The Texans got two points against the Ravens, but the only thing Baltimore's defense gave Houston was a big lump of coal.
The Ravens defense pitched a shutout against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans' playoff-bound offense in a dominant 31-2 win in Houston on Christmas Day.
This was the defense's most complete performance of the season and a loud statement that Baltimore's defense has not only turned the corner from its early-season struggles but become a team strength.
After the Ravens' 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, cornerback Marlon Humphrey made some candid comments about how the Ravens weren't playing up to Baltimore's defensive standard.
Since then, Baltimore has been one of the best defenses in football, and the world got to see it on Christmas.
"Man, I'm not going to lie. I'd say we've come full circle," Humphrey said. "This is a testament to it all kind of coming together."
The Ravens held the Texans to 211 total yards, sacked Stroud five times, and picked him off once when Kyle Hamilton laid out for an interception at the start of the second half.
The closest Baltimore came to giving up points was a on the drive after Derrick Henry was tackled for a safety. The Ravens defense responded with a goal-line stand, capped by a ferocious hit by Ar'Darius Washington on running back Joe Mixon.
"I saw them throw the ball, and I was like, 'There is no way I'm going to let [Joe Mixon] get in here,' so I just had broke on the ball," Washington said.
The defensive stand was so thrilling that it sent Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr head over heels in celebration.
"I was just so turnt out there. I don't know. I saw [Orr] flying towards the end, but in the moment, I was just in the moment at that time," Washington said. "[He was] screaming, 'Let's go.'"
Baltimore got pressure for much of the game, with Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, Nnamdi Madubuike, Roquan Smith, and Chris Board all getting sacks. Van Noy extended his career high to 11.5 sacks and Oweh is one takedown away from joining him in the double-digit sack club.
The secondary was stingy, as Stroud threw for just 185 yards despite being in catch-up-mode for most of the game. Leading wide receiver Nico Collins had just three catches for 59 yards.
Baltimore made some personnel changes at midseason, inserting Washington into the starting lineup and moving Hamilton back to a more traditional safety role. Wednesday's win was yet another example of how that was a great move. But the Ravens' defensive turnaround is more than that.
"It's just getting 11 guys to do their job, and when we do that, we're a really tough defense," Humphrey said. "When we're not, we look average, and that's not the standard. But today, I thought the standard was there."
