Texans @ Ravens LIVE
Jackson leads Ravens to first AFC Championship Game since 2012
The Ravens will move on to the AFC Championship Game after defeating Houston Texans 34-10 in the Divisional Round. Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to victory, finishing 16-of-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions, but three sacks, and adding 11 carries and 100 yards on the ground plus two rushing touchdowns.
Ravens dominant in first half, but Texans kept up
Although the score was tied at 10-10 at the end of the first half, it was the Ravens who dominated that half. The Texans elected to receive to start out the game and the Ravens defense held them to three-and-out on the opening drive, then went on to make a field goal to take the lead. Justin Tucker kept up his reputation, making a perfect 53-yarder. However, it was a good defensive play by Christian Harris, who kept Lamar Jackson out of 1st-down territory that forced a field goal instead of a touchdown.
Penalties were a killer for the Texans in the first quarter, and they ended up settling for a field goal on their third possession, a 50-yarder by Ka’imi Fairbairn to tie the game 3-3 at the end of the 1st quarter.
Jackson set up great field position on a 23-yard run just before the start of the second quarter, and that was just the first of many times he’d use his legs to get down the field for the rest of the game. He then threw a 17-yard pass to Zay Flowers, scrambled up another 15 yards, and finally, threw the touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor to take the lead 10-3.
The Texans tried to respond with a 47-yard field goal, but Fairbairn missed it. They then held the Ravens to 3-and-out on the next drive and came back with a 67-yard punt return touchdown by Steven Sims to tie the game again, 10-10.
The Ravens actually had a chance to at least get within field goal range before the end of the half, but Jackson was sacked twice in a row, by Blake Cashman and Desmond King. The score remained 10-10 at halftime.
Texans stay scoreless in second half, Jackson’s two rushing TDs
It didn’t take long for the Ravens to take the lead back after halftime. Devin Duvernay had a decent punt return of his own for 37 yards to put the Ravens in good field position.Jackson then made a 15-yard touchdown run to make it a 17-10 lead over the Texans.
They then extended the lead when Jackson converted on 4th and 1 by going 14 yards to the Houston 2. Then it was a pass to Isaiah Likely for the touchdown that put the score at 24-10.
After that, it was Jackson again with his second rushing touchdown on an eight-yard run to make it a 31-10 game. It was sealed with a 43-yard field goal by Tucker to bring the final score to 34-10.
What’s next?
The Texans’ surprisingly successful season comes to an end here, as rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud finished 19-of-33 for 175 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and no sacks.
The Ravens will move on to the AFC Championship Game, which they’ll host at M&T Bank Stadium. They’ll play either the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs and the game will be on Sunday, January 28 at 3 p.m. ET. It will be Lamar Jackson’s first career AFC Championship Game.
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Goodnight!
That'll do it for this feed tonight, folks!
Thanks for joining us and make sure to follow along with Dane as he takes you through the NFC Divisional Round between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49erslive.
Have a great night!
Jennifer Bubel
END Q4
END GAME - Ravens beat Texans to move on to AFC Championship
The Ravens have outplayed the Texans, who remained scoreless in the second half.
Ravens will move on to play the AFC Championship at home next week against either the Bills or the Chiefs.
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Ogunbowale takes it up 3 but that'll run out the clock...
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Ogunbowale picks up 4 yards and then Stroud makes a short pass to Collins and he takes it up 10 yards for the 1st
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Tucker kicks 52 yards from Ravens35 to Texans and Pierce takes it up 16 yards but FUMBLES,knocked out by Harrison. He's able to recover it again somehow at the 30 - 1st and 10
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Tucker makes his second field goal of the game, a 43-yarder to put the Ravens up even further with just under2 minutes left to play.
Jennifer Bubel
RAVENS FIELD GOAL!
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02:00 Q4
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
The Ravens are at 4th and long on the Texans 25, but they're way ahead, by 21 points with 2 minutes left in the game.
