The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 on Saturday to advance to the AFC Championship Game next Sunday. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 4 touchdowns to pace a dominant offensive performance.
Ravens Pull Away in Dominant Second Half
After a close 10-10 first half, the Ravens exploded for 24 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters. Jackson connected with wide receiver Zay Flowers for two long touchdowns while running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill gashed the Texans defense on the ground.
The Ravens gained over 500 yards of total offense compared to just 263 for Houston. Jackson praised his team’s mental toughness to put the game away. “In the first half we were beating ourselves,” Jackson said. “But we kept chopping wood.”
Jackson First QB with Multiple Career Playoff Games of 4+ Pass TDs
With his standout performance, Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history with four or more touchdown passes in multiple career playoff games.
| Quarterback | Playoff Games with 4+ TD Passes |
|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | 2 |
| All Others | 0 |
Jackson also moved into first place for most playoff touchdowns passes thrown before a player’s 28th birthday with 16.
Ravens Host AFC Championship for First Time Since 1971
By virtue the the Bills’ win over Kansas City, Baltimore will host the Chiefs next Sunday afternoon for a trip to the Super Bowl. It will be the Ravens first ever home AFC Championship game. They last made it to the final four in the 2021 playoffs before losing to Cincinnati.
Home field advantage has been crucial so far this postseason. With raucous crowds behind them, the No. 1 seeds are 4-0 straight up and against the spread. Even as underdogs, Kansas City will face a stiff test at M&T Bank Stadium against a locked-in Ravens group.
Texans Still Searching for Playoff Formula
Saturday’s loss brings Houston’s playoff losing streak to six games as the franchise still seeks its first ever conference championship appearance.
Second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans shouldered the blame after the defeat. But he remains confident the Texans are building a sustainable winner. “The goal is still to win a championship here,” Ryans said. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
Quarterback C.J. Stroud rebounded from a rocky rookie campaign to guide Houston to an unexpected playoff berth. With continued growth from Stroud and improvement on defense, Ryans hopes this season marks the start of an upward trajectory for the Texans.
What’s Next
The Ravens avenged last year’s early playoff exit and now stand one home win away from Super Bowl LVIII. With Jackson conducting the offense at an MVP level, veterans like Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith highlight a stacked roster ready to make a championship run.
As for the Texans, critical offseason decisions await after exceeding expectations but still falling well short of their ultimate goals for 2024. Houston must upgrade Stroud’s receiving corps and supplement pass rush help for second-year defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
This AFC rivalry appears poised to blossom over the coming seasons. While the experienced Ravens broke through this year, the emerging Texans core believes their time is coming soon.
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