The Texans were widely believed to be the best team in the AFC and had been impressive leading up the Ravens’ visit.
No matter who was on the field for the Ravens defense, it needed to improve over what was on the tape from the Dallas mess. Stopping the run was a major issue leading up to Houston, especially knowing that Arian Foster would be looking to pound the defense. Foster would set up Schaub’s ability to expose the middle of the field where the Ravens were starting second-stringers and subbing various packages onto the field to not expose glaring deficiencies.
Even though the Ravens were tight-lipped about Suggs’ return – as they are about all injuries, which is to say that Harbaugh is perhaps more paranoid about this issue than any other piece of information in the building, it became apparent throughout the week that he was expecting to play in Houston. Getting Suggs back would allow the Ravens to shore up running game while still providing a real presence to get after the quarterback in passing situations.
Suggs was a returning Defensive Player of The Year, but what was the level of his health and fitness? Would he have the burst we saw before the Achilles injury?
Many in the organization marveled at Suggs’ level of commitment to returning in such a short rehab time for such a serious injury, especially a weight-bearing injury on a guy of his size and large frame. There were times when the Ravens’ questioned his maturity after drafting him in 2003, but they never questioned his desire to win and the injury really tested him because being on the sideline was killing him and everyone sensed that.
“Seeing my team go to battle without me [hurt],” Suggs said. “I am a football player; that’s what I’ve been since I was eight years old. This offseason was the one time I was told I couldn’t play the game I love. When you’re playing the game every year since you were eight, and you’re finally told you can’t play, it’s heartbreaking.”
And for all of his “T-Sizzle” persona and class clown bravado, underneath all the foolishness was a kid who scored high on the Wonderlic test and had what the scouts in Baltimore called, “great football character.”
“In some ways, the injury was a gift from God,” he said. “It opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn’t appreciate – one was myself. Sometimes you don’t realize what you mean to a team, to your teammates, even to fans. Before, I took things for granted – like going to work, practice, playing with my kids. I appreciate more now.”
In Houston, Texans fans had gobbled up the tickets because locally it was a major revenge game, a grudge match. The nosebleed seats were selling for more than $200, almost like a playoff game. For the Ravens, it was a chance to stop the defensive bleeding as Suggs returned and a chance to show once again that they could win a big game against an AFC Super Bowl favorite on the road. The thinking was simple – lose here and you’ll probably have to come back here in January, so the stakes were high at Reliant Stadium on October 21st.
