Baltimore Stay Alive Powered by Derrick Henry's Quadruple-TD Outburst, Houston Clinch Playoff Berth

Derrick Henry accumulated a year-best 216 rushing yards and equaled a career high with four touchdown runs as the Ravens kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Green Bay Packers by a score of 41-24 on Saturday night.

The powerful back had three touchdown runs in the opening two quarters and then found the end zone once more on a 25-yard dash with 1:56 left in the game. His seventh 200-yard game surpassed two legendary runners for the highest total in league history.

His 36 carries constituted a career high.

The Ravens (8-8) now must rely on the AFC North-leading Steelers lose at the Browns on Sunday. A Pittsburgh win in Cleveland would end the Ravens' postseason dreams. If the Browns win that game, the could capture the division title by defeating the Steelers on the road next week.

Green Bay (9-6-1) lost their third straight, allowing the Chicago Bears to clinch the NFC North title. The Packers had already clinched a playoff berth earlier in the week.

Both teams were missing their first-string QBs as the Ravens' star QB deals with a back injury while Green Bay’s Jordan Love is in the concussion protocol. The two backup quarterbacks – Tyler Huntley and Green Bay’s Malik Willis – were both productive in a game that featured only a single punt.

Willis went 18 of 21 for a personal-best 288 passing yards and one touchdown, and he also ran for 60 yards and two scores before exiting after re-injuring a shoulder issue. The Ravens' backup was 16 of 20 for 107 yards with one touchdown.

The deciding factor in the game was the Packers' failure to stop Henry, who helped the Ravens outrush the Packers by a wide margin.

The star running back didn’t touch the ball in the Ravens' last two possessions the week before in a costly loss. The veteran running back’s lack of fourth-quarter usage was a major point of discussion locally all week.

The Ravens made sure he touched the rock early and often. His powerful running enabled the Ravens to put points on the board on their initial five drives and take a 13-point lead at the break.

Henry totaled 15 carries in Baltimore’s opening two drives and finished each of them with scores. He added a further short TD run just before the second quarter ended.

Green Bay got back into the game by outplaying the Ravens 10-0 in the third quarter.

After a three-pointer, the Packers elicited the first punt of the night. The QB then scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-24.

But the Baltimore squad responded on their next series.

Henry ran for a crucial first down on a third-and-5. He ended the third quarter with a 30-yard burst. Those key runs set up a scoring strike from the quarterback to Zay Flowers.

Willis led the Packers into Baltimore territory before hurting his shoulder and heading to the locker room. His replacement threw an pick on his only pass.

Texans Secure Postseason Berth After Victory Over Chargers

CJ Stroud threw for a pair of deep scores on the team's first two drives, and the Houston went on to defeat the Chargers 20-16 on Saturday to secure a third consecutive playoff berth.

The Houston Texans, now 11-5 extended their winning streak to eight games, their longest such streak in several seasons.

The Los Angeles Chargers, also 11-5 had their four-game winning streak ended and ceded the AFC West title to their rivals.

Stroud’s pair of quick strikes shocked the defense and gave the Texans a two-score advantage. On his initial throw of the game, he found a wideout for a long touchdown. He later tossed a deep scoring pass on the next drive.

He connected on his first six attempts of the game. He finished with 244 yards.

The Texans' defensive unit recorded third-down sacks on the opponent's opening drives. The Los Angeles offense were held to quick punts on multiple early drives.

The LA signal-caller, playing with a broken hand, was brought down on five occasions.

An early pick of Stroud in the second quarter only resulted in a field goal for the Chargers. Another interception failed to produce any points.

The LA were stopped on the goal line by a crucial interception. The intended receiver saw the pass bounce away, leading to the turnover.

The Chargers' kicker failed to convert a kick from close distance just before the break and later pushed wide an extra point on the last possession after a late touchdown.

The Houston specialist converted field goals from 41 and 44 yards to help secure the win.