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Cook gets 2 yards forward, 3 yards back, and 3 yards back AGAIN, pushed down by Cashman and Barnett- 4th and 14
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04:02 Q4
Ravens go for it on 4th and 3, and Hill picks up 5 - 1st down
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Hill picks up 2 - 4th and 3
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04:53 Q4
Texans take final timeout
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Cook gets 1 yard - 3rd and 5
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04:58 Q4
Texans take second timeout
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Cook runs it up 4 - 2nd and 6
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05:04 Q4
Stroudis nearly sacked but he throws it away, incomplete.
Ravens will take over at the Texans 33
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Texans will go for it, because why not?
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Stroud pass complete toOgunbowale for 13 yards - 4th and 6
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Another FalseStart on Texans'Tunsil - 5 yards, 3rd and 19
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Stroud connects to Woods for 6 yards - 3rd and 14
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Holding on Texans' Mason - 10 yards, 2nd and 20
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Stroud was being chased down by Jones - threw it away, incomplete and 2nd and 10
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06:14 Q4
The ruling on the field stands - runner down by contact. Ravens lose the challenge and they'll lose a timeout (one left).
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The Ravens are challenging the kickoff return, saying that Sims fumbled the ball and they recovered it.
It was ruled as runner down by contact, and that's certainly what it looked like, but the play is under review.
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Jackson picks up his second rushing touchdown of the game on an 8-yard run this time. Tucker's PAT is good and the Ravens have taken the BIG lead with 6:20 to go in the game with the Texans.
Jennifer Bubel
RAVENS TOUCHDOWN!
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06:26 Q4
Texans take first timeout
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Hill pushes forward for 5 yards - 2nd and 5 at the 8
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06:58 Q4
Flowers breaks the tackle and takes the ball up 11 yards to the Texans 13 - 1st down
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Cook tries again but Greenard is ready for it this time, taking him back a yard - 3rd down and 7
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Cook gets 4 more - 2nd and 6 at the 21
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Hill picks up 3 but then Dalvin Cook gets a chance and he takes it! He goes off for 19yards to the Texans 27 - 1st down
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Hill runs it up 14 yards for a 1st down at the Texans 48
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Edwards gets a yard - 2nd and 9
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12:20 Q4
Texans' Perryman was injured on the play
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Jackson scrambles up for 10 yards to the Ravens 36 - 1st down
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Hill pushes forward for 4 yards, but the Ravens are called for an IllegalShift for a loss of 5 yards - 2nd and 6
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Hill picks up 9 yards - 2nd and 1
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13:30 Q4
Johnston punts 48 yards to Ravens 22, downed by Boyd
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Stroud is under pressure again and he has to throw it away again - 4th down and 5, they're forced to punt
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13:50 Q4
Ravens take first timeout
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Stroud makes the pass to Schultz for 5 yards - 3rd and 5
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Stroud is under pressure by Washington and he has to throw it away despite a wide open Collins - 2nd down
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14:23 Q4
Touchback
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Jackson makes the pass 15 yards to Likely in the end zone for another Ravens touchdown and they take a two-score lead to start the final quarter with 14:23 left to play.
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RAVENS TOUCHDOWN!
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Jackson hands it off to Edwards and he picks up 4 - 2nd and 1
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END Q3
END THIRD QUARTER
And that will wind down the clock to zero.
Ravens are in the lead 17-10 at the end of the third quarter. They've got the ball on 2nd down and 5at the Texans' 19 to start the 4th.
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00:01 Q3
Neutral Zone Infraction on Texans'Greenard- 5 yards and the automatic 1st down for Ravens
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00:43 Q2
Texans' Nelson was injured on the play
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This time Hill makes the 3rd down conversion with 3 yards
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00:53 Q3
JUST KIDDING.
Officials say Hill went out of bounds short of the 1st! One foot went out of bounds and they'll call it 3rd and 2 instead
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Jackson passes left to Hill and he picks up 9 for another 1st down
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Jackson's under pressure by Harris (of course) and he throws it away - 2nd and 10
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At 4th and 1, Jackson just goes around the pile and picks up an easy 14 yards - 1st down Ravens
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Hill gets a yard here and there but it's not quite enough - 4th and 1 at the Texans 49.
