By Cordell Woodland
Special to the AFRO
The No. 1-seeded Baltimore Ravens (13-4) will host the Houston Texans (10-7) on Jan. 20 in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs at M&T Bank Stadium (4:30 p.m./ESPN). It’s the second meeting between the teams this season. The Ravens are hoping for a similar outcome to their first matchup where they beat the Texans 25-9.
At stake is a trip to the AFC Championship game.
As much as one would like to revisit that Week 1 matchup, it would be pointless considering how different both teams are entering the weekend. Each team has matured, and both are led by young star players. Here are five non-quarterback players you should watch out for in this matchup.
Kyle Hamilton
The first-time all-pro and pro bowler has been one of the pillars of the Ravens’ defense all year. Jan. 20 should be no different. Kyle Hamilton has shown the ability to cover down the field and that will be useful against this Texans offense that thrives off big plays in the passing game.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud tied Packers quarterback Jordan Love for the most yards per attempt in Super Wild Card weekend with 13.0. He will hunt the big plays so Kyle and the rest of this secondary will have to be ready. Hamilton will also be a force in stopping the run as he leads all NFL safeties in tackles for loss.
Nico Collins
Nico Collins enters this game as the best receiver on either team. He’s coming off a great performance against the Browns where he had six catches for 96 receiving yards and a touchdown. Collins finished the season eighth in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Collins has made a living taking the top off opposing defenses and the Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton knows they must slow him down. “He’s fast, good hands. He runs crisp routes, and they feature him in the offense get him a lot of deep balls give him a chance to go up and make plays.” Look for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver to be the guy that the Texans lean on for an offensive spark.
Isaiah Likely
Second-year tight end Isaiah Likely was called into action when Mark Andrews went down against the Bengals in Week 11. Since then, Likely has been one of Lamar Jackson’s most trusted targets. Likely has five touchdowns in his last six games and his confidence seems to be growing with each game.
This postseason will be different for Likely as it’ll be his first playoff game as lead tight end. While his responsibilities have increased, he hasn’t allowed himself to make the moment bigger than it is. “The key is keeping the main thing the main thing and being where my feet are,” he said. “I just need to be in the right spots when Lamar needs me.”
Jonathan Greenard
Jonathan Greenard is probably a name a lot of people don’t recognize unless they watch the Texans regularly. While he’s not a household name, that doesn’t stop him from being one of the more productive edge rushers in the NFL. Greenard, who is tied for 10th in the league in sacks (12.5 sacks), will look to make Jackson’s life miserable on Jan. 20.
The Ravens offensive line has played well this year, but the tackles have struggled with consistency. Offensive tackles Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses have played better down the stretch but there could be a path for guys like Greenard and Will Anderson Jr. to make a true impact.
Zay Flowers
The first-round draft pick has been everything the Ravens could’ve hoped for when they took Zay Flowers with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Flowers has added another explosive weapon for this offense, and he has made an impact all season. In the Week 1 matchup against the Texans, Flowers finished with nine catches on 78 yards. He finished the year on a high note with four touchdowns in five games.
Flowers has been nursing a calf injury that kept him out of practice last week but with his return to the practice field this week it looks like he’ll be ready to go. “I feel great,” he said on Jan. 17. “I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go with the guys, get back on the field try to go get a win.” If Baltimore is going to have success on offense, Flowers will be a big part of what they do.
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