Official Texans @ Ravens Game Thread, 11/17/2019

[Arky]

(No internet for Arky for 2 days. Thanks, AT&T.)

The 6-3 Texans travel to Baltimore to play the 7-2 Ravens in an early game Sunday. Talk about hype, this should be a good'un. The Texans are coming off their bye week and should be healthy and rested. The Ravens are coming off drubbing the Bengals 49-13 on the road. This a matchup of two division leaders and is receiving quite a bit of air time.

These two might meet in the playoffs so this game could be an indicator of what to expect in the post-season. The strategies will be something to take note of. I originally had figured the Texans would lose by a FG and thus cover the 4 pt. spread. But Walterfootball (http://walterfootball.com/nflpicks2019_11early.php) had such a glowing preview (for the Texans) of the game that I decided to tail him and go with the Texans to win it outright. He has the Texans as his November Pick of the Month....

Texans 31, Ravens 28

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), Sunday, noon CST, 11/17/2019

Announcers (https://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2019&wk=11) = Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

The line (http://www.madduxsports.com/nfl-odds.php) = Ravens by 4 to 4½

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) = New England @ Philadelphia, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX (late) = Arizona @ San Francisco, Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

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Prime time:

TNF = Pittsburgh @ Cleveland (FOX/NFLN)

SNF = Chicago @ LA Rams (NBC)

MNF = Kansas City vs LA Chargers (in Mexico City) (ESPN)

[Arky]

Gametime!

Texans receive the opening kickoff.

Oy, Texans move into Ravens territory but Watson does too much dancing and fumbles, Ravens recover at the Texan 41.

12:22 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Defense holds and the Ravens miss the 43-yard FG.

10:02 left in the 1st qtr.

No score.

[barrett]

If this PI isn’t called on the challenge then the rule should be eliminated. Hopkins got spun before the ball arrived.

[Arky]

A jersey pull, hitting the receiver before the ball arrives.. How can that not be interference?

Deep ball to Hop in the endzone is under review.....

[Arky]

Play stands as called.

Ravens takeover on downs.

[Arky]

Texan defense holds again and the Ravens will attempt a 55-yard FG.

Fake! Didn't work!

Texan's ball at their 39, good field position.

2:12 left in the 1st qtr.

[barrett]

Play stands as called.

Ravens takeover on downs.

Get rid of the rule. Missing that in real time is poor. Staring at that on replay and refusing to admit your mistake is malfeasance.

[Arky]

Ravens face 2nd and 10 backed up at their 10 yard line as the 1st qtr. ends.

No score.

[chuck]

NFL officials have obviously decided that they don't like having that play challengeable, and so they will literally never overturn the call made on the field no matter how egregious the foul turns out to have been.

They are doing what they can to turn the NFL into the NBA, a totally unwatchable shitshow.

[Arky]

Jackson hits Roberts in the end zone for the 15-yard TD. Ravens take the lead.

Ravens 7, Texans 0

9:17 left in the half.

[Arky]

Jackson hits Andrews in the end zone for an 18-yard TD pass.

Ravens 14, Texans 0

2:14 left in the half.

[Arky]

Texans face 2nd and 4 at their 31 at the 2 minute mark of the half.

Dang, where are the rollouts? Watson the pocket passer ain't getting it done....

[Arky]

Texans attempting the 43-yard FG with just a few seconds left in the half.

Fairbairn is no good.

Ravens 14, Texans 0

Halftime.

[chuck]

I don't really mind that the secondary is not good. They're doing what they can to address that. Maybe they'll get better, who knows.

But it drives me crazy how Baltimore is absolutely abusing the Texans at the LOS. I understand that Baltimore is a legitimate Super Bowl team and the Texans aren't, but it is just irresponsible to effectively cede the LOS.

Also, I cannot understand why they stubbornly keep Fairbairn on the team. Yes, I watch a lot of football and am well aware that lots of kickers have lots of problems. But accountability has to exist somewhere. Of course, BOB still has a job, TWO jobs, really, so accountability is apparently not real central to the Texans' management strategy.

[Arky]

Saints 20, Bucs 7

Broncos 17, Vikes 0

Colts 10, Jags 7

Falcons 20, Panthers 0

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Totals yards = Texans 102, Ravens 193

1st downs = Texans 9, Ravens 12

3rd down efficiency, Texans 1/6, Ravens 2/4

Red zone = Texans 0/0, Ravens 2/2

Time of possession = Texans 13:41, Ravens 16:19

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Texans took too long to adjust to the relentless pass rush.

Texan defense with just about zero pass rush.

An egregious ref mistake, too many errors, dropped balls, Watson trying to do too much and OB being OB.....

[HPF Bob]

Why is CareBare still in the league? He can't even hit extra points.

[Arky]

Dump off to Ingram goes for 25 yards and the TD.

Ravens 21, Texans 0

11:33 left in the 3rd qtr.

