Texans Week 3 @ Baltimore Ravens - NOON

[Nebula1]

Texans Week 3 @ Baltimore Ravens - Noon

http://nfl.si.com/2013/09/20/nfl-week-3-preview-houston-texans-baltimore-ravens-atlanta-falcons-miami-dolphins/

Houston (2-0) at Baltimore (1-0) — 1 p.m. ET, CBS: Could this be an AFC title game preview? It might have been a rematch of last season’s AFC championship had the Texans not faltered in the divisional round for the second straight year.

The Texans might be feeling a little more heat in the AFC South these days — Tennessee pushed them to the wire in Week 2, nearly pulling off a win in Houston; and the Colts made what owner Jim Irsay dubbed a “monster trade” Wednesday, landing running back Trent Richardson. We’ll find out just how secure is Houston’s spot atop its division over the next three weeks in games at Baltimore, vs. Seattle and at San Francisco.



This matchup holds some added emotional significance as current Texan Ed Reed makes his return to Baltimore. A member of the Ravens from 2002-12, Reed helped them to last season’s Super Bowl title before departing for Houston.

Reed is beloved in Baltimore. He has been a source of some frustration in Houston thus far. After signing with the Texans, Reed revealed a hip injury that he has yet to shake. Though coach Gary Kubiak declared that Reed may be ready to go Sunday, he has yet to see any action for his new team, either in the regular season or preseason.

With or without Reed, the Texans might have enough to pull off the road win if Baltimore cannot break its early-season sluggishness. The Ravens were waxed by Denver in Week 1, 49-27, then returned home for a rather uninspiring 14-6 victory over Cleveland last Sunday. The defense certainly played better against the Browns than vs. Peyton Manning and the Broncos, but Joe Flacco’s offense has yet to click. An injury to RB Ray Rice (one that might sideline him this week) does not do Flacco any favors.

Defenses may rule the day in the Charm City, though both teams — and especially Houston — feature intriguing offensive weapons. If Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Arian Foster and the Texans’ attack go off, is Baltimore capable of answering? – Chris Burke

Injury Report (per Houston Texans)

HOUSTON TEXANS

Thursday (9/19/13)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
LT Duane Brown Toe
TE Garrett Graham Hip/Groin

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
TE Owen Daniels Rest/Non-injury*
WR Andre Johnson Concussion/Lower Back
FS Ed Reed Hip
LG Wade Smith Knee

FULL PARTICIPATION
ILB Brian Cushing Knee
RB Arian Foster Calf/Chest/Thumb
CB Johnathan Joseph Rest/Non-injury*
ILB Joe Mays Quadricep
CB Brice McCain Knee
C Chris Myers Back
RT Derek Newton Knee/Calf
WR DeVier Posey Achilles/Foot
ILB Darryl Sharpton Hip
RB Ben Tate Shoulder

* - Daniels and Joseph were limited due to a coaches' decision to rest the players on Wednesday. Daniels was limited again on Thursday for the same reason. Joseph was a full participant in practice on Thursday. Neither player is injured.

NOTE: WR Andre Johnson's lower back injury and RB Arian Foster's thumb injury were inadvertently left off Wednesday's report.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

OUT
WR Jacoby Jones Knee

DID NOT PARTICIPATE
LB Arthur Brown Chest
DE Chris Canty Thigh
C Ryan Jensen Foot
RB Ray Rice Hip
WR Deonte Thompson Foot

LIMITED PARTICIPATION
CB Chykie Brown Knee
DT Brandon Williams Toe

[Nebula1]

I suspect Duane Brown won't play, but he's a tough dude and wouldn't be surprised to see him suit up. However, it may be smart to sit him a week.

[Nebula1]

Ed Reed calls return to Baltimore just 'another away game'

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-09-19/sports/bs-sp-ravens-ed-reed-0920-20130919_1_ed-reed-houston-texans-mt-bank-stadium



September 19, 2013|By Jeff Zrebiec, The Baltimore Sun


Ed Reed insisted that it won't be an emotional day for him. His return to the place where he played for 11 seasons to face an organization that he won a Super Bowl with seven months ago is just "another away game right now."

But as Reed continued to talk, he offered a glimpse of the emotional tug that he will probably experience Sunday when he returns to Baltimore to face the Ravens as a member of the Houston Texans.








He admits to thinking about the short drive to M&T Bank Stadium from a downtown hotel and the familiar walk past security guards that he's shaken hands with on game days for years now. But that's where things get fuzzy because his destination has never been the visitor's locker room.

"I still got a lot of thinking to do," Reed said Thursday in a conference call with local reporters. "My time in Baltimore was awesome, every bit of it. I have no regrets from when [general manager Ozzie Newsome] called me on draft day, to being in the old facility, practicing in the snow with [head coach Brian Billick] and just everything we went through with Coach [John Harbaugh] and growing. Iron sharpening iron. I have a lot of great memories, a lot of great friends.

