Baltimore Ravens (1) – Houston Texans (4): 34-10
End of the great story for the Texans. The young prodigy CJ Stroud could do nothing against a stratospheric Ravens defense which only conceded three small points. Having difficulty in the first period, Lamar Jackson played his football after returning from the locker room. The 2019 (and 2023?) MVP finishes with 4 touchdowns.
Key moment: Ka'imi Fairbairn's missed field goal
Eye-catching in the first period, the Texans follow the Ravens on the scoreboard as best they can. 10-10 four minutes from half-time thanks to a lightning strike from Steven Sims (see below), and the Texan defense manages to make Baltimore punted once again.
The locals are doubtful, this is the ideal time to change the momentum. CJ Stroud works and manages to advance his attack to field goal distance 37 seconds from halftime. If Ka'imi Fairbairn succeeds, the Texans take the lead for the first time in the game and plunge Baltimore into doubt. But the 50 yard kick goes to the right of the posts and the score remains the same. The following ? Baltimore's defense will not concede any points in the second half.
Film of the match
-5°C and packed stands: the atmosphere is electric at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. On the field, every yard is contested and contact is violent. After forcing a 3&out, the Ravens draw on their first possession.
Lamar Jackson (16/22, 152 yards, 2 touchdowns, 11 races, 100 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns) breaks the ball down and hits Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr then Rashod Bateman in quick succession. Of his 16 completed passes, Jackson will hit 8 different receivers in the game. Despite the strong wind, Justin Tucker (2/2 in FG, 4/4 in extra-points) scored the first three points on a 53-yard field goal.
The Texans cannot find any rhythm, harassed by Baltimore's ultra-aggressive defense. Not helped by a non-existent ground game (Devin Singletary best runner at 22 yards), CJ Stroud (19/33, 175 yards) runs for his life and stalls again: second consecutive punt.
The third possession is the good one for the Texans. Thanks to a missed punt, Houston begins its drive 5 yards from the center line. Eight actions and 23 short yards later, Ka'imi Fairbairn won the first three (and only!) points for the Texan attack.
Opposite, the Ravens are not sparkling, in attack at least, but Lamar Jackson presses the accelerator pedal. Thanks to a beautiful 15-yard run reminiscent of the Lamar vintage MVP 2019, Jackson ideally places his attack 3 yards from the in-goal. Nelson Agholor (2 receptions, 12 yards, 1 touchdown) concludes and gives Lamar Jackson the first of his four touchdowns.
History repeats itself for the Texans offense: 3 short plays, Stroud under pressure and a punt. But the defense responds and forces a quick punt. Punt returned for a touchdown in a flash by Steven Sims, usually a member of the Houston practice squad.
RUN IT BACK SIMS! pic.twitter.com/CKWU4A2qrO
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 20, 2024
The end of the first period is conducive to regrets for Houston, particularly because of this missed field goal (see Key Moment).
Returning from the locker room, Baltimore folded the match by scoring two touchdowns in their first two possessions. Those of the Texans cover an unfortunate 37 yards. Better yet, the Ravens also have control of the clock. The second possession is endless: 12 plays, more than 7 minutes of possession. Result: the Texans are trailing by 14 points, have only had the ball once and the fourth quarter has already started. The match is over.
Baltimore scores 10 new anecdotal points in a last quarter that looked like garbage time. 34-10 when the clock reaches 00:00.
MVP: Mike Macdonald (defensive coordinator, Ravens)
Faced with an attack that had blown up the Browns' rough defense in Wild Cards, Baltimore's defensive coordinator found the key. As against the 49ers in the regular season, from which the Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik (a child of the Shanahan tree) comes, the Ravens defense was able to read the opposing attack like an open free, without being destabilized by the multiple pre-snap motions.
The flop: The discipline of the Texans
Guilty of 11 penalties, the Texans were perhaps destabilized by the stakes (or by the decibels of the purple supporters). Faced with a team like the Ravens and a magician like Lamar Jackson, it's impossible to leave so many opportunities on the sidelines by extending opposing drives.
The stat: 38 minutes of possession for Baltimore
A sign of Baltimore's control over the match, the Ravens' 37 minutes and 35 seconds of possession were the result of the efficiency of the ground game (5.5 yards per carry) and the ferocity of a defense which did not will have allowed only 10 first downs to his opponent. Insane.
And now ?
On the Baltimore side, it's finally back in the conference final, 11 years after the last one (28-13 victory against the Patriots). That year, the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Thanks to their AFC-leading final ranking, Baltimore will host this conference final for the first time, regardless of the Bills-Chiefs result.
On the Houston side, qualifying for the play-offs was unexpected for a team with 3 wins last season. Passing a lap was even more so. Now, the squad still needs to be expanded to get closer to the Lombardi Trophy. Another thorn in the side: offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik could pack his bags after his first season, courted by several franchises for a head coaching position.
