HOUSTON – Lamar Jackson stopped, stutter-stepped and slipped away from the pursuit of Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter.
As Hunter gave chase, the Ravens’ multidimensional quarterback and NFL MVP frontrunner candidate bought himself precious time in a remarkable play as he remained one step ahead of one of the most athletic pass rushers in the NFL.
The performance was emblematic of how lopsided the gap is between the Ravens and the AFC South division champions as the Texans absorbed an embarrassingly ugly 31-2 defeat on Christmas at NRG Stadium as they were booed repeatedly by their own fans in an internationally broadcast game on Netflix.
One year after the Texans’ season ended unceremoniously in an AFC divisional round loss to the Ravens, there is still a huge disparity between these two AFC teams hoping to compete with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Ravens at least have a puncher’s chance. The Texans look like the opposite of a contender right now, a banged-up football team regressing in virtually every facet of the game.
Down and out best characterizes the state of the 9-7 Texans after consecutive losses to the Chiefs and Ravens.
This was an absolute blowout. If it wasn’t Jackson making normally elite defenders look silly while breaking the NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback previously held by Michael Vick, the Texans were being punished by powerhouse running back Derrick Henry.
Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Henry rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries, pounding a traditionally stout defense that allowed 245 rushing yards on 39 carries and two touchdown runs for a 6.3 average per run.
Another virtuoso performance by Jackson ensued as he earned an opening for tight end Mark Andrew on a 67-yard reception.
If it wasn’t the 6-foot-3, 248-pound Henry plowing over tacklers, there was Jackson dashing away and accelerating into high gear on an untouched 48-yard touchdown run.
Before he was rested late in the game and replaced by backup Josh Johnson, who argued with Texans running back Joe Mixon before kickoff before cooler heads prevailed, Jackson completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 143.9 passer rating. He was only sacked once.
He also rushed for 87 yards on just four carries, averaging 21.8 yards per run.
It was obvious that the toll of the Texans playing without hard hitters Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre, out for the season with foot and pectoral injuries, respectively, and suspended linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as he served his final three-game punishment for his controversial hit on Trevor Lawrence, made a difference in the competitiveness of the defense.
There was only one really good moment for the Texans’ defense.
That was when rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter tackled Henry in the end zone for a safety.
Other than that, the Texans struggled mightily on both sides of the football.
Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
C.J. Stroud completed 17 of 31 passes for 185 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and was sacked five times, hit 10 times overall by the Ravens.
Mixon rushed for 26 yards on nine carries. And wide receiver Nico Collins held to three catches for 59 yards on six targets.
Wide receiver John Metchie, playing more extensively with Tank Dell out for the season after suffering a devastating knee injury, caught five passes for 48 yards.
Nothing worked really well for the Texans, who were reminded there’s a difference between the elite teams of the NFL and where they currently stand as the kings of a weak AFC South division.
The Texans went 0 for 2 in the red zone.
They converted just 4 of 14 third downs.
And they got beat to the punch consistently at the line of scrimmage, struggling to match the Ravens’ superior physicality in the trenches and didn’t adjust to basic line stunts.
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.