Texans" Defense Shines in Playoff Loss to Ravens Gail Burton/Associated Press Brooks Reed, left, and Antonio Smith corralling Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who was hit frequently and sacked five times. BALTIMORE - With M&T Bank Stadium buzzing and the Baltimore Ravens" offense finally moving, quarterback Joe Flacco took a snap on fourth-and-goal from the Houston Texans" 1-yard line late in the third quarter Sunday. Flacco tucked the ball into the arms of running back Ray Rice moments before Rice was tucked into the arms of Houston Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins, who dropped him for no gain. Similar scenes unfolded throughout this A.F.C. divisional playoff game, as the Texans" defense stuffed, stymied and swarmed the Ravens. Afterward, Houston's players seemed almost stunned that their effort had resulted in a 20-13 loss. "We got after Flacco," Texans safety Glover Quin said, shaking his head. It was just like we planned. Flacco completed 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards and was sacked five times, tying a season high. Rice, who averaged 4.7 yards per carry during the regular season, was held to 60 yards on 21 carries, an average of 2.9 yards per rush. The Ravens were stopped on their lone fourth-down attempt, and they punted nine times. The longest of their four scoring drives was the last one, a modest 45-yard march that resulted in a 44-yard Billy Cundiff field goal. "You have to take what's there," Rice said, "and there wasn't a lot there today." But the Texans were undone by missed opportunities. The Ravens fumbled the ball onto the chilly turf three times, and they recovered it each time. Although the Texans continually stopped the Ravens from moving the ball, they were unable to take it away. "It's tough when you see the ball on the ground and you don't get it," Texans defensive end J. J. Watt said. The Ravens have built their reputation on a ferocious defense that seems to fit their city's blue-collar profile. But in recent years, the Texans could not relate. Last season they stopped teams the way napkins stop flash floods, allowing 376.9 yards per game, ranking 30th in the league. This season, when the Pro Bowl linebacker Mario Williams was lost for the year with a torn pectoral muscle on Oct. 9, it figured to open an express lane for opponents. But Houston's young and athletic defense matured quickly. The Texans allowed 285.7 yards per game, second to only the Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston held the Cincinnati Bengals to 10 points in their wild-card playoff win last weekend, and on Sunday, it showed that the body of work was not a mirage. Flacco was popped and pummeled throughout. "No quarterback wants to get hit that much," Houston linebacker Brian Cushing said. If you do that, it completely disrupts their passing game. But in the end, the Texans faltered because Baltimore forced turnovers and they did not. The Ravens" first touchdown came on a 2-yard drive after Houston's Jacoby Jones fumbled a punt. The second came on a 34-yard drive that followed an interception by Houston quarterback T. J. Yates. When the Texans stopped Flacco, drives usually ended with booming punts. "At the end of the day, we have to find a way to get the ball out more, because they beat us in turnovers and we weren't able to get any, even though we were back there," Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. After the game, several Texans wondered whether the game would have gone differently with Williams on the field. "For Mario, I couldn't imagine what he was feeling, just not being able to do anything," the rookie linebacker Brooks Reed said. Just having to watch. Houston mixed the frustration of the moment with enthusiasm for next season. The defense is one of the youngest in the league, with rookies like Watt and Reed. And the return of Williams would give the Texans another weapon. The culture around the team, especially the defense, has shifted. "This is the first time in a while where I'm done with my last game and I don't want to stop playing," Cushing said. As Coach Gary Kubiak stood at the dais, the hope of what is to come was mixed with the sting of what could have been. "They've been exceptional, and what a bright future to look forward to," Kubiak said. It's very exciting, and very painful at the same time.