Following a breakout performance in a 26-0 win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, first-year running back Woody Marks joined CJ Stroud as just the second Houston Texans player to earn NFL Rookie of the Week over the last dozen years. Marks finished with 119 yards from scrimmage and added two scores for good measure, solidifying himself as Houston's number one back so long as Joe Mixon remains on the mend.
This standout performance could just be the start for Woody Marks, though. This Sunday, the Texans travel to Baltimore to face a Ravens squad dealing with an injury report that would take as long to read as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. In addition to Lamar Jackson, who will likely be sidelined for a handful of weeks with a hamstring injury, the Ravens will also be missing numerous defensive starters.
This is an awfully problematic development for a defense that was regularly being torched even before the injuries began piling up in a major way this past Sunday versus Kansas City. And now it provides the Texans, whose offense has been lacking, an opportunity to build on some of the momentum they captured in their first win of the season last weekend.
"Last week was last week. Just got to go out and get to work," Woody Marks said of the Texans' approach to facing Baltimore, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. "Me personally, I'm approaching it; I just want to come home with the win. Haven't won a road game in a year coming from college. So,I just want to get the feeling of coming back home, on the plane, winning the game."
A win over Baltimore would be a welcomed capper to the first quarter of the season for the Texans. After an 0-3 start, the Texans would enter their Week 6 bye with a 2-3 record... not ideal, but certainly not so bad that it would be unrealistic for Houston to make a push for their third consecutive postseason appearance.
But even with all of the injuries, the Texans would be wise not to take Baltimore too lightly. After all, we're talking about a team that dominated Houston last Christmas to the tune of a 31-2 defeat at NRG Stadium.
Can Ravens Rushing Attack Run Wild Even Without Lamar Jackson?
The answer to this question is ultimately what will determine whether the Texans head into their bye week with some semblance of momentum, or with the feeling as if this is already a lost season. Last December, the Ravens rushed for 251 yards against the Texans defense. It was the first time Houston had allowed over 250 rushing yards in a game since October 2022 when, you guessed it, Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans steamrolled the Texans for 314 rushing yards.
Now sure, last year, Lamar Jackson's presence played a role in Baltimore topping that 250 yard mark. It's an understatment to say that backup quarterback Cooper Rush doesn't have wheels that Lamar does. But there's proof of concept that any offense featuring Derrick Henry is one that could dominate the time of possession and break a defense's will. Over the years, the Texans have learned this the hard way.
Over the course of his illustrious 10 year career, King Henry has rushed for more yards versus the Houston Texans than any other franchise in the NFL. In 15 games, he's accumulated 1,578 yards on the ground and scored 13 touchdowns.
In order to make it out of Baltimore with a win, the Texans defense will need all hands on deck to ensure that Henry doesn't have another monstrous performance.