RSR Predictions for Ravens vs. Texans

With each new season, hope springs eternal. Everyone is a game in the win column behind the Detroit Lions and a game in the loss column in front of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Surprisingly, a scan of predictions from that national media seems to indicate a bearish market for the Ravens. Several have indicated that the Ravens are likely to be the most disappointing, underachieving team in the league. Sorry, John Harbaugh teams aren’t built that way.

The 2023 story begins to unfold on Sunday. This time next year, we may be devouring the newest edition of NFL Network’s America’s Team: The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens. But first things first. Here are the RSR Staff predictions for Game 1, 2023 v. the Houston Texans.

Tony Lombardi

A rookie quarterback on the road facing a defense that has many moving parts and can bring heat against an inexperienced signal caller from many directions in a hostile environment is a recipe for a blowout and that’s exactly what you’ll see on Sunday.

The Ravens will jump out to a big lead by the second quarter thanks in part to the Texans commitment to establishing the run game which everyone on the planet knows will be their game plan. The Texans will gain a first down on their first possession but won’t register another until well into the second quarter.

The Ravens will take an early 17-0 lead and force C.J. Stroud to the air. He’ll have some success with his feet but when the Ravens make the Texans one-dimensional on offense, rookie mistakes will ensue.

* Lamar Jackson leads a balanced attack that chalks up 420 yards of offense, 260 by air, 160 by land. He’ll throw for three scores, one each to Zay Flowers, OBJ and Isaiah Likely.

* J.K. Dobbins will be the bell cow he aspires to be in this one. He’ll carry the rock 18 times for 110 yards while Gus Edwards and Justice Hill churn and burn for 35 and 15 yards, respectively.

* On defense, the Ravens will land a few sacks, but Stroud’s elusiveness will trigger a little frustration as Mike Macdonald’s front seven whiffs on a few sack opportunities. Nevertheless, they’ll drop Stroud 5 times after the Texans are forced to the air given the three-score deficit. Messrs. Clowney, Oweh, Ojabo, Queen and Hamilton all with one body-slam each.

It’s a great start to a promising campaign.

Ravens 34 Texans 13

Kevin McNelis

Over the last few seasons, the Ravens have encountered quite a few close shaves, even against teams that probably shouldn’t have kept it close. I feel pretty confident in saying that this Sunday ain’t gonna be one of them.

The Texans will visit The Bank sporting a rookie QB in his first regular season game, behind a bumped and bruised O-line. That’s a tall enough order without considering Lamar Jackson’s historic success in Week 1 and a shiny new set of offensive weapons. It could be a long day for Houston.

• C.J. Stroud will do his best to carry his offense, and he’ll make some impressive throws to keep drives alive by finding gaps in zone coverage. Even so, he’ll try to force one under pressure and throw a pick to Kyle Hamilton. His O-line will also struggle against the creative blitz schemes brought by Mike Mac’s unit, and the Texans surrender at least five sacks.
• Dameon Pierce gets some early success on the outside, but the interior of the D-line makes for tough sledding on the ground the rest of the day. He scores a touchdown, but gets limited to around 60 yards on the day.
• Out of an abundance of caution, Baltimore decides to shut down Mark Andrews until next week. As a result, Isaiah Likely gets the lion’s share of red zone targets and hauls in a TD. Rashod Bateman also announces his return as he loses the coverage on a 30+ yard catch and run to score.

This has all the hallmarks of a game that could get ugly in a hurry, and for the sake of the Flock packing into the stands, I certainly hope it does.

Baltimore 38 Texans 16

Rob Shields

In many ways, this is a great opening week matchup for the Ravens. Many keys players didn’t play in preseason games, there is a new offense, and Marlon Humphrey is out. Most of these potential issues should not be exposed this weekend against one of the worst teams in the league.

Offensively, I expect to see them pound the ball a lot on the ground (J.K. Dobbins has a good chance to go for over 100 yards) and start to open up the offense but I don’t expect we see everything this week, as they will likely save things for next week in Cinci. Lamar has great opening week numbers and I expect him to have a good game. I’m not sure we see a repeat of the Miami game from years back. I do hope we see some outside the numbers and down the field throws that are thrown better and with more accuracy.

Defensively, the Ravens are receiving a lot of National doubt as people are worried about their corners and the pass rush. The Texans are without multiple starting offensive linemen in this game, so the Ravens should be able to get pressure on them, not to mention the rookie QB may have that deer-in-the-headlights look.