The Ravens will go for it.
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Flowers makes the catch for 5 yards - 2nd and 5
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Jackson fakes the handoff and with all the time in the world he makes the DEEP pass to Bateman who drops and rolls to make the catch for 21 yards
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Edwards is on a roll on this drive. He takes it up 9, then another 5 for the 1st down at the Ravens 21
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06:26 Q3
Johnston punts 36 yards to Ravens7, downed by Ross
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Stroud's pass to Schultz is immediately stopped by Darby - the Texans are forced to punt at 4th and 13
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Stroudpass to Collins is broken up by Williams and incomplete - 3rd and long
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Stroud gets it to Hutchinson, but Stone is at his feet and he is taken down for a loss of 5 - 2nd and 15
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Stroud hands it off to Singletary and he takes off for 16 yards to the Ravens 39 - 1st down
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Stroud scrambles for 3 yards - 2nd and 7
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Pressure on Stroud by Clowney forces him to throw it away, but a Holding on Ravens'Stephens gives Texans 5 yards and automatic 1st
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Madubuike makes the tackle on Singletary - 2nd and 9
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Stroud makes the pass to Schultz and he slides into the catch for 7 yards and the 1st down
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No gain this time. Smith pushes Singletary back 3 yards - 3rd and 6
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Singletary picks up 7 - 2nd and 3
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12:04 Q2
Touchback
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Who else but Lamar Jackson himself to make the first touchdown of the second half? He took off 15 yards right down the middle and into the end zone. Tucker's PAT was good and the Ravens take back the lead at the start of the 2nd half with 12:04 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Jennifer Bubel
RAVENS TOUCHDOWN!
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Jackson makes the pass in the end zone and Pitre comes dangerously close to picking it off right there, leaping in front of Likely - incomplete, 2nd and 10
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Jackson pass CAUGHT by Bateman for 9 yards to the Texans 15 - 1st down
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Jackson runs it up 3 - 2nd and 7
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Texans' Harris was injured on the play
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Jackson made a pass to Agholor for a pickup of 9 yards and at 2nd and 1, he gets another big pickup of 19 yards on a pass to Likely -1st down at the Texans 27 already
Jennifer Bubel
15:00 Q3
We're back!
Duvernay returned the ball for 37 yards to the Ravens 45
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67-yard TD punt return by Sims!
Sims tied it up with this masterpiece
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A casual 23-yard pickup
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Agholor makes Ravens TD
Agholor gets the first TD pass of the game for the Ravens in the 2nd quarter
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Fairbairn made a 47-yarder in response
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Wind? No problem.
Justin Tucker could make a field goal in any conditions it seems.
Jennifer Bubel
HALFTIME SUMMARY
On the Texans' opening drive, the Ravens held them to 3 and out. Then they took it down just far enough for kicker Justin Tucker to make a 53-yard field goal.
The Texans responded with a 50-yard field goal of their own by Ka'mi Fairbairn.
Lamar Jackson made use of his legs with two big runs to lead to a touchdown, caught by Nelson Agholot to take the lead, 10-3.
The Texans tried to respond with a 47-yard field goal, but Fairbairn missed it.
The defense kicked into gear though and held the Ravens to 3-and-out. Then they immediately turned that opportunity into a score with a 67-yard punt return by Stephen Sims.
The Ravens had a chance to get into field goal range to end the half, but two sacks in a row on Jackson (by Blake Cashman and Desmond King) kept that from happening.
Jennifer Bubel
END Q2
END FIRST HALF
Stout's punt 55 yards to the Texans 18 was downed by Ravens and Stroud took the knee to run out the clock.
And that takes us to the end of the 1st half and we have a 10-10 game.
The Ravens will start on offense in the second half.
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00:15 Q2
Texans take final timeout
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Jackson hands it off to Hill and he picks up 12 - 4th and 20
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00:21 Q2
Texans take second timeout
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Jackson SACKED AGAIN, this time for an even bigger loss of 14 yards by King- 3rd and 32
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00:24 Q2
Ravens take first timeout
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Jackson SACKED byCashman for a loss of 9!
