Week 10 of the NFL season saw the lone undefeated team, San Francisco 49ers, fall at the hands to the Seattle Seahawks via an overtime field goal. An instant classic and the best primetime game thus far, the battle for the NFC West is heating up as the teams now sit just one game apart.
The rest of the week 10 schedule was filled with upsets galore. The Dolphins (2-7) took down the Colts (5-4) without Jacoby Brissett. The red hot Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) knocked off the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) without Ben Roethlisberger, and even the Tennessee Titans (5-5) surprised the Kansas Chiefs (6-4) to ruin Patrick Mahomes' return.
While Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson may be the shiny pick for MVP this season, the BushLeagueSports game of the week boasts two of the premier young quarterback talents and possible MVP finalists in Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.
Houston Texans (6-3) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson are two of the best young quarterbacks the NFL has to offer. If not for Patrick Mahomes, whom he beat earlier this season, Watson would be considered the best quarterback in his class and among the NFL's elite.
Jackson falls somewhere in the same category due to being the last quarterback picked in the first round of the 2018 draft despite winning the Heisman trophy. Concerns of Jackson's ability to throw the ball were the main cause for his slide in the draft with NFL Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian even stating Jackson would be better suited as a wide receiver.
While Polian has since apologized for his incorrect take, even I was skeptical of Jackson prior to this season. While Jackson's throwing ability has improved and his running skills are second to none, he's still only a sophomore in the league, making him both exciting but leaves room for doubt. Despite the leeriness, Jackson has cemented himself as a top-tier MVP candidate alongside Watson and the aforementioned Wilson.
Besides their individual play, their teams stack up relatively even with one game separating their record. Baltimore is the more impressive team simply based on whom they have beaten. Knocking off the Seattle Seahawks at home and of course, the Sunday Night Football victory over the then-undefeated New England Patriots has put the Ravens at the top of many experts' power rankings.
Houston's 6-3 record is deceiving as they hold a 2-3 record against teams .500 and above, not to mention their two wins have been by a combined 10 points. While the Texans are a strong candidate to win the AFC South, to take the 12th ranked offense and 19th ranked defense seriously is a hard sell.
Lamar Jackson has been borderline unstoppable, but the Texans' third-ranked rushing defense could limit the threat of the read-option, meaning Jackson will have to win with his arm. Facing the third-worst passing defense in the league, Jackson should have a field day.
Ranking 20th in the NFL in passing, the Ravens may not have the strongest air attack but should be able to find the large holes the Houston defense leaves open.
The one thing working in the Texans favor, besides Deshaun Watson, is their week nine dominating victory over the Jaguars, where the team totaled four takeaways, including two interceptions.
Could the Texans revamped secondary with new additions Gareon Conley and Vernon Hargraves make an impact on Sunday's game? Probably not, and with Jackson's mobility causing problems for any defense, it could be a long game for Houston.
Injury concerns may swing the game in Houston's favor as Ravens' WR Marquise Browns and DT Michael Pierce did not practice as of Thursday, but even without Brown, the Ravens offense has averaged 26 points and 418 yards.
Coming off consecutive weeks of upsets, another one could be on the horizon.
Verdict:
The Ravens and Texans matchup evenly when it comes to the quarterback position. Without Watson or Jackson, both teams would likely be somewhere near the bottom of the league preparing for this year's NFL draft.
While both teams defenses hover around the middle of the NFL (BAL 14th and HOU 19th), the offense is where they make their money. Baltimore enters Sunday with the league's second-ranked offense (20th in passing, 1st in rushing) while Houston ranks 4th (12th in passing, 4th in rushing).
With two evenly matched offenses and two mediocre defenses, Sunday's game will come down to the wire only to be won by the team that holds the ball the longest, meaning the Ravens' second-highest 33:59 will secure them a week 11 victory.
Finals Score: Ravens 30, Texans 26
Week 11 Predictions:
Steelers (5-4) vs. Browns (3-6) - Browns 23, Steelers 20
Jets (2-7) vs, Redskins (1-8) - Jets 26, Redskins 20
Jaguars (4-5) vs. Colts (5-4) - Colts 27, Jaguars 24
Bills (6-3) vs. Dolphins (2-7) - Bills 24, Dolphins 17
Cowboys (5-4) vs. Lions (3-5-1) - Cowboys 31, Lions 24
Falcons (2-7) vs. Panthers (5-4) - Panthers 26, Falcons 24
Saints (7-2) vs. Buccaneers (3-6) - Saints 33, Bucs 26
Broncos (3-6) vs. Vikings (7-3) - Vikings 27, Broncos 16
Cardinals (3-6-1) vs. 49ers (8-1) - 49ers 27, Cardinals 23
Patriots (8-1) vs. Eagles (5-4) - Patriots 27, Eagles 23
Bengals (0-8) vs. Raiders (5-4) - Raiders 26, Bengals 17
Bears (4-5) vs. Rams (5-4) - Rams 27, Bears 23
Chiefs (6-4) vs. Chargers (4-6) - Chiefs 30, Chargers 24
Bye Week: Packers, Titans, Giants, Seahawks
Record: 96-53
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