The battle for a top spot in the AFC is on the line Sunday

Watson and Jackson highlight Sunday's huge game

Cody Stoots
Nov 15, 2019, 2:46 am

The Friday Stoots Six-Pack gets you ready for the most fun game on the Texans schedule to this point.

Quarterbacks living up to the hype

These two put on a freaking show in college. I expect nothing less from their showdown on Sunday.

Both quarterbacks are playing at such a high level right now it should be incredible to watch. Jackson has been used perfectly while Watson has been incredible with his arm and decision making.

The ultimate idea on Sunday is, both of these guys likely won't decide the game. It will be what they are capable of doing to the other's defense that will decide who wins. Whichever quarterback has his defense hold up their end of the bargain, or make just one play, they will walk away the winner Sunday.

Not just Lamar either

The Ravens are loaded on offense. LOADED. Lamar Jackson is awesome, sure. They are stacked everywhere making him look even more awesome.

Mark Andrews is one of the best young tight ends in football right now. His two companions, Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst aren't bad either. The Ravens have three of their top five pass catchers out of those three.

Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is a game-breaking talent at wideout. There isn't much to write home about outside of him at wide receiver but Miles Boykin is a freaky athlete and Seth Roberts seems to be reliable.

Mark Ingram has been one of the best free agent additions from this past offseason. He's been a tough out for opposing defenses.

The offensive line is very solid. Ronnie Stanley is the best pass blocker in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (Laremy Tunsil is second by the way). Orlando Brown Jr. is a very solid right tackle and his line-mate at left guard Marshal Yanda is still really good.

If the Texans pull this off, they will have taken down a very impressive offense.

To two seed or not to two seed, that is the question

The winner of this game will have the inside track and will be the two seed in the AFC. If the Texans are the losers they will likely have to settle for the third seed because they will be two games AND a tiebreak behind the Ravens and Patriots. If the Ravens lose they will just have to best the Texans by a game down the stretch. I would say the remaining schedules would be a push in my honest opinion.

Avoiding the opening weekend game in the playoffs would go a very long way in the Texans finally playing in an AFC Championship game.

As healthy as it is going to get

It seems the Texans might be getting their secondary as close to healthy as they have been in a long time.

Tashaun Gipson and Bradley Roby are the two questions in the secondary. If they could both be back, my goodness the Texans would be deep as they've ever been.

Roby was fantastic as the slot corner before the hamstring injury. Johnathan Joseph outside with Lonnie Johnson/Gareon Conley opposite and Roby inside with Justin Reid and Gipson behind them would be a formidable match for the Ravens.

Baltimore has a loaded secondary led by Earl Thomas. They are going to be a challenge for Watson and company. Will Fuller being available would be huge development towards getting after the Ravens deep secondary.

Run vs run

The best rushing offense in football belongs to the Baltimore Ravens. The third best rush defense in football is owned by the Houston Texans. Pro Football Focus rates the Texans as the best rushing attack in football though.

Strength on strength on Sunday.

Every Ravens opponent is in the bottom half of the league in rushing defense with the exception of the Seahawks and Patriots who are both around the top ten.

In those games the Ravens put up 199 and 210 on two solid run defenses. Yikes.

The Texans will need to make the most of Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson on the ground. Deshaun Watson's legs are a huge weapon as well. The Texans will have to control the game and wear down the Ravens secondary to hopefully open up some late game attacking.

The helmet hit heard round the world

Usually I drop all six things on the Texans but my goodness I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put this crazy video in here.

Myles Garrett clearly lost his cool and it is going to cost him dearly this season and on his reputation forever.

Antonio Smith almost connected on Richie Incognito way back in the day when Smith was on the Texans. He lost two preseason games and a regular season game, but he missed on his swing.

I don't know what is right for a suspension but I know when he is gone this dings the Browns a ton on defense. They needed him a ton down the stretch to save the respectability of their season.

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CORREA WATCH

Let's discuss what the lockout means for Carlos Correa, Astros

There's nothing left to do, but wait. Composite image by Jack Brame.

For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Major League Baseball has entered into a lockout in which team officials and players cannot communicate with each other until both sides are “satisfied” and have come to an agreement on labor negotiations.

Before December 1st, MLB free agents were being signed left and right with teams like the Rangers spending over half a billion dollars on players that include Kole Calhoun, Jon Grey, Marcus Semien and Corey Seager.

Other teams that opened their wallets this offseason were the Mariners, Mets and Tigers.

Baseball free agency came to a screeching halt once the December 1st MLB CBA ended. As of right now, players can't sign with any team until the lockout has concluded.

Now that Major League Baseball has entered this work stoppage, the question on everyone’s mind is what does this mean for the sport going forward?

The short answer is no one knows. This process will take some time and most owners have a wait and see approach in regard to this stoppage. Labor negations can be a long, meticulous process that could drag out for weeks, if not months.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred seemed optimistic that a deal should get done between both the owners and the MLB Player’s Association sometime before the 2022 regular season starts.

"We believe that an offseason lockout is the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season," Manfred wrote in a letter to fans. "We hope that the lockout will jumpstart the negotiations and get us to an agreement that will allow the season to start on time. This defensive lockout was necessary because the players' association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive."

That being said, it may be some time before any deal is made between either side, thus leaving certain free agents in a temporary limbo like Carlos Correa.

The 27-year-old shortstop looked to be the most coveted player available this offseason and would earn a major payday. Just like his fellow shortstops, Correa was looking to earn a deal similar to that of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Francisco Lindor. All of whom signed deals or extension’s of at least 10-year $300 million dollars or higher.

The aforementioned Seager signed a 10-year deal worth $325 million with the Texas Rangers two days before the current CBA ended. Correa was looking to earn a deal similar to this, and the Rangers were one of the team’s that looked to obtain the All-Star shortstop.

Another club that had been linked to Correa was the Tigers, but they just signed free agent short stop Javier Baez to a six-year $140 million contract.

With both Texas and Detroit out of the Correa sweepstakes presumably, where would the 27-year-old land?

We won’t know for some time due to the ongoing lockout negotiations, but as soon as there’s an agreement, Correa will sign somewhere and get his money.

According to Bleacher Report, the Gold Glove winning shortstop has drawn interest from the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers.

All of these clubs are big market teams who are not afraid to spend large sums of money in free agency.

As much as Astros fans would hate to see their beloved shortstop don Yankee pinstripes or wear Dodgers Blue, it seems to be more of a reality Correa won’t be wearing an Astros uniform next season.

Is it possible for Houston to keep Carlos Correa?

Sure, if James Click and the Astros’ front office do something they have never done before and give him an extension of more than $300 million.

The largest contract Houston has ever given out was a 5-year $151 million extension to Jose Altuve.

If they wish to keep Correa, the Astros would have to give him at least a deal similar to what Seager just received in Texas, therefore doubling their largest contract ever given out.

It is not out of the realm of possibilities to believe Houston could accomplish this feat, but it seems unlikely.

A lockout might prolong Correa’s free agency, but once clubs are able to sign again, the All-Star shortstop could sign quicker than we think.

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