The Texans are trying to keep the Ravens far enough away from a field goal before the half. 2nd and 19 at the 28
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00:32 Q2
At 4th and 8, Fairbairn's 47-yard field goal is NO GOOD!
The Ravens will take over at their own 37 to end this half before taking over on offense again to start the second.
Jennifer Bubel
The Texans try to make a pass but it's no good so they'll try for a field goal...
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00:40 Q2
Texans take first timeout
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00:40 Q1
Stroud escapes pressure, tosses it to Woods and it's no good - incomplete, 3rd and 8
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Singletary chased by Stephens, taken down after 2 - 2nd and 8 at the 29
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Collins picks up 16 more to the Ravens 31 and it's another 1st down for the Texans
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On 3rd and long, Stroud connects with Collins for 29 yards!
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02:00 Q2
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
That'll take us to the two-minute warning. The Texans tied it up with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown, but now they're at 3rd and long at their own 24 with two minutes left in the first half.
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False Start on Texans' Scruggs and now it's 3rd and 13
Ravens fans making it hard to hear in this stadium
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Hutchinson is taken down after just 2 yards and it's 3rd down for the Texans
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Stroud escapes a sack but he's forced to throw it away - 2nd and 10
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03:19 Q1
Second-straight 3-and-out
Jackson's pass intended for Flowers went right off his fingertipsand could've been intercepted if not for a slippery defense, but instead it's brought them to 4th and 7.
Ravens punt it again and this time Sims calls for the fair catch after Stout's 45-yard punt.
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Jackson's under pressure again (by Harris - who else?)and he throws the ball away for an incomplete - 3rd down and 7
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Edwards gets 2, brought down by Pitre and Stingley - 2nd and 8
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04:17 Q2
Touchback
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We have a tie game with 4:17 left in the first half. The Texans aren't letting the Ravens get off easy today. The defense came out to play and they made several big stops including a sack on Jackson by Hinish. Penalties didn't help anyone and it was Texans turn to make a move. They did so literally immediately, with Sims returning Stout's 45-yard punt 67 YARDS for a TOUCHDOWN. Fairbairn's PAT was good and it's evened up.
Jennifer Bubel
TEXANS TOUCHDOWN!
SIMS brought the punt return back 67 yards into the end zone!
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Catch me if you can! Jackson escapes twodefenders but he's eventually taken down by Harris for no gain and they have to punt
Jennifer Bubel
Oooofff.. this time it was a False Start on the Ravens - everybody but the center. And the Ravens are BACK at 3rd and 11 once again.
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Encroachment on Texans' King - 5-yard penalty puts Ravens at 3rd and 6. That helps!
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Jackson hands it off to Hill and he escapes pressure for a pickup of 6 but there's still a ways to go - 3rd and 11
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Jackson SACKED byHinish for a loss of 7 yards - 2nd and 17
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07:21 Q2
Johnston punts 45 yards to Ravens22 and Duvernay calls for the fair catch
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Van Noy stops them again! Singletary taken down for no gain and it's 4th and 1 at the Texans 33 and Houston is forced to punt.
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Singletary takes it again and Washington makes the stop just before the 1st down - 3rd and 1
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Singletary picks up 7 yards - 2nd and 3
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09:10 Q2
Tucker kicks 63 yards from the Ravens35 to the Texans 2 and Sims takes it up 22 yards to the Texans 24
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The Ravens are back on top. Jackson led them down the field on a 23-yard run and then a 15-yard run.
His pass to Agholor was good for a 3-yard touchdown to take the lead with 9:14 to go in the first half.
Jennifer Bubel
RAVENS TOUCHDOWN!
