NFL Game Summary - Baltimore at Houston
Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Randy Bullock converted a franchise-record six field goals while Arian Foster threw a touchdown pass as the Houston Texans downed the Baltimore Ravens, 25-13, in Week 16 action.
Case Keenum passed for 185 yards and was picked off once after completing 20- of-42 passes to record his first career win as a starter for the Texans (8-7), who guaranteed themselves at least a .500 season with their third win in the last four.
"Nothing's guaranteed, but at least our last game means something," said Texans head coach Bill O'Brien about his club's slim postseason hopes. "That was just a great team effort ... I give a lot of credit to our players and coaching staff. It was a great win for us."
Foster also racked up a game-high 96 yards rushing on 25 attempts while C.J. Fiedorowicz was the beneficiary of his scoring throw. Andre Johnson totaled 65 yards on six catches and reached the 1,000-reception plateau.
Joe Flacco had one of his worst days as a professional, completing only 21 of his 50 passes for 195 yards, two touchdowns to Torrey Smith and three interceptions for the Ravens (9-6), who had a two-game win streak snapped.
"We got our (butts) kicked, plain and simple," Flacco said. "They brought a ton of pressure up the middle and we never got into a groove. We didn't play well and all wer can do is worry about ourselves.
Baltimore needs a win next week at home against Cleveland and some help in order to snag a wild-card berth.
Steve Smith picked up 49 yards on five grabs, while Justin Forsett was held to 19 yards on 10 carries.
Having been blanked in the first half, a 45-yard punt return from Jacoby Jones plus an illegal block above the waist penalty on the Texans gave the Ravens the ball on the Texans' 9 early in the third, and Flacco found Torrey Smith for an 8-yard score.
Later in the quarter, Keenum had a fumble reversed by replay on 3rd down, and on the next snap following a punt, Kareem Jackson stepped in front of another Flacco pass and returned it to the Baltimore 19. Bullock pushed his fourth field goal through from 20 yards away for a 19-7 game.
Bullock was true from 39 yards away in the opening seconds of the fourth, and after the Ravens turned the ball over on downs just across midfield, Bullock made a 33-yarder for an 18-point margin.
Torrey Smith's dive for the near-right pylon from 20 yards out was good with 5:56 left and the Ravens got to 25-13. Flacco, however, was sacked on the 2-point conversion attempt.
Flacco was sacked on 4th down to conclude Baltimore's next series and the Texans ran all but two plays' worth of time off the clock to seal the outcome.
Bullock's 35-yard try was good to cap the game's opening drive, and he connected once more, from 25 yards out, on the first snap of the second quarter.
A.J. Bouye picked off Flacco inside of five minutes to play in the half, and the Texans set up on the Ravens' 16-yard line. Houston's offense stalled and Bullock connected from 30 yards away for a 9-0 game.
Flacco was intercepted by Jackson only two plays later and the hosts had possession on Baltimore's 19. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Foster took a pitch on the right side and threw it into the end zone for Fiedorowicz's first career TD catch and a 16-0 score.