An off day by the offense has put Baltimore’s playoff hopes in some peril.
The underdog Texans intercepted quarterback Joe Flacco three times and shut down Baltimore’s ground game en route to a 25-13 victory on Sunday in Houston. In defeat, the Ravens gained just 3.1 yards per play.
With the loss, the Ravens fell to 9-6, and they have fallen behind San Diego in the AFC pecking order. The Chargers (9-6) now are in firm control of their playoff hopes; if they win next Sunday at Kansas City, they are in the postseason, as they have already defeated Baltimore and Buffalo (8-6).
Flacco struggled through one of his worst days as a pro, completing just 21-of-50 passes for 195 yards. He did throw a pair of TD passes to Torrey Smith, but it was a nightmarish afternoon for the former Super Bowl MVP.
The Ravens had some tough injury luck, too, with left tackle Eugene Monroe and right tackle Ricky Wagner departing with injuries.
Starting less than a week after signing with the Texans, quarterback Case Keenum completed just 20-of-42 passes for 185 yards, and he was picked once. However, he was better than Flacco, which speaks to the sort of day the Ravens’ offense endured.
Texans star tailback Arian Foster had a productive day, racking up 96 yards on 25 carries and tossing a five-yard TD pass on an option pass. By contrast, the Ravens got just 33 yards on 16 carries from their ground game.
The Ravens host fading Cleveland next week, but they will need more than a just a win now to secure a playoff spot. Moreover, they are now eliminated from AFC North contention, with Cincinnati (9-4-1) guaranteed to have a better record than Baltimore.