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Anderson had something to say about that, pushing Edwards back a yard to the 3 - 2nd and goal
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Jackson does what he does best - scrambles UP the middle ALL the way to the Texans 2, 15 yards - 1st and goal
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Jackson hands it off to Hill but he gets nowhere - 3rd and 5
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Jackson's pass toKolar is caught but he's hit by Houston-Carson at the 18 - 2nd and 5
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This time, Edwards gets across for not just 1, but 6 yards - 1st down
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It's Edwards again and he's taken down immediately by Collins for no gain - 3rd and 1
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Edwards takes it up 9 yards, falls just short of the down - 2nd and 1at the Texans 28
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Jackson's pass to Flowers CAUGHT for 17 yards and another 1st down
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Jackson's pass to Edwards is caught but he's pushed back by King for a loss of a yard - 2nd and 11
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END Q1
END FIRST QUARTER
And that takes us to the end of the first quarter as the clock ran out after Jackson's slide.
The Ravens and Texans are tied up 3-3 and Ravens have the ball on their own 47 after Jackson made a 23-yard scramble.
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Jackson is going, going, GONE for 23 yards through the middleto the 47!
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00:28 Q1
Fairbairn kicks 57 yards from the Texans 35 to the Ravens 8 and Duvernay takes it up 16 yardsto the Ravens 24
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The Texans have to work on these penalties as they've now racked up six and they're having an effect.
They were able to tieup the game with 28 seconds left in the first quarter on a 50-yard field goal byKa'imi Fairbairn.
Jennifer Bubel
TEXANS FIELD GOAL!
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Stroud able to make the pass to Collins but he's not able to catch it. They'll try for the field goal from 50 yards out.
Jennifer Bubel
Delay of Game on Texans, 5 yards - Now they're at 3rd and 13
These Ravens fans ARE LOUD
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Singlertary gets the handoff and picks up a few yards, and then Stroud's next pass intended for Jordan was tipped and VERY NEARLY intercepted by Hamilton. They dodged a bullet there. 3rd and 8.
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Schultz made up for that last drop this time, making a 21-yard catchto the Ravens 29from Stroud - 1st down
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Texans called for ANOTHER False Start, this time on Fant - back another 5, 1st and 15
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Collins takes the ball up just enough for the 1st down and the Texans are moving the chains
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Stroud under pressure and he actually gets away to make a great pass to Schultz but he couldn't complete the pass as it bounced off his hands. Texans at 3rd and 10
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Clowney takes Singletary down before he can move anywhere - no gain, 2nd down
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03:22 Q1
During the kick, Texans' Boyd was called for Holding - the 10-yard penalty will be enforced at the 48
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Hill picked up 2, and then Jackson's pass to Flowers was incomplete, and a Holding call on Simpson just sealed the deal. Ravens punt on 4th and 2.
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Jackson hands it off to Edwards and he picks up 4
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Another false start from the Texans! They're rattled - that's three penalties on the drive, which falls to pieces at 4th and 21, so it's punt time and get the Ravens starting from near their own goal line.
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False Start on Texans'Tunsil, 5 -yard penalty - 1st and 15
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Under pressure, Stroud floats it down toSingletary for a big, 26-yard gain - 1st down at the Ravens 36
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Hamilton takes down Collins after just 3 yards and it's 3rd and 8 for the Texans
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On the next play, Singletary gets NOWHERE, taken down byMadubuike and Washingron - 2nd down
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Singletary takes it up 11 yards for a 1st down
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08:36 Q1
Touchback
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Justin Tucker as good as always, makes the 53-yard field goal to put the Ravens in the lead to start out the game. There's still a long way to go with 8:36 left in the first quarter but the Ravens are off to a great start.
Jennifer Bubel
RAVENS FIELD GOAL!
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Jackson pass to Bateman is caught but he's only good for 9 yards - 4th and 3 and the Ravens will try for a field goal instead
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Jackson under pressure by Harris again, throws it away and now the Ravens are at 3rd and long
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Jackson tried to scramble again but this time he was pushed BACK 2 yards by Harris - 2nd and 12
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Jackson makes a perfect low pass to OBJ and he picks up anoother 13 yards and another 1st
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Hill didn't get much gain on the first try so Jackson scrambled up for 9 more yards and get the 1st down on the next and the Ravens are at the 47.
