Baltimore Remain in Contention Powered by Derrick Henry's Quadruple-TD Performance, Texans Clinch Postseason Spot

Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 216 yards and tied a personal best with four TDs on the ground as the Baltimore Ravens remained in the postseason hunt by defeating the Green Bay Packers 41-24 on Saturday night.

The powerful back had three touchdown runs in the first half 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 Adrian Peterson and OJ Simpson for the most in NFL history.

His 36 carries marked a personal record.

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

The Packers, falling to 9-6-1 dropped their third consecutive game, enabling the Bears to secure the NFC North title. The Green Bay had already clinched a postseason spot earlier in the week.

Both squads were without their starting quarterbacks as the Ravens' star QB deals with a back injury while the Packers' signal-caller is in the concussion protocol. The two replacement starters – Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley and Green Bay’s Malik Willis – were both effective in a contest that featured only one punt.

Willis went 18-for-21 for a career-high 288 passing yards and a TD pass, and he also ran for 60 yards and two touchdowns before leaving after re-injuring a shoulder issue. Huntley was 16-for-20 for 107 yards with one touchdown.

The deciding factor in the matchup was Green Bay’s inability to stop Henry, who helped the Ravens outrush the Packers by a wide margin.

Henry was not utilized in the Ravens' 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 made sure he touched the rock frequently from the outset. Henry’s dominance enabled the offense to score on their first five possessions and take a 13-point lead at the break.

He accumulated 15 rushes in Baltimore’s first two series and finished each of them with scores. He tacked on another three-yard touchdown just before the second quarter ended.

Green Bay got back into the game by outscoring Baltimore 10-0 in the third period.

After a field goal, the Packers elicited the first punt of the night. The QB then scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown to make it a three-point game.

But the Ravens answered on their ensuing drive.

The workhorse back ran for a crucial first down on a third-and-5. He closed the period with a long run. Those key runs set up a touchdown pass from Huntley to his receiver.

Willis drove the offense into Ravens' land before hurting his throwing shoulder and heading to the sideline. His replacement threw an pick on his only pass.

Texans Secure Playoff Spot With Win Over Chargers

The Texans' quarterback threw for two long touchdowns on the team's opening possessions, and the Texans went on to beat the Chargers 20-16 on Saturday afternoon to secure a third straight postseason appearance.

The Texans (11-5) won their eighth in a row, their longest such streak in several seasons.

The Chargers (11-5) had their four-game winning streak ended and handed the AFC West title to their rivals.

The young QB's two explosive TDs stunned the defense and gave the Texans a two-score advantage. On his first pass of the game, he hit a wideout for a 75-yard score. He later tossed a deep scoring pass on the following possession.

Stroud completed his first six attempts of the game. He ended the day with 244 yards.

Houston’s defense forced third-down sacks on the Chargers’ first two possessions. The Los Angeles offense were held to quick punts on three of their first four possessions.

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

An early pick of the Texans' QB in the second quarter only produced a three points for the offense. Another takeaway did not yield any scores.

The Chargers were stopped on the goal line by a crucial interception. The target saw the pass pop off his hands, leading to the change of possession.

The Chargers' kicker missed a field goal from short range just before the break and later pushed wide an PAT attempt on the team’s final drive after a late touchdown.

The Houston specialist converted kicks from beyond 40 yards to help secure the win.