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The AFC divisional round matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans may have birthed a new rivalry for years to come. After the Ravens trounced the Texans 34-10, Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith rubbed salt in the wound.
And he did so sporting a cowboy-style outfit, complete with snakeskin vest, denim shirt and a black hat.
“I was just like, hey, when I was thinking about this morning,” Smith said when asked about the getup. “I’m like, hey, they are the Texans and they are the cowboys, but, you know, I got this hat on so I’m Daddy.”
Smith led the Ravens with 7 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, and was all over field.
“There’s a villain to every story and, hey, that Cinderella story ended,” Smith added.
Ravens’ Defense Suffocated the Texans Offense All Game
The Texans’ offense entered the game with momentum after scoring 45 points against the Cleveland Browns, one of the top defensive units in the league.
But the Ravens suffocated Houston’s offense, keeping it off the scoreboard in the second half. And Baltimore held rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to 19-of-33 passing for 175 passing yards and no touchdowns.
“We are not the Browns. We are the Baltimore Ravens,” Smith said.
The rushing attack was equally ineffective facing a staunch Ravens front line. Texans runners were able to accumulate only 38 total rushing yards all night.
That was a focus of the Ravens, according to Smith.
“That was huge. Like, all week we know we [need to] stop the run, but that’s with any team. You stop the run and make them one-dimensional and it’s going to be very hard to do anything,” he said. “I’ll put this 11 out on the field vs. anybody else in the league.”
The only touchdown the Texans were able to score came from the special teams unit on a punt return touchdown.
Ryan Mink, the editorial director for the Ravens, posted on X: “The Ravens defense giving up just three points while not getting a turnover or sack is really insane.”
Roquan Smith & the Ravens Are Ready for Anybody
All eyes for the Ravens and their fans are now turned to who will be their opponent in the AFC championship game. They will either face the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs, but it does not really matter to Smith.
“I don’t care who it is,” he told reporters. “It could be my little cousins; it could be grandparents or whatever. You know you roll that ball out there, they gotta get dealt with when they come into the bank by any means necessary.”
The Ravens believe they can beat anyone and are confident in putting their 11 up against any other team’s 11, both on the offense and defense.
Whoever the Ravens do play will need to come into Baltimore and deal with the hostile environment. The Ravens fans have turned M&T Bank Stadium into one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to play.
Speaking to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, Smith said, sent his own warning to the two teams saying, “I love Buffalo wings & I love BBQ. So whoever it is, line ’em up.”
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