Ravens tight end Owen Daniels has a beard now, and his 32-year-old body certainly isn't as fresh after he has pushed it through 13 games and a midseason knee surgery.
But his thoughts on facing the Houston Texans, which he'll do Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium, haven't changed since he first discussed it after officially signing with the Ravens in April. To Daniels, it's not just any other game. It's an opportunity that he has anticipated for nine months.
"Obviously, when you work somewhere for so long and they say you're not good enough to play there anymore and you get a chance to play them that following season, you definitely want to prove to them that they made a mistake," Daniels said Wednesday. "But I've been trying to do that all season with my play, not just this one game. …
"Hopefully, I'll get a chance to make some plays and obviously the biggest thing, I don't care if I go out there and don't get one catch [and] block the whole game. As long as we come out of there with a 'W,' I think that's the biggest thing, the best thing that can happen."
For Daniels and several other Ravens, including offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, running back Justin Forsett and kick returner Jacoby Jones, their return to Houston, where they either played or coached for several seasons, is just a subplot to a game of great significance for both organizations.
The Ravens (9-5) badly need a win to stay in playoff position, while the Texans (7-7) also are trying to avoid postseason elimination. But the sentiment will have to wait for another day.
"It's not about all of that — myself and [Kubiak] and Justin and Jacoby, all those guys that were part of teams down there," Daniels said. "It's not about us going back. It's about the team going down there and getting a win. But between [all of us], it's definitely going to mean something for sure."
As Daniels returns to the place where he played for his first eight NFL seasons and established himself as a two-time Pro Bowl tight end, the Ravens continue to reap the benefits of one of their low-cost offseason additions.
The Ravens signed Daniels to a one-year, $1 million deal, envisioning him as a nice pass-catching complement to starting tight end Dennis Pitta. But in Week 3, Pitta suffered a season-ending hip injury for the second straight year, and it was up largely to Daniels to fill the void.
The veteran has responded: his 45 receptions are the second-most on the team behind Steve Smith. He's also third on the Ravens in receiving yards (474) and touchdown catches (four).
When the Ravens' offense was struggling and badly needed some big plays to put away the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday, Joe Flacco targeted Daniels nine times and the tight end finished with four catches for 62 yards and the go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown catch.
It was the latest statement to how much the Ravens have come to rely on Daniels since Pitta went down.
"I think he's been doing a great job, but I'd like to get him even more involved, even more catches," Flacco said. "We had some opportunities on Sunday to make some more plays, and we were just a little bit off. Each week, it's getting better and better, but like I said, I want to get him more involved because he is a good player. I think he makes us go when we get him involved."
In preparation for Sunday, coach John Harbaugh watched tape of the Ravens' game last season against the Texans. He came away impressed with how much better Daniels looks now than he did last season.
"Just amazed at how well he's done, as far as getting himself ready to play coming off the injury from last year — how fresh and young and how well he's running and how well he's doing," Harbaugh said. "He's just doing a great job for us."
Daniels has missed just one game after a knee clean-out in late October, and he said his body feels good, considering how late it is in the season. He attributes that to learning more each year on how to take better care of himself and the weekly days off that the Ravens have been giving him from practice.
When he was healthy with the Texans, Daniels was one of the most productive tight ends in football. In eight seasons there, he had 385 catches for 4,617 yards and 29 touchdowns — which all rank second in franchise history behind Andre Johnson. That included a 70-catch season in 2008.
But injuries started to catch up with him. He missed eight games in 2009 and five more the next season. Then last year, Daniels fractured his fibula against the San Francisco 49ers and was active for just five games.
Daniels had one season left on a three-year deal, and he would have counted $6.25 million against the salary cap for 2014. However, the Texans, who wanted to re-sign tight end Garrett Graham, cut Daniels a day after he publicly said he'd be willing to restructure his contract to stay in Houston, where he made his year-round home.
Daniels, clearly stung by the move, still keeps the notice of his release at his house.
"It has all the check marks: 'Why did you get released?' Yeah, you weren't good enough. Basically, that's what it says," Daniels said. "Players like myself and others on this team that have been released by other teams keep those sheets and remember it. But that organization gave me a chance to play in the NFL for the first time, and I can't be more thankful to [team owner Mr. Bob McNair] and that organization for giving me that opportunity.
"They had to do what they had to do, business-wise, and I'm still trying to be the best player I can be. I have no ill will toward them at all. I love Houston, and it's my home."
Daniels admitted that he kept a close eye on teammate Steve Smith in the days leading to the Ravens' game against his former team, the Carolina Panthers, to see how he handled all the build-up to that game.
Still, Daniels isn't sure what to expect. He just wants to make sure he's not overwhelmed by the moment.
"Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it too much right now," he said. "The little bit I thought about it, I know it's going to be weird. It's going to be weird walking into that stadium.
"I've seen countless teams walk in there, walk along the sideline to go to the visiting locker room. And it will be different being in there and coming out of a different tunnel."