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Texans battle Ravens on Monday Night Football
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 11/23/2017  at  8:31:00 PM
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HOUSTON TEXANS (4-6)
at BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-5)

M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, MD
Kickoff: Monday, 8:25 p.m. ET
Line: Baltimore -7.0, Total: 38.0

The Texans and Ravens will both be trying to improve their chances of making it to the postseason when the teams face one another in Baltimore on Monday.

At 4-6, the Texans really wouldn’t have been in good shape in the playoff race in any year other than this one. Fortunately for them, the AFC has been really bad this season and they are still very much alive in this thing. Houston does, however, need to win on Monday, as the team is facing a Baltimore group that also is doing everything it can to be relevant when the postseason begins. The Ravens are 5-5 at this point, which is actually good for a playoff spot at the moment. A win on Monday would be huge for them, though. The team can hurt the Texans’ chances of making it to the playoffs, and they can also move even closer to the five-seed with a victory. Look for them to come out with some serious energy in front of their crowd here. Baltimore also happens to have been the better team in this head-to-head series over the year, as the Ravens are 7-2 SU and 5-4 ATS against the Texans since they entered the league. One trend that favors Houston in this game is the fact that Baltimore is 1-8 ATS after allowing 75 or fewer rushing yards in three straight games under head coach John Harbaugh. The Texans, however, are also a miserable 3-12 ATS after outrushing opponents by 75 or more yards in their previous game under coach Bill O’Brien.

The Texans are coming off of a much-needed victory over the Cardinals, and the hope is that QB Tom Savage is now feeling pretty comfortable under center. Savage is only starting because star rookie Deshaun Watson suffered a torn ACL a few weeks back, but he did throw for 230 yards with two touchdowns and only one pick against the Cardinals last week. That is exactly the type of game that Houston needs from Savage in order to compete the rest of the way. He doesn’t need to do too much, but he needs to give WR DeAndre Hopkins a chance to make plays. He did that last week, as Hopkins caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Hopkins has now either scored or topped 100 yards receiving in all but two of his 10 games this year. He should continue to be a presence, and the team needs him to come through against Baltimore here. It would also help if RB Lamar Miller can get it going in this one. He has been solid all season, but the Texans would love an explosion from him on Monday. Defensively, the team just needs to focus on stopping the run here. The Ravens are not going to pick them apart through the air, but Alex Collins and Danny Woodhead are both dangerous enough to make big plays.

The Ravens are hoping to find a way to make it to the postseason, which says a lot in a year where their team isn’t necessarily strong. QB Joe Flacco has had a down year, throwing for just nine touchdowns with an alarming 11 interceptions. He does, however, somehow find a way to keep his team in games. Baltimore will need him to do just that on Monday, but don’t be surprised if he actually shows out in this one. He really played well in his most recent national television game, going 10-for-15 for 101 yards, one touchdown and no picks before getting injured against the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. He likes when the attention is on him and should be amped up for this game. It should help Flacco that both RBs Alex Collins and Danny Woodhead are here to provide a spark. Collins is a traditional rusher, but he has the explosiveness to make a big play at any moment. Woodhead, however, is an elite pass-catching back and should be a target-monster moving forward. As for the defense, slowing down Hopkins has to be the main concern here. It won’t be easy, but the Ravens should send help his way.


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