Against Texans, Ravens can prove they’ve learned from tough playoff loss
The Baltimore Ravens looked great in their Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. But as attention is turned to the Houston Texans for Week 2, Baltimore is presented with a unique test. The Ravens need to prove they’ve learned from previous mistakes and remain focused on the opponent at hand.
On paper, this week’s matchup against the Texans is one the Ravens should win handily. Houston has struggled to stop the run and protect quarterback Deshaun Watson, two things Baltimore has done well. Considering the Ravens destroyed the Texans in Week 11 last season and their wildly divergent performances in Week 1 — Baltimore beat the Cleveland Browns 38-6 while Houston looked like a second-tier team in every regard against the Kansas City Chiefs — it’s no shock Baltimore is heavily favored for this game.
But an inclination to overlook the Texans in order to mentally prepare for a much tougher Week 3 game against Kansas City would be a big mistake, and one the Ravens should have fresh in their memory.
As quarterback Lamar Jackson noted this offseason, Baltimore was booted from last season’s playoffs because they overlooked the Tennessee Titans. Much like this week’s matchup, the Ravens looked to be the superior team on paper but started the game flat, allowing the Titans to dictate the game en route to an embarrassing loss. After an entire offseason bemoaning crushed Super Bowl dreams, Baltimore seems to know better this time around.
Defensive coordinator Don Martindale, who is normally unafraid to make bold statements and create headlines, shied away from any such declarations this week. When asked about the team’s success against Watson and the Texans’ offense, Martindale wasn’t taking the bait.
“Oh, we’re not overconfident – trust me,” Martindale said Thursday. “He gets better every year. He’s a Pro Bowl quarterback for a reason; it was just one of those days last year.”
With Super Bowl aspirations once again this season for Baltimore, it all starts with beating the opponent put in front of them until they get there. But how they perform on Sunday night will go a long way toward dictating if that hard-earned lesson has stuck with them or not.
