Why Baltimore Ravens will dominate Houston Texans in the NFL AFC Divisional Finals
Baltimore Ravens are favourites against Houston Texans in the first playoff game, after their first-round bye last week, to be played in Baltimore on Sunday, January 15, 2012.
It is not just their stature in the National Football League (NFL), the premier American professional football league, but their performance in the regular season of the NFL that makes them favourites for the win this weekend.
More than their performances, their luck seems in their favour this season and raising their hopes for making it to Super Bowl event this season.
Having gone down in their chances for a playoff berth a couple of times earlier in the regular season, they were lucky enough to have the NFL points table position turned into their favour, mainly courtesy of unexpected losses by their American Football
Conference (AFC) north rivals such as the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Many times a special help had come from their coach, John Harbaugh’s, brother side, the San Francisco 49ers, that salvage their position on the league table.
His brother, Jim Harbaugh, is the head coach at the 49ers and his side’s win over the Steelers into the second last week (Week 15) had helped the Ravens tie the score with the Steelers atop AFC north.
The then went on to take the tiebreaker advantage for having beaten the Steelers twice in the regular season, and at the end claim the AFC north title.
However, it is not just luck that matters for them in the next game. It is their performance that will prove them superior over the Texans.
The Texans are rather rookies in the playoff. It is their first-ever playoff season, and having beaten the Cincinnati Bengals, they are first time against a real force, the Ravens, who is coming out of the regular season with the score of 12-4 on the league.
The Ravens have finished the regular season among top five league teams. This was the reason that they claimed a bye in the first round of the postseason.
They have made it to playoff for last four years, consecutively, and have a plenty of experience on hand before going into the weekend’s game.
A majority of the players on their line-up have played into the playoff seasons before, irrespective to the fact that they could not manage to go past in the past.
This playoff is also different to their past attempts given that the situation is in their favour before going into the second round.
Courtesy of their performance in the regular season, the team has managed to avail a bye in the first round.
Further, they have a home game in the second round. The Ravens maintain a hundred per cent record in their home games wins, and they are expected to ride on the advantage and record their ninth wins straight. They have won all of their eight home games in
the regular season.
In addition, the team’s offense ranks among the bests on the league. Ray Rice has already set a record in rushing for the Ravens. He put up 1364 yards in total, which is a record on the league.
The Ravens also have an edge in playing well in more challenging and competitive game environment. They have twice beaten the sides as good as the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season.
Moreover, their opponents, the Texans, are hit by the injuries problems. They are without their regular quarterbacks, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart, out with their respective injuries.
They also have fitness issues with their wide receiver, Andre Johnson, who missed nine games in the regular season due to a hamstring injury. He is not hundred per cent. They are going into the weekend game with the fifth pick rookie, T.J. Yates.
With a number of problems of their own, the Texans stand no chance beating the Ravens. To do so they will have to play beyond their potential. Odds are in favour of the Ravens, otherwise.
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