Baltimore Stay Alive Powered by Henry’s Quadruple-TD Outburst, Houston Clinch Postseason Spot

The veteran running back rushed for a season-high 216 yards and tied a personal best with four touchdown runs as the Baltimore Ravens remained in the postseason hunt by defeating the Green Bay Packers by a score of 41-24 on Saturday night.

Henry had three scores in the first half and then found the end zone once more on a 25-yard dash with under two minutes remaining in the game. His seventh 200-yard rushing performance moved him ahead of Adrian Peterson and OJ Simpson for the most in NFL history.

His 36 rushing attempts marked a personal record.

The Ravens (8-8) now must rely on the division-leading Steelers lose at Cleveland on Sunday. A Steelers victory in Cleveland would extinguish Baltimore’s playoff hopes. If the Browns win that game, the could capture the AFC North by defeating the Pittsburgh on the road next week.

Green Bay (9-6-1) lost their third straight, enabling the Chicago Bears to secure the NFC North title. The Packers had previously secured a playoff berth earlier in the week.

Both squads were missing their starting quarterbacks as Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson deals with a back issue while the Packers' signal-caller is in the league's head injury program. The two backup quarterbacks – Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley and Green Bay’s Malik Willis – were both effective in a game that saw only one punt.

The Packers' fill-in went 18-for-21 for a career-high 288 passing yards and a TD pass, and he also ran for 60 yards and two scores before exiting after aggravating a shoulder issue. Huntley was 16-for-20 for 107 yards with one touchdown.

The deciding factor in the game was Green Bay’s inability to contain Derrick Henry, who helped the Baltimore outrush the Packers by a wide margin.

The star running back didn’t touch the ball in Baltimore’s last two possessions the previous week in a costly loss. The proven rusher's lack of fourth-quarter usage was a major point of discussion around Baltimore all week.

The Ravens ensured he got the ball frequently from the outset. Henry’s dominance allowed the Ravens to put points on the board on their first five possessions and take a 13-point lead at the break.

Henry totaled 15 rushes in Baltimore’s first two series and finished each of them with touchdown runs. He tacked on another short TD run just before the second quarter ended.

The Packers got back into the game by outscoring Baltimore 10-0 in the third period.

After a three-pointer, the Packers forced the initial punt of the night. The QB then ran for an 11-yard score to make it 27-24.

But the Ravens responded on their ensuing drive.

The workhorse back ran for a key gain on a third down play. He ended the period with a long run. Those key runs set up a scoring strike from the quarterback to Zay Flowers.

Willis drove the Packers into Baltimore territory before injuring his shoulder and departing for the locker room. His backup threw an pick on his only pass.

Houston Texans Lock Up Playoff Spot With Victory Over Los Angeles

The Texans' quarterback connected on a pair of deep scores on the team's first two drives, and the Texans went on to defeat the Chargers by four points on Saturday to secure a third consecutive playoff berth.

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

The Chargers (11-5) had their four-game winning streak ended and ceded the division crown to their rivals.

Stroud’s pair of quick strikes shocked the Chargers and gave the Texans a two-score advantage. On his first pass of the game, he hit a receiver for a long touchdown. He later tossed a deep scoring pass on the following possession.

Stroud completed his first six throws of the game. He finished with 244 passing yards.

The Texans' defensive unit recorded third-down sacks on the opponent's opening drives. The Los Angeles offense were held to three-and-out on three of their first four possessions.

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

An interception of Stroud in the second quarter only produced a field goal for the offense. Another takeaway failed to produce any points.

The Chargers were denied on the goal line by a crucial interception. The intended receiver saw the ball bounce away, leading to the turnover.

The placekicker missed a field goal from close distance just before halftime and later pushed wide an PAT attempt on the team’s final drive after a late touchdown.

The Houston specialist made field goals from beyond 40 yards to contribute to the victory.