NFL 2017: Who plays on Monday Night Football in Week 12?
By Nick Sparrow
The Baltimore Ravens will host the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in Week 12 of the NFL season.
The Baltimore Ravens will face off against the Houston Texans in a primetime Monday Night Football matchup on ESPN. The Ravens are coming off of a 23-0 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, their third shutout of the season. The Texans are also coming off a victory, a 31-21 win at home over the Arizona Cardinals. Both of these teams are still battling to achieve an AFC Wild Card spot so this game is sure to have some interesting ramifications.
The Ravens are just 5-5 but would make the playoffs with the second AFC Wild Card spot if the season were ending today. Baltimore’s offense has struggled this season, ranked just 18th in points scored 32nd in yards gained per play.
However, their defense has been a force to be reckoned with an is keeping their season afloat. Through the first eleven weeks of the season, the Ravens defense ranks third in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed per play. Additionally, the team leads the league with 16 team interceptions, two more than the second-ranked Philadelphia Eagles and an average of 1.6 interceptions per game.
The Texans have faltered after losing rookie phenom Deshaun Watson to an ACL injury he suffered in practice. With Watson as the starter, the team only went 3-3 but were averaging 34.6 points per game with a dynamic offense the team had been lacking in recent seasons.
Quarterback Tom Savage was named as the starter prior to the start of the season but after a dreadful Week 1 performance Watson was named the starter after replacing Savage in the first game of the season. In the three games since Watson was injured, the Texans have gone 1-2 and are averaging just 17.3 points per game.
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Baltimore is 3-2 against Houston in their last five matchups with the home team winning every contest dating back to 2011. As seven-point favorites and history on their side, it certainly appears as if the Ravens might have this game in hand. Still, with an offense as unpredictable as Baltimore’s it is impossible to count out the Texans even with Savage as their quarterback.