Battle Plans: Merry Movement & Misdirection!

Movement and Misdirection on Early Downs

The Texans boast a top-10 protection in most traditional and superior metrics, however they’re susceptible to huge performs. They’ve allowed the eighth-most touchdowns this season, together with a league-high 28 via the air, in addition to 1,876 yards after the catch (sixth-most) and 50 explosive runs (Eleventh-most). The Ravens offense, in the meantime, ranks second with 37 passing TDs and leads the NFL with 77 explosive rushes.

Derrick Henry additionally demolished the Texans throughout his time within the AFC South, together with a five-game stretch from 2019 to 2022 through which he racked up 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns. Houston has fared higher in opposition to Henry underneath DeMeco Ryans, holding him to 51 yards on 28 makes an attempt, largely with out stacking the field and utilizing comprise protection as an alternative.

This 12 months, although, the Texans’ 24.5% stacked field fee is eighth-highest, which can possible proceed with each Henry and Lamar Jackson within the backfield. Nonetheless, the Texans run protection is definitely worse when utilizing stacked bins and defending exterior the tackles in comparison with mild bins and inside runs. The Ravens lead the NFL in dashing exterior the tackles and in opposition to stacked bins in yards per play, EPA/play, and explosive rushes.

Ryans may have finished his homework, so his protection will likely be ready to restrict huge performs. The Ravens ought to nonetheless attempt to generate them, however this additionally presents a chance for an underrated energy of Todd Monken: his capacity to make use of the specter of his playmakers to open up room elsewhere.

The Texans allowed simply 4.7 yards per play in opposition to movement coming into Week 16, the second-fewest within the NFL, however the Chiefs used loads of movement of their victory over Houston on Saturday to get their playmakers into open house.

Monken ought to do the identical on Wednesday, tailoring his strategy on early downs to keep away from the apparent passing conditions that the Texans favor to defend on third down.

Saturday’s win over the Steelers was a masterclass in misdirection, with Monken persistently utilizing movement and play motion to tug Pittsburgh a technique and transfer the ball in the other way.

He used the specter of Jackson to open up house for Henry, and the specter of Henry to open up passing lanes downfield.

Look acquainted? Ravens used comparable unbalanced line, faux run/toss ideas on the Devontez Walker landing vs. Giants and the opening Isaiah Doubtless landing vs. Steelers. pic.twitter.com/8sVFPoJCAM

Tempo out of the Huddle to Sort out Over

Pretend Toss + Swap Verts pic.twitter.com/La7LStM3hW

The Ravens’ resurgent display screen recreation can even play an enormous position in attacking the Texans’ blitzes and stacked bins by forcing them to defend sideline to sideline. Monken can combine and match movement, play motion, and even faux screens into handoffs to maintain Houston guessing.

Run-Go Synergy on Late Downs

That form of misdirection will likely be essential in opposition to a wonderful Texans cornerback duo, in accordance with Subsequent Gen Stats:

Kamari Lassiter (32.3%) and Derek Stingley Jr. (34.2%) have allowed the bottom and 2nd-lowest completion percentages when focused as the closest defenders in man protection amongst cornerbacks with not less than 25 such targets confronted this season, respectively.

Stingley has been particularly spectacular, main that very same group of corners with a 24.7 passer score when focused in man protection this season. He and the remainder of the Texans protection excel in apparent passing conditions, after they roll out man blitzes with single-high security protection.

Jackson demolished single-high blitzes in opposition to the Steelers, throwing for 163 yards in opposition to their 68.0% blitz fee and finishing 14 of 18 makes an attempt in opposition to single-high security shells for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

The Texans’ secondary is more likely to be extra competent than a shorthanded Steelers unit was in Week 16. They attempt to bait throws downfield to allow them to make performs on the ball, a boom-or-bust strategy that has led to the second-most interceptions (13) and the third-most touchdowns (21) on throws previous the sticks this season.

Jackson has taken care of the ball when throwing previous the sticks this season with a 29:1 TD:INT ratio. He has been glorious at utilizing his eyes to control second-level defenders and isolate favorable 1-on-1 matchups downfield.

His legs can even play an enormous position in opposition to a ferocious Texans go rush. Their strain fee, sack fee, and common get-off time are all ranked third within the NFL, led by edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Jackson’s capacity to flee strain and keep away from sacks has been essentially the most underrated a part of his recreation this 12 months, and he’ll must be prepared to maneuver on Wednesday to restrict unfavorable performs.

Nonetheless, the Texans’ excessive man-coverage fee on third downs has persistently left them susceptible to scrambles. They allowed 9.2 yards per scramble (fifth-most) coming into Week 16, then gave up 35 yards and a landing to Patrick Mahomes on his three scrambles on Saturday.

Jackson must take off on Wednesday, particularly when the Texans’ man protection has their defenders’ backs turned. Jackson has finished effectively to scramble on late downs when the Ravens want yards to maneuver the chains, however he must also run slightly extra on earlier downs to arrange simpler conversions in a while.

However quite than utilizing Jackson’s legs as a primarily defensive mechanism, Monken ought to drive the difficulty with RPOs, sprintouts, and play motion boots into house. Jackson’s dashing capacity must be an ever-present menace, particularly with Azeez Al-Shaair nonetheless suspended. Utilizing his legs extra deliberately will make sure that the whole offense is on the identical web page from the snap, creating explosive play alternatives in-structure and off-schedule.