Game Recap: Ravens 30, Texans 9

Touchdown returns by ILB Daryl Smith joe staley game jersey and WR/RS Tandon Doss kick started the Ravens.

The Ravens have been searching for the big play early on this season.

With their offense struggling in the first half, they finally got it – from defense and special teams.

With momentum heavily against the Ravens, linebacker Daryl Smith and punt returner Tandon Doss provided game-changing plays with returns for touchdowns that flipped the course of the game.

The defense took it from there, continuing its dominant ways once again, but this time against a very talented Texans offense and with Ring of Honor inductee Ray Lewis watching from the sidelines.

Add it up, and it was a 30-9 win over the Houston Texans Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

I commend the football team for playing rock-solid football, Head Coach John Harbaugh said. For displaying the mental toughness it takes to beat a team of that caliber, to overcome a first quarter the way we did.

The Texans (2-1) are another top AFC contender, and they blew out the Ravens by 30 points last season, the most lopsided loss of the John Harbaugh era. This time around, the defense largely provided a blowout.

Since surrendering a franchise-high 49 points in Denver to open the season, Baltimores revamped defense hasnt allowed a touchdown in its next two games.

We want to be a great defense, cornerback Lardarius Webb said. We played a great Denver team the first game and Peyton Manning did a great job. We just wanted to show that wasnt us. We wanted to keep getting better and better.

The game couldnt have started much uglier for the Ravens, and they were fortunate to only be trailing by six points near the start of the second quarter.

Houston opened with a 16-play drive aided by a Ravens penalty for having too many men on the field on a field-goal attempt, giving Houston a free first down. The Texans still had to settle for three points. Houston got great starting field position on their third drive, but again got just a field goal.

Still, there were concerns looming for the Ravens.

The offensive line was having a tough time against the ganz modern sechsundzwanzigjerseys,liebst du mich?verstehst du mich?Allison Wang Texans talented front seven. Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie was flagged twice for grabbing a facemask and guard Kelechi Osemele was called for a hold.

Baltimore couldnt get the run game going either. With Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice out due to a hip injury, Bernard Pierce and the Ravens ran nine times in the first half and got just 14 yards.

The Ravens offense had bad starting field position and gained jared allen womens jersey just nine yards on its first three drives. The Texans dominated time of possession in the first quarter (12 minutes, 15 seconds to 2:45).

Despite not getting much rest, the defense kept Baltimore in the game. Then it put the Ravens ahead.

The momentum swung when Smith stepped in front of a pass intended for tight end Owen Daniels and took it 37 yards to the end zone. Its the 10-year veterans first career interception return for a touchdown, and he did it on the day when the Ravens honored his predecessor Lewis.

He didnt have a flashy dance like Lewis, but Smith put up six points just the same.

I guess its sort of like a dream, Smith said. I just remember catching it and just running as fast as I could, trying to get in there. Im ray lewis elite jersey not a dancer or nothing like that. I just gave them a little something and went back to the bench.