Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are preoccupied with playing checkers using random coral pieces, so as is seemingly always the case, I’m doing the writing.

The NFL playoffs enter their second weekend today with two matchups that few, if any, predicted going into the season. The upstart whippersnapper Houston Texans are stampeding into Baltimore, where the Ravens are practicing their “nevermore” cry, while on the left coast, the Green Bay Packers head to Santa Clara, where the San Francisco 49ers await.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens — Whether a dream job for any sports aficionado is a broadcast gig where the format consists of less talk and more yelling is debatable. That said, if your dream is landing on ESPN, apparently vocal volume supersedes volume of knowledge on any given topic. 

With this in mind, a subject referenced several times during the days leading up to this matchup is how all pressure imaginable is on Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson. He is healthy going into the postseason for the first time in years. The Ravens had the best regular season record in the NFL. Did you see them put a hurting on the 49ers in Levi’s Stadium? Blah blah blah. I’m surprised Jackson didn’t send ESPN a thank you card for reminding him, as he doubtless would have had no idea regarding any of the above. (For the caffeine-deprived, that’s sarcasm.)

On paper, Baltimore is the clear favorite in this matchup. They have playoff experience. They have, as noted, a healthy Jackson behind center who can pick apart any defense in the league, both with his throwing arm and his legs. The defense is excellent. This team has no weaknesses to exploit. Many a reporter assigned to cover the Super Bowl has already composed all his or her questions for when the Ravens fly into Las Vegas. The Texans? It’s a great turnaround season; thanks for coming. Right?

Um, not so fast. Did anyone see Houston carve up Cleveland’s stellar defense last week? C.J. Stroud is a man of faith on a mission. And while no one mistakes the Browns’ offense for the Ravens' offense, the Texans shut them down hard. Houston is a very good football team. They’re not a great one like Baltimore. But sometimes, very good will beat great.

The Texans enjoy the scenario of having nothing to prove and zero pressure to perform. They are not supposed to be here. They are not predicted to be competitive in this game, let alone win. All the pressure is on Baltimore. All Houston has to do is weather the initial storm and stay in the game. The longer they can pull this off — if they can — the greater their chances become. The Ravens are the clear favorites but do not be surprised if the Texans make them work for it far harder than most suspect will be the case.

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers — This game is, in many ways, a mirror image of Houston and Baltimore. The 49ers are near-universally tabbed to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and are favored by many to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. San Francisco’s sluice pan overflows with offensive playmakers; Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and company is a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare. The defense is strong. Sure, it was cute how Green Bay took full advantage of the annual Cowboys postseason choke, but all they did by beating Dallas was extend their season a week, correct?

Possibly. But the Packers did slice and dice a highly-ranked Cowboys defense last week, and most of the points scored against Green Bay were in garbage time. Jordan Love hasn’t made anyone forget Aaron Rodgers yet. Still, he has played well enough to temporarily silence the doubters calling for his replacement when he struggled during the regular season. The defense is nothing spectacular, but it made Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb look quite ordinary. Green Bay earned their spot in this contest and, like Houston, can play with the relaxed serenity of knowing all the pressure is on the other team. San Francisco will most likely win in a slopfest, as the forecast calls for rain throughout the contest. But if Green Bay can keep it close, things could get very interesting late.