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

Watson and Jackson highlight Sunday's huge game

Watson and Jackson highlight Sunday's huge game

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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Houston has a revamped offense and o-line. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Expectations

The Texans are favored to win the AFC South for a third straight season with a team led by young stars quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson. Stroud’s strong first two years helped the Texans turn things around and this year they’ll try to reach the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history. Stroud will be directing a new offense led by first-time offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who took over after Bobby Slowik was fired this offseason following Houston’s loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round. General manager Nick Caserio also beefed up the team’s receiving corps, led by Nico Collins, by adding veteran Christian Kirk and drafting Jayden Higgins in the second round and Jaylin Noel in the third. Coach DeMeco Ryans has vowed the offensive line will be better this season after Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, which was second-most in the league. But it’s difficult to see how his protection will be better after they traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil and didn’t make any big moves to replace him. Defensively, Anderson should take another step forward in his second year playing with veteran Danielle Hunter after the third-overall pick in the 2023 draft had 17 sacks combined in his first two seasons. Cornerback Derek Stingley returns to lead a talented young secondary after earning first team AP All-Pro honors last season when he had five interceptions and defended 18 passes.

New faces

OC Nick Caley, WR Jayden Higgins, WR Christian Kirk, WR Jaylin Noel, LT Cam Robinson, RB Nick Chubb, RT Aireontae Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews.

Key losses

LT Laremy Tunsil, WR John Metchie III, G Kenyon Green, TE Brevin Jordan, CB Eric Murray, WR Robert Woods, CB Kris Boyd.

Strengths

Stroud and Houston’s stacked receiving group should be the stars of the team this season. The 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year has been great in his first two seasons to bring the Texans back into contention after an awful stretch. His interception rate was up last season but he’s looking for improvement this season in Caley’s offense, which he has described as “exciting.” He’ll have plenty of strong targets to throw to, led by Collins, who had a second straight 1,000-yard season last year despite missing five games with injuries. He’ll be joined by Kirk, who should fill in at the slot with Tank Dell likely to miss all season recovering from an injury he suffered in December. Higgins and Noel come to Houston after combining for 2,377 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns last season at Iowa State.

Weaknesses

It’s hard to see how the offensive line will be improved this season with Tunsil gone to Washington. Though he was penalty-prone, he was the team’s most consistent lineman. They completely revamped the line after his trade and return just one starter from last year’s group. They’ll likely rely on rookie Ersery to protect Stroud’s blind side after taking him in the second round of the draft. He started 38 games at left tackle over three seasons at Minnesota. Veteran Tytus Howard returns at right tackle after starting 16 games there last season. The center is Jake Andrews in his first year in Houston and he returns after missing all of last season with an injury before being released by the Patriots. Left guard Laken Tomlinson and right guard Ed Ingram are also new to the team.

Camp development

Houston’s secondary sustained a big blow in camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a leg injury. The injury isn’t season-ending but he is likely to miss significant time. Gardner-Johnson is in his first year in Houston after he was acquired from the Eagles in March in exchange for left guard Kenyon Green. He was expected to be the team’s starting free safety after the Texans lost Eric Murray in free agency to the Jaguars. The Texans will also be without backup Jimmie Ward indefinitely after he was placed on the commissioner exempt list Tuesday as he faces a felony domestic violence charge after a June arrest.

Fantasy player to watch

Collins should have another big year after finishing with more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two seasons. He’s had 15 touchdowns combined in the last two seasons despite missing seven games with injuries.

BetMGM Sportsbook

Win Super Bowl: 35-1.

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