"I always will be a Raven. That's where I was kind of raised in the NFL. I did a lot of growing and we did a lot of special things. That's something that can never be taken away and it never will. There's a lot of love there."

Reed, the ball-hawking safety who has built a future Hall of Fame career on surprising quarterbacks, seems intent on keeping everybody guessing until the very end. Signed by the Texans in late March, Reed has yet to suit up for a game with his new team because he's still recovering from surgery that he had in April to repair a torn labrum in his hip. He says that he's still dealing with tightness and soreness and he has a "lot of work to do" before he returns to game action.

"I'm not confident about nothing but going day-to-day, the way I've been," Reed said when asked if he's confident that he'll play Sunday. "You can't be confident if you haven't been on the field."

Never mind that none of his former teammates actually believe that he'd miss an opportunity to play again in front of fans, who for more than a decade, cheered him loudly every time he got his hands near the football. Never mind that former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, his long-time teammate and close friend, will be at M&T Bank Stadium to be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. Never mind that Reed has been practicing for several weeks and his current coach, Gary Kubiak, said Wednesday that the nine-time Pro Bowl selection is as close to playing as he has been.

In the 10-plus minute conference call, Reed was at his mercurial best, talking more about "coaching" against the Ravens than playing against them — for whatever that's worth.

"Just looking at the whole team, it just looks a little different for me, especially being on this side of things," Reed said. "I was looking at it last night like, 'Wow, this is something that I'm really coaching against my boys.'"






Asked if he anticipated being emotional around 1 p.m. Sunday, Reed said "not at all," comparing it to all the games that he played against the Indianapolis Colts and their standout wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who was his former roommate at the University of Miami.

"It's like playing against your brothers again, while I'm out there coaching," Reed said. "I've been having this feeling for a long time. It's different being here and coming to see my guys, who I've been fighting with for a long time."

But his pending return certainly has stirred up plenty of emotions from his former teammates. Both quarterback Joe Flacco and wide receiver Torrey Smith, who compared Reed to a big brother, admitted that it will be weird to see him, potentially wearing the No.20 jersey of another team.

Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, a safety in college, grew up idolizing Reed and he still remembers walking into the meeting room after he was drafted by the Ravens and seeing the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year standing there.

"I always wanted to be like him," Webb said. "My first few years, I was still nervous to be around him. Later on, it was just a privilege learning all the things he could teach me and it became more of a brotherhood. He taught me a lot. It could be an emotional day Sunday. It's probably going to be. … I wish he was still here, but it will be great to see him. It will be great to see how the crowd reacts to him."

Asked what kind of reception he expects Sunday, Reed joked that his reception will depend on "how [fans are] feeling and how the tailgating goes."



Reed signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Texans only after the Ravens failed to make an aggressive bid to keep him. Reed made it clear in the days following Super Bowl XLVII that he wanted to finish his career in Baltimore. However, the Ravens were in the process of a roster overhaul and felt that their money would be better spent in other ways than re-signing a soon-to-be 35-year-old safety who had experienced some hip, back and shoulder problems in recent years.

Reed, however, said that he feels no bitterness. He returned to accompany his former teammates on their celebratory trip to the White House in June. He also attended the team's lavish ring ceremony a couple of days later.

He also has no illusions to how Sunday will go, but he grudgingly admits that with him returning and Lewis in the house, the stage is set for a memorable afternoon.

"It was planned that way for a reason," Reed said. "It really is going to be a special day with me coming back, Ray going into the Ring of Honor, the Texans playing the Ravens. … Coming back to see the boys, see the coaches, it's going to be awesome."

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com

Sun staff reporter Aaron Wilson contributed to this article.

[Nebula1]

Texans 'J.J. Swat' Waiting For Ravens

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Texans-JJ-Swat-Waiting-For-Ravens/5be34fd2-ac53-45ad-88b2-b7163ea27de0

Titans rookie guard Chance Warmack called Houston defensive end J.J. Watt “just another guy” after their meeting last Sunday.

The Ravens know better after getting routed by 30 points in Houston last year, in which Watt was a one-man wrecking crew on the Ravens offense.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year nicknamed “J.J. Swat” got his hands on two Joe Flacco passes, including one that caused a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown that started the onslaught.

“They got a couple turnovers in their way and were able to get after me a little bit. We just didn’t have a good day,” Flacco recalled Wednesday.

Watt has a knack for getting his hands in passing lanes.

He compiled 16 pass defenses last season, which would be a strong number for a defensive back, but is eye-popping for a defensive end. He had the ninth-most passes defensed in the league last year, one more than former Ravens safety turned teammate, Ed Reed.

Watt’s off to another strong start this season. He had three tackles and one pass deflection against San Diego in Week 1. Once Antonio Smith joined the Texans’ defensive line in Week 2, Watt registered five tackles, two sacks and another deflection.

