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Geoff Schwartz
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
Saturday’s divisional-round games did not disappoint, but ultimately, both No. 1 seeds took care of business.
Here are my notes on all four teams who played Saturday: The Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers.
What pressure?
Lamar Jackson had played in four postseason games before tonight. In none of them did he or his offense play like they did in the regular season. While a small sample size, I have to imagine when the Ravens went into the locker room against the Texans tied at 10, they had some concerns about old demons reappearing. All the pressure was on the Ravens to start the second half.
With that backdrop, the Ravens dominated the second half against the Texans. They scored on all four second-half possessions; three touchdowns in a row followed by a late field goal. Jackson rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another two on the day. Jackson was lethal with his legs as he scrambled, scooted and dashed to 100 yards on the ground.
The Ravens defense was fantastic on Saturday afternoon. They did not allow a touchdown and made quarterback C.J. Stroud uncomfortable all day as they forced the Texans into repeated third-and-long situations. The Texans rushed for a total of 38 yards, which allowed the Ravens defense to heat up Stroud in obvious passing situations. By the final whistle, this was an all-around butt-kicking by the Ravens. That is how Super Bowl teams make a statement.
Learning experience
Not all losses are the same. The Dallas Cowboys’ blowout loss last weekend against the Packers is not the same as the Houston Texans’ defeat at the Ravens’ hands on Saturday. The Texans were not in the same weight class as Baltimore and that’s ok. Saturday afternoon should help the Texans understand what more is needed on their roster to beat a top contender in the AFC.
The Texans have the quarterback. Now it’s time to use their cap…
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Publish date : 2024-01-21 05:27:57
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