Texans Seek To Overcome Ravens, Rash Of Injuries

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Beating the Baltimore Ravens on the road is a difficult task, even for a healthy team riding a crest of momentum.

So here come the Houston Texans, limping into town Sunday without their two best players and bringing a sore-armed quarterback whose final throw last week sealed a maddening loss to Oakland.

The Texans (3-2) listed 18 players on their midweek injury report. Andre Johnson, Houston's leading receiver, is recovering from surgery on his right hamstring; Mario Williams, Houston's sack leader, is gone for the season with a torn pectoral muscle; and Matt Schaub saw limited practice time because of a tender shoulder.

A year ago, Johnson had nine catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns in Houston's 34-28 overtime loss to Baltimore. Williams never got to quarterback Joe Flacco, but the Ravens yielded four sacks while trying to nullify the big defensive end.

Baltimore (3-1) is delighted both won't be around for the rematch.

"We know they're going to have guys come in," running back Ray Rice said. "But when you think about the next man up, you cannot replace an Andre Johnson, you cannot replace a Mario Williams. Those guys are names in the NFL that everyone knows. If we were playing them, we would have to account for those two guys."

Flacco, who's been sacked eight times in four games thus far, won't have to look over his shoulder for an oncoming Williams.

"They've got a lot of good guys over there on defense, but anytime you take a guy like that out of the game, I don't want to say it makes it easier, but it will definitely help us out a little bit," Flacco said.

Baltimore has won 12 of its last 13 home games -- including blowouts this year over Pittsburgh and the New York Jets by a combined 69-24 score.

And now, following a bye, the rested Ravens face a depleted Houston team coming off a 25-20 defeat to the Raiders in which Schaub threw an interception in the end zone as time expired.

"The more you think about it and the more you dwell on it, the more you're hurting yourself for this week," Schaub said. "So we've got to continue on and go to the next play."

Which very well might be handoff to Arian Foster, who ran for 100 yards last season against Baltimore. No one has done it since.

"You have to hit him. He's one of the most complete backs you can see," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. "We know with Andre being out and them going through some things offensively, they're going to run the ball on us. I think we're up for the challenge."

A year ago, Foster won the NFL rushing title while running behind Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach. Now, after signing as a free agent with Baltimore in August, Leach is blocking for Rice.

"He's one of my better friends in the NFL today," Foster said of his former leading man. "I can't wait to see him."

Leach was replaced in Houston by James Casey, who has a chest injury and might be forced to sit out Sunday's game.

"Well, next guy steps up," said offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, a line that just might turn out to be the theme of Houston's 2011 season. "It's like anybody else -- if we have somebody go down, we're going to miss them, but somebody's got to go out there and compete. Maybe our versatility isn't what it was before, but we'll make do."

Schaub threw for 416 yards last week, but he realizes nothing will come easy against a defense that features Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed and Lewis, who's having another standout season at age 36.

"He's still Ray Lewis. He still plays instinctive, reacts to what he sees. He's seen virtually everything that you can throw at him," Schaub said. "You just have to know where he is, much like No. 20 (Reed) back end. You've got to know where he's at and 55 (Suggs) up front. They have a ton of playmakers, and you've got to account for them wherever they are."

Baltimore scored three defensive touchdowns against the Jets and has forced 14 turnovers, tied for second in the league behind Buffalo (16).

"We're trying to get off the football field," Reed said. "We're trying to cause havoc, we're trying to put pressure on you, we don't want you to score."

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)