Ravens Dismantle Texans to Secure Christmas Day Victory
The Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans squared off in the first-ever Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix, with two weeks remaining in the regular season. Following the Steelers’ loss to the Chiefs earlier in the afternoon, marking their third straight defeat, the Ravens kicked off knowing that the path to the AFC North title was now in their control. They needed to win their last two games to clinch back-to-back AFC North titles, starting with a win over C.J. Stroud and the Texans. Meanwhile, the Texans were looking to gain some momentum heading into the playoffs next month after suffering a Week 16 defeat to Kansas City and dealing with key injuries on both sides of the ball. However, behind their two-time MVP quarterback, the Ravens would have their way against the Texans, with Baltimore coming away with a 31-2 victory.
To start the game, the Ravens received the ball after Houston deferred the coin toss. On their opening drive, quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wasted no time showcasing why they have one of the league’s best scoring offenses. Baltimore took less than five minutes to score a touchdown, with veteran running back Derrick Henry walking untouched into the end zone for a two-yard run, giving the Ravens a 7-0 lead. The Texans' offense was unable to respond on their first drive, as the Ravens' leading sack-getter, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, recorded his 11.5th sack of the season on Stroud, ending Houston’s opening drive near midfield. The Ravens' offense marched into Houston territory again but settled for a successful 52-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker, extending their lead to 10-0 near the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, after a great punt by Texans punter Tommy Townsend pinned the Ravens at their three-yard line, the Texans’ defense energized the crowd and put the first points on the board for Houston. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter tripped up Henry in the end zone, resulting in a safety that cut Baltimore’s lead to 10-2 and gave Houston possession. Following a pass interference penalty on Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a fourth-down attempt that kept Houston’s drive alive, the Texans went for it again on fourth-and-goal from the four-yard line. However, Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington made a big play, forcing Texans running back Joe Mixon out of bounds at the one-yard line, resulting in a turnover on downs and giving Baltimore possession. The Ravens got back on track after a scramble by Jackson and a 67-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews that took them into the red zone. Baltimore finished the drive with a touchdown, as fellow tight end Isaiah Likely caught a nine-yard pass to extend the Ravens' lead to 17-2 with under two minutes left in the half.
The Texans began the second half looking to build momentum, but on their third play, Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton intercepted Stroud for his first pick of the season, giving Baltimore possession near midfield. Just two plays later, Lamar Jackson sprinted through the Texans' defense for a 48-yard touchdown run, extending the Ravens' lead to 24-2 less than two minutes into the third quarter. Following the Texans' fifth punt of the game, the Ravens continued to impose their will, with Jackson connecting with Andrews for a one-yard touchdown catch to extend the lead to 31-2 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Nearing the end of the quarter, the Texans aimed to get into the end zone for the first time. However, after a review, they turned the ball over on downs for a second time, this time on fourth-and-seven, after running back Dare Ogunbowale was ruled short of the line to gain following a Baltimore challenge. In the fourth quarter, both the Ravens and Texans pulled their starters with the game out of reach, as Baltimore finished off their dazzling performance on Christmas night.
In the win, Lamar Jackson put up another MVP-worthy performance, finishing the game with 10 completions on 15 attempts for 168 passing yards and two touchdown passes, along with a long touchdown run that officially passed former quarterback Michael Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history, with 6,110 career yards. Along with Jackson’s dominant performance, running back Derrick Henry recorded his eighth game this season with over 100 rushing yards, finishing with 147 yards and a touchdown against the Texans. Meanwhile, for Houston, C.J. Stroud had an off day, completing only 17 of 31 passes for 185 yards and an interception. Heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale, the Ravens will have the opportunity to clinch the AFC North Division at home against the Cleveland Browns, while the Texans will face the Tennessee Titans on the road to conclude the regular season.
