Your Houston Texans haven't played a game in 11 days, so we should be treated to a team that's about as fresh as Week 14 allows. The Baltimore Ravens, meanwhile, are coming off a physically taxing, heartbreaking loss to the Steelers. Will the extra rest for the Texans play any role in tonight's game under the bright lights of Monday Night Football? I've consulted the spirits, and my psychic findings are memorialized for all eternity after the jump.
1. Did you know that Matt Schaub has fumbled seven (7) times so far this season (losing three)? He's fumbled five times (losing two) in his last six games. I fear that number goes up tonight. As he did in Philadelphia last week, put Schaub down for a fumble (forced by Haloti Ngata and recovered by Baltimore) and a pick. Schaub is going to be under siege all night, and it's not going to be the cool Steven Seagal type. He's in for a rough night, though he will throw a TD pass to Andre Johnson in the second half.
2. In thirteen games this season, Arian Foster has had more than 20 carries in only five of them. Interestingly, three of those five 20+ carry days have come in the last three weeks. Make it four in a row. Foster finishes with 21 carries for 86 yards, 7 catches for 52 yards, and a TD.
3. Joe Flacco and Matt Schaub are having pretty similar statistical seasons, right down to an identical amount of interceptions and fumbles. Take a look at this versus this. The good news for Flacco is that he gets to face the Houston defense, and that'll allow him to win the contrast battle tonight, at least in terms of passing yards (291) and TD passes (3). Flacco will, however, go turnover-for-turnover with Schaub tonight; he's going to be strip-sacked by Mario Williams, and he'll be intercepted off a deflection by Bernard Pollard.
PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: Like the Philly game, tonight's tilt is one that I immediately pegged as a loss when the schedule came out. Baltimore has never lost to the Texans, with the most recent matchup being a 41-13 thrashing two years ago. I don't see the Texans getting off the schneid tonight. Ravens 31, Texans 20.
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