[chuck]

And another thing, while I'm thinking about it. In the first half the team was faced with a third down situation, clock winding down, they call time out. Fine. They come out of the time out and immediately get tagged with an illegal formation penalty.

I don't know what else you need to know about the leadership of this team.

[Arky]

Tucker is good from 34.

Ravens 24, Texans 0

6:52 left in the 3rd qtr.

[Arky]

Tucker is good from 46.

Ravens 27, Texans 0

1:30 left in the 3rd qtr.

[HPF Bob]

Texans in playoff form today.

[Arky]

Short pass to Ingram goes for a 12-yard TD.

Ravens 34, Texans 0

9:50 left in the game.

Texans playing terrible and the Ravens looking like the best team in the AFC......

[Arky]

Texans in playoff form today.

There goes the ol' keep-it-close-Watson dealie....

[Arky]

The Raven defense looks like a school of piranhas.... 3 or 4 guys making the play on the guy with the ball at the same time....

[Arky]

Mr. Hyde busts one. 41 yards for the TD.

Ravens 34, Texans 7

7:10 left in the game.

[Arky]

Edwards answers with a 63-yard TD run for the Ravens.

Ravens 41, Texans 7

4:01 left in the game.

[chuck]

This is the sort of total undressing that, in an organization with any measure of self-respect, would result in significant changes.

Right now I think the best case scenario is a total meltdown to end the season and a total house cleaning.

[Arky]

McCarron in at QB for the Texans.

Texans don't gain much and fail on 4th down.

Ravens takeover on downs at the Texan 24.

2 minute warning.

Ravens kneeling it.

Final score:

Ravens 41, Texans 7

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I think the only thing that can make this ass-whooping right is to beat both the Colts and the Pats. If they can't do that, then this ain't the year, this ain't the team....

NFL history has many instances of a team getting blown out at some point during the season only to do go on to good things in the post-season. For the Texans, this is their moment - they either go one way or the other.....

[chuck]

There is zero chance the Texans go to Indy and beat the Colts, and there is less than zero chance that they go to Foxboro and beat the Pats.

[HPF Bob]

There is zero chance the Texans go to Indy and beat the Colts, and there is less than zero chance that they go to Foxboro and beat the Pats.

Fortunately, both games are in Houston.

What's depressing is this is how the Texans played ...off their BYE week. That means they had two weeks to prepare for the Ravens and laid this sort of egg.

The Colts game is a Thursday nighter. Brisket is back. We are 0-3 or 0-4 against Brisket in his career.

Is Mercilus out? If there's no Watt, no Clowney and no Mercilus, there's not going to be a pass rush - period.

[barrett]

Every problem this team has showed up today. Worst of O’Brien as a play caller. Worst OL. Worst Watson. Defense folded when it was clear they weren’t getting help. Embarrassing. Hopefully we get some talent at the top of next years draft class to fix things.

[barrett]

Fortunately, both games are in Houston.

What's depressing is this is how the Texans played ...off their BYE week. That means they had two weeks to prepare for the Ravens and laid this sort of egg.

The Colts game is a Thursday nighter. Brisket is back. We are 0-3 or 0-4 against Brisket in his career.

Is Mercilus out? If there's no Watt, no Clowney and no Mercilus, there's not going to be a pass rush - period.

Today Watson went back to trying to wait out the first 5 seconds to make a play off schedule. You don’t need a bye week for that. That’s backyard football that sometimes succeeds in spite of the team.

[barrett]

NFL officials have obviously decided that they don't like having that play challengeable, and so they will literally never overturn the call made on the field no matter how egregious the foul turns out to have been.

They are doing what they can to turn the NFL into the NBA, a totally unwatchable shitshow.

Only NFL refs could screw up a call so bad that they single-handedly decided who went to the Super Bowl, so bad that the league had a change of rule, and the refs response is to ignore that rule because it implies they screw up calls.

[chuck]

And yet the league today stopped what it was doing and overturned a non-call specifically so they could hang a penalty on Richard Sherman.

[HPF Bob]

Hopefully we get some talent at the top of next years draft class to fix things.

With what? All our draft picks belong to the Dolphins and the Raiders.

[HPF Bob]

Here's some positive news. Marlon Mack broke his hand today and is ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Texans. Of course, Brisket will still kill us with Hilton and the TEs.

[nunusguy]

Every problem this team has showed up today. Worst of O’Brien as a play caller. Worst OL. Worst Watson. Defense folded when it was clear they weren’t getting help. Embarrassing. Hopefully we get some talent at the top of next years draft class to fix things.

Top of next years Draft. You are joking right because you know we don't have a first round pick until 2022.
A bye, two weeks to get his team ready and this is all O'Brien got to show up with after two weeks of preparation.

[chuck]

barrett's subtle sense of humor is largely wasted on this crowd.

[Arky]

Early line (http://www.madduxsports.com/nfl-odds.php) vs. Colts on TNF is showing the Texans opened as 6 pt favorites and is now down to Texans by 3½.

Public = "We don't love you anymore, Texans".