray Rice and get pressure on quarterback Joe Flacco. Houston has recorded only 19 sacks this season, which ranks 29th in the NFL, and has managed to pick off 10 passes – tied for 19th in the league.
In short, the Texans need big plays on both sides of the ball to live up to those preseason expectations. And what bigger stage for big plays than Monday Night Football?