As damaging to their playoff outlook and one-sided as the Ravens' 23-15 loss to the Houston Texans was Sunday, it could have been even worse.
If not for a stout red-zone defense that reacted well to sudden change behind three interceptions from quarterback Joe Flacco, this would have been a blowout.
The Texans scored just one touchdown out of their seven red-zone opportunities with that score coming on a 5-yard halfback option pass by running back Arian Foster to rookie tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. Texans kicker Randy Bullock kicked six field goals.
It was an impressive effort by the Ravens defense, albeit in a loss, and it contrasted the team's repeated failures' on offense.
"That's being good in the red zone for one thing," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "And we were all kind of ticked off about the halfback pass. But give him credit; he got it off under great pressure, and it was a trick play basically. That's a tough one to defend sometimes. They caught us on that.
"To be able to run back on the field when you're back there and not expecting to have to do it, it's why they call it sudden change. And the ability to do it with a positive frame of mind -- in the right kind of mood, but they approach in a way that says, 'Hey, you know what, it's OK. It's just another opportunity to do something even better than we expected.' That's the way you have to look at it."