The Texans entered Saturday’s divisional-round game in Baltimore as significant underdogs for a reason. The Ravens were arguably the NFL’s best team during the regular season, and their vaunted defense wasn’t a great matchup for even the best rookie quarterback.
Winning in Baltimore was always going to be a challenge for DeMeco Ryans’ team. Winning in spite of numerous penalties would be nearly impossible, and that’s exactly how Saturday played out as Houston suffered a season-ending 31-10 defeat.
The Texans might not have walked out of M&T Bank Stadium with a win regardless, considering the way the Ravens’ defense dominated the game, but Ryans will undoubtedly preach discipline entering 2024 after his young roster cost itself with mistakes on its way to elimination.
MORE: Revisiting DeMeco Ryans’ impressive playing career
Here’s what you need to know about the Texans’ penalties in their divisional-round loss to Baltimore.
Texans penalties vs. Ravens
The Texans committed 11 penalties on Saturday, setting a franchise playoff record.
Houston committed six penalties in the first quarter alone as the offense struggled to adjust to the crowd noise at M&T Bank Stadium. It tied the mark for the most first-quarter penalties for any team in a playoff game since at least 2000.
A majority of the Texans’ penalties came before the snap, dealing a blow to a handful of Houston’s early drives against a tough defense. Eight of 11 penalties came on the offensive side of the ball.
Coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged after the game just how much the penalties hurt the Texans.
‘The penalties really hurt us,’ #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans ‘It had nothing to do with the crowd. That’s on us. Message to our guys was it will be about execution. We weren’t disciplined presnap’ @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 21, 2024
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans gives credit to Lamar Jackson. Says that’s why he’s the MVP.
Also adds, “You can’t have penalties against a really good defense.” pic.twitter.com/rz9oxCeahr
— Hayes Gardner (@HayesGardner) January 21, 2024
Here’s the complete breakdown of Houston’s penalties against the Ravens, which cost the team a total of 70 yards.
- False start (Q1)
- Intentional grounding (Q1)
- False start (Q1)
- Defensive holding (Q1)
- False start (Q1)
- Delay of game (Q1)
- Encroachment (Q2)
- False start (Q2)
- Neutral zone infraction (Q3)
- Offensive holding (Q4)
- False start (Q4)
Ravens coach John Harbaugh credited the crowd for the Texans’ six false start penalties, telling reporters, “it was deafening out there.”
“[The fans] were amazing. 6 false start penalties… Man, it was deafening out there.”
– Ravens coach John Harbaugh on the Baltimore crowd pic.twitter.com/Q5FGlI9ebK
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 21, 2024
Ironically, the Texans played better in the first half when most of their penalties occurred. Houston still went to halftime tied at 10, but penalties left the Texans feeling as though they could have ended the half with a lead in hand. The game unraveled for Houston in the second half, even as the Texans cut back on penalties just a bit.
MORE: Lamar Jackson contract details after 2023 extension
Discipline was an issue for the Texans throughout the regular season, as they finished with the fourth-highest penalty total (114) behind the Jets, Cowboys, and Browns. Houston committed just three penalties against Cleveland in the wild-card round, but Ryans’ group had the benefit of the home crowd in that blowout win.
While the Ravens are moving on, the Texans will keep their heads high after shattering expectations in 2023 and setting the stage for what they hope will be an even deeper run next season.
