The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 in the AFC Divisional Round to demonstrate why they should have home-field advantage throughout the NFL playoffs, after missing out on hosting a home playoff game since 2019.
After shocking the entire AFC by defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars in the South division in DeMeco Ryan’s first season as head coach and with rookie quarterback CJ Stroud selected in the first round, the Texans entered Baltimore on a roll. Naturally, they had to overcome the Cleveland Browns en route to the Ravens, and they did it with ease. But the young Houston team was simply too strong for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Baltimore will now host its first AFC Championship Game since January 1971 after defeating the Texans. Next came Johnny Unitas and the 1970 Baltimore Colts, who would go on to win Super Bowl V. Will the Ravens of 2023 be in the same situation?
The Ravens were undoubtedly among the greatest teams in the NFL, but until they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 33-19 on the road, nobody really thought they could top the league. That was further confirmed the week following when they defeated the Miami Dolphins 56-19 at home. But the Ravens’ victory over the Texans on Saturday night in a playoff game solidifies their position as the overwhelming favourite to win the Super Bowl.
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