Divisional Round Preview: How to attack the Texans’ defense

Divisional Round Preview: How to attack the Texans’ defense

Divisional Round Preview: How to attack the Texans’ defense

The top-seeded Baltimore Ravens will host the fourth-seeded Houston Texans on Saturday to kick off divisional-round weekend action.

While it is a rematch from Week 1 when the two teams faced off for the 2023 season opener,

neither are the same and they both have come a long way in terms of growth and inevitable attritions.

They are both division winners and were two of the hottest teams during the regular season.

Although there are likely a few things to glean from their first matchup,

it might as well have been last season given how each has adjusted and evolved over the course of the year.

Examining performances and injury updates will be much more insightful in ultimately deciding who comes out on top.

This article breaks down how Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken and soon-to-be two-time league MVP quarterback

Lamar Jackson can attack a Texans defense fresh off a dominant Wildcard round outing where they scored

as many points as they let up with 14 courtesy of a pair of pick-sixes.

Continue to play into and highlight strengths

The Ravens offense under Monken spent the first half of the season trying to find a rhythm and establish its groove.

Not only did it evolve but it terraformed

into a highly adaptable and efficient machine that best suits and sets up available personnel for tremendous success.

No matter who has gone in or out of the lineup, who has been lost for stretches or the entire season with a minor to a major injury,

or who they’ve gone up against, the Ravens have been able to move the ball on any and everybody.

They’ve been highly efficient throwing the ball on early downs during the second

half of the season thanks in large part to play action which is a direct result of their punishing rushing attack.

Despite the emphasis they put into improving their passing attack and the resources spent upgrading the pass-catching

weapons at Jackson’s disposal—both of which paid outstanding dividends, they still led the league in rushing attempts (541) and yards (2,661).

Even though they’ll be going up against an elite Texans’ run defense that allowed the second-fewest yards per carry in the regular season at 3.5 which is the

lowest mark among current playoff teams, the Ravens can’t and won’t be afraid to strive for balance and establish their ground game.

Houston held them to just 110 rushing yards in Week 1 which wound up being their third-lowest total of the season. They get contributions from all three

levels when it comes to run support but their front seven, in particular, plays aggressively downhill, and both fit and fill gaps quickly, almost as soon as they

open at times. Thankfully, the Ravens run game is multi-dimensional and can gash teams with a myriad of run concepts not just gap scheme or just power

so the Texans will have to stay on their toes and be prepared for either on any given play.

Attack the middle of the field relentlessly

Houston’s defense was able to take over and essentially put away their Wildcard victory over the Joe Flacco-led Cleveland Browns with a pair of

interceptions returned for touchdowns on back-to-back drives in the third quarter. However, the tape from the entirety of that game both before and even

after it got out of hand revealed a fatal flaw in their scheme that will play right into the strength of the Ravens’ passing attack.

On several occasions throughout the game, they vacated windows and sometimes even gaping holes in the middle of the field between their second and

third-level defenders that Flacco took advantage of numerous times to pick up first downs and generate big plays through the air.

Through a combination of shallow depth from their off-ball linebackers and deep drops from their safeties who appeared to be determined not to get beat

deep at all costs, they wound up getting carved up at times—especially early on.

They gave up big plays throughout to pass catchers who were left wide open

to get the ball in stride or with room to run after securing the catch. Jackson has historically and especially this year,

been at his best throwing the ball over the middle of the field where he feasts on intermediate passes that

fit between linebackers and safeties, squeezes into tight windows, and hits the intended targets with pinpoint precision.

The Ravens have several wide receivers that are dangerous threats in the open field after the catch who can take a slant to the house or make multiple

defenders miss is space to generate big plays. Expect to see standout rookie Zay Flowers and three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. run a lot of posts,

digs, and crossing routes while third-year pro Rashod Bateman and ninth-year veteran Nelson Agholor get loose on deep to intermediate curls.

Lean into two-tight end sets

Even though the Ravens won’t have three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews back for this game, they should still deploy multiple tight ends in the passing

game either way to take full advantage of the Texans’ potentially fatal defensive flaw.

The Browns’ longest and best offensive plays resulted in a tight end streak across the middle of the field or down the seams. David Njoku and Harrison

Bryant were Cleveland’s leading receivers last week and combined for 11 catches for 158 receiving yards and they both had a catch and run of 45 or more

yards.

Through a combination of shallow depth from their off-ball linebackers and deep drops from their safeties who appeared to be determined not to get beat

deep at all costs, they wound up getting carved up at times—especially early on. They gave up big plays throughout to pass catchers who were left wide open

to get the ball in stride or with room to run after securing the catch.

Jackson has historically and especially this year, been at his best throwing the ball over the middle of the field where he feasts on intermediate passes that

fit between linebackers and safeties, squeezes into tight windows, and hits the intended targets with pinpoint precision.

The Ravens have several wide receivers that are dangerous threats in the open field after the catch who can take a slant to the house or make multiple

defenders miss is space to generate big plays. Expect to see standout rookie Zay Flowers and three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. run a lot of posts,

digs, and crossing routes while third-year pro Rashod Bateman and ninth-year veteran Nelson Agholor get loose on deep to intermediate curls.

Lean into two-tight end sets

Even though the Ravens won’t have three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews back for this game, they should still deploy multiple tight ends in the passing

game either way to take full advantage of the Texans’ potentially fatal defensive flaw.

The Browns’ longest and best offensive plays resulted in a tight end streak across the middle of the field or down the seams. David Njoku and Harrison

Bryant were Cleveland’s leading receivers last week and combined for 11 catches for 158 receiving yards and they both had a catch and run of 45 or more

yards.

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