BALTIMORE — Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney is facing the team that selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.
But Clowney said his focus is on helping Baltimore reach the Super Bowl and not showing up his former team, the Houston Texans, in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Saturday at 4:30 at M&T Bank Stadium.
“To me, it’s the next game up,” Clowney said. “I just want to win, because it’s the playoffs; it’s bigger than just worrying about the Texans. There is much more at stake. It’s either win or go home. And we want to get away with this win, so [that] we can keep fighting for the goal we’ve been fighting for all year. What you do all of this for is to try to get to that Super Bowl and win it.”
Clowney spent the first five seasons of his career in Houston (2014-2018), where he went to three Pro Bowls before spending time with Seattle (2019), Cleveland (2021-22) and, this past year, with the Ravens.
Clowney, 30, has rejuvenated his career in Baltimore and tied a career high with 9 1/2 sacks. He knows time is running is short to be part of a championship team.
“I’m in Year 10, and you never know how many more you’ve got left,” he said. “I’ve been in the game 10 years and haven’t been this far; [I] haven’t won or gotten a bye – that first-round bye – ever. So, this is big for me and – in my career – where I’m at. I just hope [that] I can continue to help this team and help us get our long-term goal, [which] is to win a Super Bowl. And like I said, we’ve got to knock the Texans off just to do that.”
Defense
The Ravens’ defense has been dominant in big games.
Since 2000, the Ravens rank No. 1 in the NFL in points per game (17.3), yards allowed per game (288.6) and opponents yards per play (4.5.) in the postseason. The Ravens have permitted 300 or fewer yards in five consecutive playoff games — the longest active streak in the NFL.
High stakes
The City of Baltimore has not hosted an AFC Championship Game since January 3rd, 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders, 27-17, and went on to defeat the Cowboys, 16-13, in the Super Bowl. The Ravens have the opportunity to break that drought with a win against Houston. If the Ravens advance, they will host Kansas City or Buffalo next Sunday.