Ravens Pro Bowl offensive guard Marshal Yanda said the Ravens need to know where Watt is on the field at all times. Flacco elaborated on what he’d like to see Baltimore’s offensive line do to neutralize the Texans rusher.

“The bottom line is you’ve got to be physical with him,” Flacco said. “If you’re not physical with him and you basically don’t play football, then obviously he’s going to have his day and have his way.”

One way to get opposing players’ hands down and out of passing lanes is to clobber them in the chest when they put their hands up. So look for Baltimore to engage the Texans defenders quickly and stay on them.

Still, it’s difficult to keep tabs on Watt because he’s so quick in his vertical and lateral movements. He has a strong swim move to gain backfield penetration. The Ravens were at least able to keep Watt from sacking Flacco in their first meeting, but it will be a major challenge to do that again.

“He’s really hard to block,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He is hard to block in the run game, when you run at him, when you run away from him. He’s hard to block when you try to pass block him. He bats balls, he gets sacks. He’s just a very dominant-type defensive player.”

The primary job of blocking Watt will go to right tackle Michael Oher, Yanda and a tight end. Baltimore could also use a running back to help. If he doesn’t have success there, Watt could move around the defensive line to get a better matchup.

Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak said Watt is studying his opponents now more than he did as a younger player, but last year Watt went against Ravens left guard Kelechi Osemele, who was then at right tackle.

“J.J. is very smart. He understands [Defensive Coordinator] Wade’s [Phillips] scheme, where he can move him around and try to give him the best chances to be successful,” Kubiak said. “But with him, it always comes down to effort. He’s a guy that plays hard and loves to play.”

[Mr. E]

Thanks for getting the Game Thread started!

[zapatasblood]

Well this will be the Texans first of a three game skid. Texans have looked average against inferior teams and now they play a good team and they are are in bad shape at the line. Brown has been injured and has not looked like the second best player and if we start Harris at the LT then Texans are doomed. Harris and Newton at the tackles is a disaster waiting to happen. The overrated defense needs to be as good as people think and there needs to be some serious pressure put on Flacco. Secondary needs to play like it has been with the help of a pass rush. Schaub is not going to have time for down field plays so it needs to be a run first team with quick pass routes because there is no chance for Harris and Newton against Dumervil and Suggs. At the very least they have to run block and create holes for Foster and Tate.

[Nebula1]

Brown out against Ravens


http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brown-out-against-Ravens/83143d30-f1ee-445b-b6ac-8a93da0f61e7

HOUSTON – Houston Texans LT Duane Brown will not travel with the team Saturday morning to Baltimore for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Brown has been officially ruled out of Sunday’s game. He was listed as questionable on Friday’s game status report with a toe injury.

Per the NFL’s 2013 Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, any player who does not travel to a road game due to injury is considered “out.”

Hopefully the rest gets him back to good and not saddled all season.

I think the Texans have enough to get it done in Baltimore, especially if the defense can poke a couple turnovers. Houston will likely have to put up some bigger points to win a close one on the road, so here's looking for a breakout game from the Schaub/Foster/Tate/Daniels combo. Chew up that middle ground.

[RaoulDuke79]

Houston will likely have to put up some bigger points to win a close one on the road, so here's looking for a breakout game from the Schaub/Foster/Tate/Daniels combo. Chew up that middle ground.

I'd throw Martin into that mix as well. He has performed decently in the return game so far this season, but he also had that huge catch in the 4th quarter last week. He could potentially be a big factor in this game.

Obviously the O-Line is a concern though, with or without Brown.

Bullock is also a concern, but maybe he will eat enough Twinkies to make Fat Elvis proud and then go out and actually do his job this week.

Hopefully the pass rush shows up and can get to Flacco like they did last season and force some turnovers, otherwise it could be another painfully close game, and we don't need Mr. E having a heart attack only three games into the season.

[Nebula1]

Sounds like Ray Rice is out...


Raoul, I agree about the O Line. This should be an interesting test for them today without Brown when they really need to step up and control time of possession.

[RaoulDuke79]

Pretty good protection so far, hope they can keep it going.

[Nebula1]

Bullock is back!


Also love seeing the use of tight ends. So far, so good.

[RaoulDuke79]

Beautiful punt.

[zapatasblood]

I except Suggs to have a career game.

Quick strike offense and run first offense


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[zapatasblood]

Need a td


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[Nebula1]

Ravens found a rhythm.

[RaoulDuke79]

What a horrible game so far, penalty on every damn play.

Having to watch it on mute rather sucks as well.

[Nebula1]

Lucky to get out of there only giving a field goal

[zapatasblood]

That was a bs penalty but Jackson still does the same damn thing. Look for that damn ball and it might been an int

[RaoulDuke79]

And there we go with the weekly pick-6 by Schaub.

[Nebula1]

Well ****.