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Flowers LEAPS up to take the pass from Jackson to make the catch for 8 yards and the 1st down
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Jackson runs it up 4 yards to start - 2nd and 6
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13:31 Q1
Johnston punts 54 yards to Ravens 14 and Duvernay to returns it 11 yards to the25.
And here comes Lamar Jackson.
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Stroud took it upon himself on 3rd down and he scrambled up but was only able to get 7 yards and the Texans go 3 and out on their first drive.
Texans forced to punt.
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Stroud goes for the pass and it is KNOCKED away by Collins and we're at 3rd down and 10
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Stroud starts the game with a handoff to Singletary but he gets NOWHERE, swallowed up by Clowney
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Justin Tucker starts the kickoff - Touchback
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Ohhh it's windy! The wind has knocked the ball off the T! We've reset and now we're off.
Jennifer Bubel
15:00 Q1
It's game time, baby.
And it's GAME TIME. Let's go!!
Texans won the toss and have elected to receive.
GAME ON!
Jennifer Bubel
Why is C.J. Stroud’s dad in prison? How long was he sentenced for and what did he do?
Did you know that Stroud is also a huge advocate for prison reform? Here's thestory of why the matter is so close to home for him.
Jennifer Bubel
Will Anderson Jr. - the Texans' defensive weapon
There's all this talk about Stroud's crazy-good rookie season, but let's not forget about the Texans' next draft pick after him - Will Anderson Jr.
There's a case for Anderson to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He set a franchise record for sacks by a rooke (seven) and tied a record for most quarterback hits (22). He also led the team in pressures (64). He finished third in pass block win rate (25.8%) just behind Dallas Cowboys' star defender Micah Parsons and Browns' Myles Garrett.
The Texans' 2023 rookie class is honestly outstanding and a big reason they have gone as far as they have this year.
Jennifer Bubel
Even if the Ravens win...
My guess is the Texans won't makeit easy.
Jennifer Bubel
Ravens HIGHLY favored in this game
For many, it's going to be an obvious Ravens win today over the Texans. Although the Texans had a good run and shocked the league by making it as far as they did, most are expecting it to end today with the Ravens coming away with the victory and here's why.
The veterans
The Lamar Jackson of today is quite different than the one who went to the 2019 playoffs and lost immediately. Not only is he an experienced player, but they can also count on veterans like Jadaveon Clowney, Odell Beckham Jr., Kyle Van Noy, and Roquan Smith,
Jackson has something to prove
Jackson is getting older and as incredible a player as he is, he's yet to get that Super Bowl ring. He's been waiting three years for this and it's' sure to be a motivating factor in today's game.
Their defense
For as impressive a rookie season as Stroud has had, the Ravens defense has an answer for it all. They ranked first in completion percentage, pass yards per attempt, pass touchdown-to-interception ration, AND passer ratingallowed on deep passes. And they'll be at home, which makes a big difference.
Jennifer Bubel
Oh yeah, you can hear the wind here at M&T Bank Stadium!
Jennifer Bubel
INACTIVES for Ravens vs Texans Divisional Round
Ravens INACTIVES
QB Malik Cunningham
WR Tylan Wallace
CB Marlon Humphrey
LB Del'Shawn Phillips
C Sam Mustipher
G Sala Aumavae-Laulu
QB Josh Johnson
Texans INACTIVES
QB Case Keenum
DE Jerry Hughes
G Nick Broeker
TE Eric Saubert
DT Teair Tart
Jennifer Bubel
Let's not underestimate the Texans defense either...
That 25-9 scorein their Week 1 matchup may make it look like the Ravens defense did all the work and the Texans just laid down, but not so.
In fact, the Texans defense put up a pretty impressive performance themselves that day, holding the Ravens to their lowest offensive output all season and putting up four sacks on Lamar Jackson.
With two elite quarterbacks facing each other on the offensive side, it may well come down to which defense does a better job at stopping them in their respective dominant games.
Jennifer Bubel
The logo prediction: Ravens to win Super Bowl LVIII
Have you heard of the Super Bowl"logo prediction"? Do you believe in it?
