Texans win over heart of Houston

The Houston Texans went into Baltimore, stared into the eyes of the playoff devil and didn’t survive.

Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Ravens in the AFC Divisional Playoff game might come as a letdown to many, but there’s no way to call this season a disappointment.

To realize the gravity of what the Texans’ loss means, you have to take a wide-angle view of the last year. This team was a ridiculous 6-10 last season and before that, mediocre at best.

The 2011 team, featuring the “Bulls on Parade” revamped defense that went from second-worst to second-best, redefined the NFL in Houston.

It revived the winning tradition that hadn’t been present since the Oilers of more than two decades ago.

If I had told you in July the Texans would have a chance to beat the Ravens in the second round of the playoffs, would you have been content with that? Of course you would’ve.

In one of the NFL’s toughest places to win on the road, the Texans had every chance to pull off the improbable. The defense played lights out, sacking Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco five times and limiting running back Ray Rice to a subpar game.

But the Ravens’ dominant defense proved to be the difference in the end.

Don’t fault rookie quarterback (and former third-stringer) T.J. Yates too much in the loss. He didn’t exactly throw three interceptions — the Ravens intercepted him three times.

There were several key plays where the Ravens capitalized on Texans’ mistakes, and trust me, Yates wasn’t responsible for half of them.

If it makes you feel better to say the Texans would have won with veteran quarterback Matt Schaub under center in the game, go for it — you’re probably right on that one.

I was very impressed with the Texans’ execution. You’d take that loss over the Broncos’ 35-point loss to the Patriots. You’d rather this loss than losing to the Bengals last week. Big things are happening in Houston, and these Texans will be back for years to come.

The nucleus is young, and things definitely are looking up for this franchise. These Texans captivated the interest of this city, and they’ll continue to sell jerseys, bumper stickers and tickets.

They might have lost in Sunday’s game, but finally, Houston has a winner again.

Jordan Godwin is sports editor of The Daily News.