The Baltimore Ravens will be heavy favorites for their week one matchup against the Houston Texans, and freshman head coach DeMeco Ryans knows it.
While the Texans are in the midst of their rebuild, there is still up-and-coming talent making this roster worthy of competing. If the Ravens do end up in a tight game, it could mean that the following three players looked good in their matchup.
3. Will Laremy Tunsil blank Odafe Oweh and the Baltimore Ravens edge rushers?
The Houston Texans' interior offensive line has plenty of questions that will be brought out in this game. However, if they can protect C.J. Stroud, it will be because they have two talented tackles. On the right side is Tytus Howard, and across from him is Laremy Tunsil.
Tunsil has been regarded as one of the five best offensive linemen for a few years now. So, he has a major impact on the rest of the line as that backbone player. Can he help keep the lineup this week?
His matchup will be a key one with Odafe Oweh. Oweh looked like he was going to be a menace after his rookie, but his second year was not nearly as encouraging. Now, he enters year three with a chance to prove that he was still winning; the sacks just did not come.
Oweh against Tunsil will be a battle of two big-time athletes. This will be tough for Oweh because Tunsil is the more refined player and can match him athletically. So, Oweh will have to show he is a better player than in years past if he wants to win this matchup. Will Oweh get blanked, and will it matter? Will we see David Ojabo take shots against Tunsil? What about Jadeveon Clowney?
2. Which Baltimore Ravens tackle will see the Houston Texans star pass rusher Wil Anderson?
The Houston Texans sent a future first to ensure that they could trade up for Will Anderson. Needless to say, they see him as a game-changer. Now, the question is, how will he translate as a rookie? Also, which side will he line up? In college, he often rushed against right tackles.
If that is the case, his NFL welcoming will come against Morgan Moses. Moses is a talent and will be a tall task for Anderson, but at the same time, he is spared Ronnie Stanley. We would love to Stanley against Anderson to see where Stanely is athletically and physically after his injuries over the years.
However, he will see a lot of Jonathan Greenard, which could be good for him getting off to a strong start. Is Will Anderson going to be a game-changer, or will Morgan Moses give him a proper introduction to the NFL? That will dictate which team has the advantage in the trenches when the Baltimore Ravens are on offense.
1. The Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud sees a familair face on the Baltimore Ravens sideline
This one is obvious. With all of the resources invested in Will Anderson, the Houston Texans actually have more on the line with team captain C.J. Stroud, who they drafted ahead of Anderson. The franchise will come down the pass rush presence of Anderson and the passing acumen of Stroud. If these two fail, they will be rebooted again.
Still, we may see some fireworks, but the expectation is that he should be held in check. Stroud has a weird introduction to the NFL because it is a defensive coordinator he saw once before. Mike MacDonald beat Stroud when he was the Michigan defensive coordinator back in 2021.
Stroud played well, but the Michigan defense came up big. He also had better playmakers when you factor in Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. So, the task may be easier for MacDonald, who now has more talent, and also has more NFL experience.
Still, if Stroud is familiar with the looks he sees, and he is able to get the ball out quickly, it could be a closer game, and the Texans could control some aspects. The chess match between Stroud and MacDonald will be a major outcome for the Houston Texans this week.