Stroud is a talented kid and will likely make a few wow throws but overall, I’m expecting a rough day for him.

Harbaugh is 14-2 against rookie QBs and I don’t expect loss #3 to happen this weekend.

Ravens 27 Houston 10

Darin McCann

I’m a believer that this Houston Texans team is going to be much more dangerous than many pundits believe this year.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is accurate and smart, and showed during last year’s college playoffs that he can move around the pocket and make things happen when things go off script — which had previously been a criticism of him. I also like their first-year coach DeMeco Ryans, and believe he will make that defense better just by being there. Their second-year running back Dameon Pierce is a handful, and don’t sleep on Devin Singletary making some things happen out of the backfield.

All that being said, I think the Ravens are just too good, and too well-coached, for this up-and-coming team. Here are some predictions:

• Rashod Bateman, the somewhat-forgotten member of this receiving crew, will go for more than 100 yards on four catches, including a long one over 50 yards.
• JK Dobbins begins his season of redemption, running for 110 yards and a touchdown.
• Odafe Oweh will get a sack, force a fumble and get three tackles for loss. This will make Ravens fans lose their collective minds and they will erect a statue of him out of spent Natty Boh cans in the parking lot. They will subsequently light it on fire when he is held sack-less in Week 2.
• Rock Ya-Sin will get a pick in his Ravens debut, and I don’t just say that because he is a fellow Temple alum. But… did you know he went to Temple? That’s a really big deal, you know.
• John Harbaugh will draw a 15-yard penalty for running on the field and kicking dirt on the umpire’s shoes. Hey, the Orioles have everybody excited this year.

Ravens 34 Texans 13

Derek Arnold

I just got done reading and posting Jim’s 2023 offensive preview, and I’m ready to run through a brick wall. It’s hard to not predict 59-10 after digesting that, but I’ll restrain myself…a bit.

• LJ goes 20-for-25 for 250 yards, 2 TD, and rushes for another 55
• Rashod Bateman reminds everyone he’s still here, with 100 yards and a score
• Mark Andrews has 75 yards and a TD from inside the 10
• OBJ is quietly effective in his debut, with five catches, four of which move the chains, for 45 yards
• Dobbins and Gus combine for 145 yards and two scores
• Patrick Queen, Odafe Oweh, Justin Madubuike, Kyle Hamilton, and Travis Jones each record a sack
• Things aren’t quite perfect: Justin Tucker misses his one and only extra point of the season

Ravens 30 Texans 10

Jared Pinder

The Houston Texans are looking to prove themselves with a new head coach and a new QB and star pass rusher. While many are saying the Texans aren’t going to be that bad, this game might get ugly for them. They already have a suspect O-line and three of their five starters are hurt. Rookie QBs don’t do that well in their first games anyway but add in that O-line and a lack of weapons and Mike Macdonald could make C.J. Stroud’s life miserable.

The Texans Defense could surprise people this year but this is the first game and they could take some time to get used to a new defense. The Ravens themselves are in a new offense, but I expect a great game from them.

•  The Ravens have three plus touchdowns, with Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. catching two of the three.
•  The Ravens defense has a field day against an injured o-line and they record three sacks and force two turnovers from Stroud.
•  Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton both have big days and a pick each.

The Ravens open up the season with some fireworks and while I like DeMeco Ryans, his defense just won’t be up to the task of stopping a hungry Ravens team.

Ravens 35 Texans 10

Aidan Griesser

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better matchup for Baltimore to kick off their 2023 campaign than the Houston Texans (though Arizona would give them a run for their money). I feel for 2nd overall Pick C.J. Stroud, but Baltimore’s defense will feast on Sunday afternoon, while the new look offense clicks quickly and helps the Ravens jump out to a big lead early.

• Mike Macdonald’s defense will come out looking to prove something, and despite lackluster secondary depth, different looks will cause a few bad decisions by Stroud. He finishes with two interceptions, one to Kyle Hamilton and another to Brandon Stephens.
• Odafe Oweh and Justin Madubuike each get 1.5 sacks for a defense that ends the day with six total. A strong interior push will make life tough, and Houston doesn’t score a TD until the 4th quarter.
• Lamar Jackson hits Zay Flowers early and often, and both have big days. Jackson completes over 70% of passes for over 300 yards, while Flowers has five catches for nearly 100 yards and a score.
• In the second half, Baltimore proves they can move the ball on the ground, as well. JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards combine for over 150 yards and Dobbins gets in the end zone twice to cap a big day.

