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AFC Wild Card preview: Who should the Ravens want to face?

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans is sacked by outside linebacker Matt Judon #99 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans is sacked by outside linebacker Matt Judon #99 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 17, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 21: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 21: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The AFC playoffs begin today. Here is a look at the four teams involved and how they would stack up against the Baltimore Ravens:

Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans:

The Baltimore Ravens have beaten three of the four teams in the AFC Wild Card games. We’ll start with the first match up of Wild Card Saturday. The Texans host the Bills because they won the AFC South crown. This is the most even match up of the first round of the playoffs. The Bills have a very good defense, a good running game and a young quarterback who shows flashes of brilliance. The Texans have superstars in Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins and a good run game. J.J. Watt coming back could give the Texans defense a shot in the arm today.

The Bills have a defense that gives them a chance to win this game. The Bills allow just 16.2 points per game and rank inside the top 10 of almost every defensive category. Houston has had some impressive wins this year though and this should be a tight game. The Texans have wins against the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans on their resume. These are both 10 win teams, but the Texans are the more battle tested teams.

Neither team has a ton of playoff success to boast about with their current head coach. Bill O’Brien is 1-3 in the playoffs with the Texans. Sean McDermott lost the only playoff game he has had with the Bills so far. The Texans have been in this position more than the Bills, and home field advantage is a big deal in this game. Houston is a tough place to win a game as the road team.

Prediction: Bills win 20-17

This game should be a defensive struggle with a few big plays making the difference in the game. The Bills defense matches up well against the Texans. I think the Bills will do to the Texans, exactly what the Ravens did to them. They will make Houston one dimensional by taking away Carlos Hyde in the run game. Then a Bills’ defense that is good at getting after the quarterback and limiting his options, will give Watson a tough stat line. It will be close, but rolling with the better defense feels like the way to go. The Bills have road wins against the Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys. They are capable of winning this game.

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