Ravens Still Have Hope

HOUSTON —  Jeff Blake and Matt Stover helped the Baltimore Ravens keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Blake threw two touchdown passes and Stover kicked three field goals, the last with 6:48 to play, as the Ravens beat the Houston Texans, 23-19, Sunday.

“You have to do what it takes and we came out and did it today,” Blake said.

The Ravens (7-7) have games remaining against two AFC North teams. They play host to Cleveland (7-7) on Sunday and end the regular season Dec. 29 at Pittsburgh (8-5-1).

“We went on the road in a playoff hunt and executed what you have to do to win a game,” Coach Brian Billick said. “They did an outstanding job. I like the way they answered some situations. It bodes well for this team now and in the future.”

The Ravens led, 13-7, at halftime on Stover’s two kicks of 22 yards each, and Blake’s 26-yard touchdown pass play to Travis Taylor and Blake’s 11-yard touchdown pass play to Chester Taylor with 3:33 left in the third quarter made it 20-7. Blake, who wasn’t sacked, completed 18 of 30 passes for 228 yards, with no interceptions. The Texans (4-10) got a little momentum back when Avion Black returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown with four seconds left in the third quarter.

Houston’s David Carr was sacked twice, leaving him two sacks short of the NFL record of 72 set by Randall Cunningham in 1986. Carr completed 19 of 34 passes for 196 yards, with two interceptions.