While these two teams squared off in the season opener—a comfortable 25-9 victory for Baltimore—so much has changed since that neither coach may bother spending a ton of time on that film. The Ravens ascended to AFC superpower status with Lamar Jackson all but securing the second MVP honor of his career, while the ahead-of-schedule Texans shattered all realistic expectations for themselves and their rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud.
Baltimore boasts the better roster, but there could be some worries of rust, since the Ravens had a first-round bye and didn't suit up all of their regulars in a meaningless Week 18 bout. Houston, meanwhile, is riding high after dispatching the fifth-seeded Cleveland Browns by a 45-14 count and has now won three in a row.
Kansas City and Buffalo both had their ups and downs this season, but each looked the part of a heavyweight contender during Wild Card weekend. The Chiefs and Bills ousted the Dolphins and Steelers, respectively, in games decided by 14-plus points.
Just two years back, these same teams—and these same quarterbacks—locked horns in a Divisional Round shootout that featured 78 combined points. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen combined for seven touchdown throws and each rushed for 60-plus yards (with Mahomes adding a rushing score) in that thrill ride, which wasn't decided until Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a walk-off, eight-yard touchdown strike in overtime.
