Rushing through the Texans.

With a game against the Houston Texans offense that's capable of running the ball well but chooses to throw, what kind of game will Terrell Suggs have?

The Texans pass the ball very efficiently as they are currently ranked 10th in league averaging 242.5 passing yard a game and 7th in total offense. Quarterback Matt Schaub has done a good job of pushing the ball down the field without tossing frivolous interceptions.

His favorite target, Andre Johnson, has been an outstanding receiver ever since he entered the league in 2003 and this season has been no exception. He is the fourth quickest player to reach a thousand receiving yards (currently has 1018) this season. The Ravens defense do not have the cornerbacks to cover Johnson for ample amounts of time however, if pressure can be applied to Schaub, defending the pass will be much easier.

The Texans' offensive line has protected Schaub and blocked for Arian Foster consistently all year so the task of sacking Schaub is not an easy one. Houston left tackle Duane Brown who served a four-game suspension earlier in the year is good but not great and can be taken advantage of by elite pass rushers, a category I am willing place Terrell Suggs into.

Terrell Suggs, the Ravens leading pass rusher, has rejuventated his career by demonstrating the relentless tenacity many thought he lost when he signed his six year, $63 million contract before the 2009 season. Including his 1.5 sack performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday night, he has accumulated 9.0 sacks on the year, double his 2009 season total.

Suggs and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who is second on the team with 5.5 sacks, have to make residence in the pocket on Monday otherwise Schaub, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and Arian Foster will find a rhythm in the passing game. They did a good job of it against the Steelers, making Ben Roethlisberger flush out of the pocket with an injured foot.

Regardless of how much "potential" people think the Ravens offense has, they can't win this one in a shootout, the defense will have to force turnovers and make crucial stops.