Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans: Keys to Victory Week Sixteen
By Brett Foote
Dec 14, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Stop (or at least try to slow down) J.J. Watt
Watt, in my opinion, should be the NFL MVP this season. I may catch some heat over that statement, but this guy is a once in a generation type player, the kind who can alter the outcome of a game by himself. How many other players, especially on defense, can do that?
The Ravens have done an amazing job of protecting Joe Flacco this season, slowing some of the better pass rushers in the NFL. But they haven’t faced one with the pedigree of Watt, who is also quite adept at scoring touchdowns on offense as well as defense.
So how the heck do they slow this guy down? Certainly the Ravens will have to keep an extra blocker in on obvious passing situations, and they will most likely need to use Owen Daniels or Kyle Juszczyk to block more than usual. It will be very interesting to see how well the line holds up against Watt, particularly early in the game. That alone will have a big impact on how the Ravens adjust as the game progresses.