You ever watch a game where the final score feels like it’s lying to you? Or maybe the opposite where the scoreboard says “blowout,” but the first half felt like a nail-biter? That’s kind of the vibe whenever we look at the Baltimore Ravens vs Texans match player stats, especially from their recent playoff clash.
It’s easy to just Google the final score. But if you really want to understand football—like, really get it—you have to look at the weird, messy numbers in between the touchdowns. The stats from their AFC Divisional Round matchup in early 2024 (and their regular season opener before that) tell a fascinating story about a veteran MVP asserting dominance and a rookie sensation hitting a purple brick wall.
Let’s break this down. No spreadsheets, just real talk about what happened on that field.
Lamar Jackson: The Stats of an MVP
When we talk about this matchup, we have to start with Lamar Jackson. In the Divisional Round game, the stats sheet for Lamar was basically a resume for his MVP trophy.
He finished with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. That’s absurd. It’s like playing a video game on “Rookie” mode. But here’s the stat that matters more than the touchdowns: Rushing Yards. Lamar ran for 100 yards on just 11 carries.
Think about that for a second. Every time he tucked the ball and ran, he was averaging nearly a first down. That demoralizes a defense. I remember watching Texans’ linebacker Christian Harris chasing him—Harris is fast, but Lamar is just different. The stats show efficiency, but the tape shows frustration. The Texans simply couldn’t get off the field because Lamar refused to go down.
Passing-wise, he was 16 of 22 for 152 yards. Not huge volume, right? But he didn’t need volume. He needed precision. He didn’t turn the ball over. In a playoff atmosphere, a QB with zero turnovers usually wins.
C.J. Stroud and the “Rookie Wall” Reality Check
On the other side, you had C.J. Stroud. The kid had a historic rookie season. Seriously, what he did with Houston was nothing short of miraculous. But Baltimore is a different beast.
If you look at the Baltimore Ravens vs Texans match player stats for Stroud in that playoff game, it looks… rough. He went 19 for 33, passing for 175 yards. No touchdowns.
But context is king here. The stats don’t show you that Stroud was under siege. The Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald (who earned a head coaching job largely because of games like this), dialed up simulated pressures that confused the offensive line all night. Stroud wasn’t playing bad football; he was playing against a defense that knew his playbook better than he did.
The most telling stat? The Texans had zero offensive touchdowns. Their only points came from a punt return. When a quarterback like Stroud, who had been lighting up scoreboards all year, gets held to zero offensive trips to the end zone, it’s not just a bad day. It’s a suffocation.
For a deeper dive into how rookie quarterbacks historically fare against top-tier defenses, you can check out Pro Football Reference. It puts Stroud’s struggle into perspective—he’s in good company with other greats who struggled early on against elite units.
The Defense: The Numbers That Actually Won the Game
Here is where the game was actually decided. We all love offense, but the Ravens’ defense was terrifying.
Let’s talk about the run defense. This is the stat that should be bolded, underlined, and highlighted. The Texans rushed for a total of 38 yards. Not in a quarter. In the entire game.
Devin Singletary, the Texans’ lead back, had 9 carries for 22 yards. That is an average of 2.4 yards per carry. You simply cannot win a football game in January if you can’t run the ball. It made the Texans one-dimensional. Stroud had to drop back to pass every time, and the Ravens’ pass rush knew it.
Justin Madubuike and the Ravens’ front seven were living in the backfield. While the sack numbers weren’t astronomical (the Ravens didn’t sack Stroud ten times or anything), the pressure rate was consistent. Stroud never looked comfortable. He was always drifting, always rushing his throws. That’s the “hidden yardage” that doesn’t always show up in the box score but kills drives.
The “Steven Sims” Factor: Special Teams Outliers
Stats are funny because sometimes a guy with barely any playtime changes the whole narrative. In the Divisional game, Steven Sims had a 67-yard punt return touchdown for Houston.
If you were just glancing at the offensive yardage, you’d wonder how the game was tied 10-10 at halftime. The Ravens were dominating every statistical category: first downs, time of possession, total yards. But that one special teams stat—one return TD—kept Houston alive.
It’s a reminder that stats can be lopsided, but the scoreboard can stay tight if Special Teams decides to go rogue. It was the only spark Houston had, and for about 30 minutes, it made us think, “Wait, can they actually pull this off?” (Spoiler: They couldn’t. Lamar Jackson woke up in the second half).
Receiving Corps: Flowers vs. Collins
Zay Flowers has been a revelation for Baltimore. His stat line—4 catches for 41 yards—doesn’t look explosive, but it’s about when he got those yards. He moved the chains on critical downs.
Contrast that with Nico Collins for the Texans. Collins had a monster year, but against Baltimore, he was held to 5 catches for 68 yards. Solid, sure. But not game-breaking. The Ravens’ secondary, led by Kyle Hamilton (who is basically a Swiss Army knife playing football), erased the deep ball. The “Longest Reception” stat for Houston was capped. No 50-yard bombs. No quick strikes. They forced Houston to dink and dunk, which is hard to sustain for 60 minutes.
If you want to see how these receiver matchups were graded play-by-play, PFF is usually the go-to spot for that granular detail.
Why These Stats Matter for Next Season
So, why do we care about these old stats now? Because they set the blueprint.
The Baltimore Ravens vs Texans match player stats show us two things clearly:
- Lamar Jackson is nearly impossible to defend when he is patient. He didn’t force throws; he took what the defense gave him, and when they covered everyone, he ran.
- The Texans need a run game. You can’t ask C.J. Stroud to be Superman every week. 38 rushing yards is a recipe for disaster.
The Texans have since added Joe Mixon (via trade/signing talks depending on when you read this), specifically to fix that ugly rushing stat. The Ravens have added Derrick Henry. Imagine re-running this game with Derrick Henry in the backfield for Baltimore? The rushing stats might jump from “great” to “terrifying.”
Conclusion: The Story Behind the Box Score
In the end, the Ravens vs Texans matchup was a masterclass in veteran poise vs. rookie excitement. The stats show a Baltimore team that was efficient, brutal on defense, and explosive in the run game. They show a Houston team that has a blindingly bright future but just wasn’t ready for the physical toll of a top-tier AFC defense.
Next time these two meet, keep an eye on the rushing yards. That’s the pulse of the game. If Houston can run the ball, the stats—and the score—will look very different.
FAQs
Q: Who was the leading rusher in the Ravens vs Texans playoff game?
A: Lamar Jackson led all rushers with 100 yards on 11 carries. He also scored two touchdowns on the ground.
Q: How many touchdowns did C.J. Stroud throw against the Ravens?
A: In the Divisional Round playoff game, C.J. Stroud threw zero touchdowns. The Ravens’ defense kept him out of the end zone entirely.
Q: Did the Texans score any offensive touchdowns in that game?
A: No. The Texans’ only touchdown came from a Steven Sims punt return. Their offense was completely shut out of the end zone.
Q: Who had the most sacks in the game?
A: It wasn’t about one player racking up sacks, but the Ravens’ defense as a unit generated constant pressure. However, Baltimore did not allow a single sack on Lamar Jackson, which was a huge factor in their win.