Ravens 33 Texans 13

Chris Schisler

The Baltimore Ravens are about to start the season in style. This is the first look at Zay Flowers in a game that matters. This is the first look at Odell Beckham Jr. in this offense. This is Todd Monken’s debut. The Ravens want to make a statement early. A good fresh start is what Baltimore craves. Look for an easy completion or two to get Lamar Jackson in an early rhythm. Look for the Ravens to march down the field and show off what they did this offseason.

From a matchup perspective, the Ravens have this one. They just have to take the Houston Texans seriously. The Ravens’ defensive front should be able to have their way with the Texans’ offensive line. This game screams out as a golden opportunity for the defensive line to start the season strong. Travis Jones and Justin Madubuike will each get a sack. David Ojabo will put the first turnover on C.J. Stroud’s NFL stat sheet with a strip sack. The secondary will show its merit without Marlon Humphrey and the Texans will struggle to find points.

Five Bold Predictions:

• Zay Flowers has six receptions and two touchdowns to start his NFL career.
• The defense has five sacks and three takeaways.
• Lamar Jackson will sit in the fourth quarter after three passing touchdowns and one on the ground.
• Odell Beckham Jr. will catch a deep bomb down the field for 50 yards or more.
• J.K. Dobbins will break a 40-yard run.

Ravens 35 Texans 6

Chad Racine

If there were ever a home opener to feel confident in, this would be the one. Then again, those seem to be games we shouldn’t feel confident in. Facing a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud in his first NFL game is the time to get him.

There won’t be any surprise about what the Texans are going to try to do this Sunday. They will want to rely heavily on running back Dameon Pierce, which should be very difficult against the Ravens defensive line. With the current state of the Ravens’ cornerback room, this match-up comes at the ideal time.

• The Texans’ best player Dameon Pierce will be held to under 60 yards but will score a touchdown.
• C.J. Stroud will throw for just over 200 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns.
•  J.K. Dobbins will run for 120 yards and one touchdown.
•  Zay Flowers will have his first touchdown in his first NFL game.
•  Isaiah Likely will have a touchdown reception.

Ravens 27  Texans 10

Brennan Stewart

The Texans may not prove to be even near the same caliber as the Ravens, but I certainly don’t think this game will be a gimme, either. If you ask me, rookie C.J. Stroud had a below-average preseason showing, completing 11 out of 18 pass attempts for 89 yards in eight series and only throwing one touchdown that was caught by wide receiver Nico Collins. Collins, Dameon Pierce and Dalton Schultz will be the biggest threats to this Ravens defense, with Collins having the best chances of success against an incomplete secondary. On the other side of the ball, Morgan Moses is under the most pressure, having to stop rookie defensive end Will Anderson Jr. from reaching Lamar Jackson. With that said, here are my predictions:

• Collins and Pierce will each finish with a touchdown.
• Jackson will have at least three passing touchdowns spread amongst his receivers. The most likely candidates are Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman.
• J.K. Dobbins will have a single rushing touchdown.
• Roquan Smith and Will Anderson Jr. will each record a sack.
• Stroud will throw at least one interception.

Ravens 28 Texans 17

Tanner George

Football’s finally back! And what better way to start the season than against a rookie quarterback at home? This game should see a lot of big numbers, so let’s get into my predictions!

Adjusted data from last year’s teams suggests a blowout win for the Ravens this week. Monken’s offense travels up and down the field with ease, highlighted by a 45-yard bomb from Jackson to Flowers for an early first quarter TD. Lamar leads the offense to four touchdowns through three quarters, and Josh Johnson orchestrates a nice field goal drive in the fourth.

The defense is primed to give rookie C.J. Stroud nightmares in the first half, but Houston’s offense shows signs of life in the second. The Texans will score one touchdown and a pair of 40+ yard field goals while being limited to under 300 total yards.

My data model is pretty confident in another win at the Bank, giving the Ravens above an 80% chance to start 1-0.

Individual Performances

While winning is always a team effort, a lot of Ravens figure to put up impressive figures on the stat sheet. These will be the team’s top individual performances:

• Lamar Jackson: 28-for-35, 280 yards, 3 TDs
• Zay Flowers: 7 receptions, 102 yards, TD
• J.K. Dobbins: 16 carries, 80 yards, TD
• Kyle Hamilton: 7 tackles, sack, 2 PDs, INT
• David Ojabo: 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, forced fumble
• Roquan Smith: 12 tackles, .5 sacks, INT

Ravens 31 Texans 13