Read on if you're not familiar! Coincidence or fate? Hmmm...let's see on February 11.
Jennifer Bubel
That Ravens D
Remember when I mentioned that the Ravens defense held the Texans out of the end zone in Week 1? And Stroud to just 242 yards and five sacks?
Yes. Well. They only got better from there this season, becoming the first team to lead the league in: points allowed (16.5), sacks (60), and takeaways (31).
Stroud may have an impressive touchdown-to-interception ratio (23-5, the best in the league), but the Ravens defense held him off once, and it looks like they could do it again today with a Super Bowl on their minds.
Jennifer Bubel
Brrrrrrr
It's COLD today in Baltimore!
With strong winds up to 11-17 mph and cold temps, this game could actually be impacted by the weather today as it's just going to keep getting colder.
Jennifer Bubel
Ravens lead all-time series
The Ravens have won maaaany more times in this matchup with an 11-2 overall record against the Texans. In the postseason, they're 1-0 over the Texans.
That's since 2012, when the Ravens beat Houston 20-13 at hometo move on to the AFC Championship Game and eventually become Super Bowl winners.
In seven games, the Ravens have never lost to the Texans at home. Their most recent matchup was Week 1 of this season, when the Ravens beat the Texans 25-9.In that game, the Texans were unable to score a single touchdown, with the Ravens defense holding C.J. Stroud to just 242 yards and sacking him five times.
Jennifer Bubel
Let's talk about C.J. Stroud
The Texans quarterback made history last week by becoming the youngest QB to win a playoff game in their 45-14 victory over the Browns. He threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns.
The passing game is just where Stroud thrives, finishing 15 games of theregular season with 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions.
He's certainly been impressive in his rookie campaign, but will it be enough to get past the dominant Ravens defense and take it one more step tonight?
Jennifer Bubel
What does it mean to have home-field advantage?
The Ravens get home-field advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs, but that's really just two games (if they win today) since they got the bye week last week.
And they took advantage of that week off from a game by practicing in their home stadium, where they did not trailby more than seven points until the final week of the season, when they'd already locked the No. 1 seed and rested their starters. Injuries have been recovered from, players are very well-rested. The Ravens are ready to dominate at home.
Jennifer Bubel
The Harbaugh brothers in Baltimore
Jim Harbaugh coached the Michigan Wolverines to a national championship and his brother John was there to witness it.
Now, Jim is in Baltimore hoping to watch his brother lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship game on the way to a Super Bowl run.
Brotherly love at its finest!
Jennifer Bubel
Jackson vs Stroud: How do they compare?
Lamar Jackson's the NFL MVP top candidate and has experience in the postseason on his side.
C.J. Stroud's the top Rookie of the Year candidate and has surprised everyone in the league with stats comparable to Lamar's.
How do they look heading into the AFC Divisional Round?It may be a closer comparison than you expect.
Jennifer Bubel
Texans and Ravens - how did they get here?
Ravens so far
Well, the Ravens ended the regular season with a 13-4 record and won the top seed in the AFC with the NFL's top MVP candidate Lamar Jackson leading the offense. They were rewardedthe bye week last week and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Texans so far
The Texans had one of their best seasons yet with Rookie of the Year candidate C.J. Stroud at quarterback, finishing the regular season at 10-7, winning the AFC South and home-field advantage in the Wild Card Round, and then obliterating the Cleveland Browns in that round.
What's at stake?
Now, the Ravens host the Texans to see who will move on to the AFC Championship Game next week.
If the Texans manage to beat the Ravens, it would be the first time they made it that far in the playoffs in team history.
If the Ravens win, it willbe the first time they've made it that far since they won the Super Bowl in 2012 andwould host the winner of the Bills vs Chiefs game.
Jennifer Bubel
Welcome!
Good afternoon, NFL fans and a warm welcome to our LIVE coverage of today's AFC Divisional Round match between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans!
Today's exciting game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. It's Jen here today to bring you all the buildup to the game, stats, scores, highlights and commentary throughout the game, and all the fallout from the results.
Let's go.
as.com
