The Ravens vs Texans Divisional Round game is a rematch from the first week of the current season.
The Baltimore Ravens earned a bye for the playoffs, and they will face a team with nothing to lose in this round.
Their first match-up ended with a 25-9 victory in favor of the Ravens. They were dominant in that game.
However, it is not wrong to say that the squad they met in the first week differs from the Texans they will meet on Sunday.
The game elevates in the playoffs, and in the NFL, there are times that talent gets edged by heart.
The Ravens are the favorites against the Texans by -9.5. That is quite high, but then again, the Texans were the underdogs against Cleveland. Coach DeMeco Ryans will be underdogs the rest of the way.
Still, Baltimore can't sit on their laurels and must be more mindful of these areas of the game to ensure a victory and reach the AFC Championship.
1. Texans' secondary
Texans' defensive coordinator Matt Burke has put up a defensive scheme in the secondary to limit the options for strong-arm quarterbacks, as shown in their game against the Cleveland Browns.
Read more: 49ers vs. Packers Divisional Round Odds, Spread, Betting Lines, Pick and Preview for NFL Playoffs
The secondary frustrated Joe Flacco tremendously, and the Ravens should learn something about this part of the game from their opponents.
The endzone is when the Texans will put up a significant fight.
Lamar Jackson, who might be the MVP this season, should watch out for the visitors' Derek Stingley Jr., who can shut down an opponent's receiver.
Against the Browns, he limited Amari Cooper to under 60 yards total.
2. CJ Stroud
This is too obvious, and the Ravens probably have something prepared against the super rookie.
He was 16 of 21 for 274 yards and threw three touchdown passes with zero interceptions.
The Ravens should not look back to Week 1, where they limited the 22-year-old rookie and had him sacked five times. They held him to 28 of 44 attempts for 242 yards with zero TDs, zero INTs, and a 78.0 passer rating.
He has more options in the upcoming Divisional Round game as Devin Singletary is set to play after missing Week 1.
Linebacker Roquan Smith is confident about the development they experienced from the first week. "I think they're definitely improved, but so are we when you look at it," he said.
"The offense is definitely clicking, but we wouldn't want it any other way. We're prepared for it, and we're ready to go to war regardless of who it's against, and they're the team that's coming in here. Business is business handled."
3. Nico Collins
Collins is making Stroud's job easy. With 593 receiving yards, the wide receiver owns 40% of his team's 1,304 pass yards since November.
Since Week 13, he averaged 16.02 burn yards per target, the first among the 35 receivers who were targeted at least 35 times.
He showed he could wreck high-level defense against the Browns in the wildcard round by making six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
Related article: NFL Divisional Round Ravens Vs. Texans - Balitmore Hopes to Shroud Stroud
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