Houston Texans Crush Baltimore Ravens, Stay Atop AFC

The Houston Texans proved that they're currently the best team in the AFC after handing the Baltimore Ravens a convincing loss on Sunday at Reliant Stadium, 43-13.

The two teams entered the game with the identical records of five wins and one loss, but the Texans made a statement as they dominated the game from the start. The Ravens' second loss may not have been surprising for a club that has been plagued with injuries on defense.

The absence of Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb was present as Baltimore's defense conceded their most points since a 44-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in 2007.

Houston racked up 420 total yards compared to just 176 from Baltimore. Matt Schaub threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Arian Foster ran for 98 yards on 19 carries.

Andre Johnson finished with a season-high nine catches for 86 yards. The Pro Bowl wide out is not enjoying a great season, as he is 29th in the league in receiving yards. Tight end Owen Daniels is 30th in the category.

The ground game has been effective for Houston. Foster is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (561) and has 72 receiving yards.

But it's the defense that might be the reason for the Texans' success. Houston has received an excellent effort from J.J. Watt, a defensive end who leads the league in sacks. The 23-year-old has also terrorized quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez by swatting passes.

The Texans' defense are sixth in the NFL in average yards per game (300.8) and have done a solid job of holding opponents to under 26 points per game. The only team that scored more than 25 in a game were the Green Bay Packers, who handed Houston a home loss on Oct. 14, 42-24.

Houston has a rather favorable schedule for the rest of the season. The Texans only play three teams with winning records in the final nine games: the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings.