Orchard Park, NY – In a typical season of a second-round game against the no. 3 seeds to the no. 5 seed will probably be considered a more favorable match.
But after the Pittsburgh Steelers were knocked out by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, the AFC division round of Buffalo Bills against the Baltimore Ravens should be a much more difficult task.
The Ravens (12-5) included victory over rival Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, and have won six straight games since the start of December. The Steelers won their first 11 games and then lost four of their last five games in the regular season before being dipped by the Browns, who won their first playoff game since 1994.
The Bills (14-3) found themselves in a scuffle with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday and escaped with a hard-fought 27-24 victory. Buffalo will host CBS in Baltimore on Saturday night at 8:15 p.m.
Here are some first thoughts on the game.
Two best QBs of the 2018 class clash in this one
Lamar Jackson won the NFL MVP Award last season and Josh Allen is likely to finish behind Aaron Rodgers as the runner-up this year. The two QBs of 2018 definitely scored the two best places when it comes to all the quarterbacks out of the class. Allen had a better season in 2020, with 46 total touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards. Jackson had 1,372 yards and 33 total touchdowns. The outcome of this match could very well come down to who plays better between the two.
What the bills against Lamar did in 2019
Buffalo drew up a perfect game plan for Jackson in their game between Week 14 and 2019. They forced him to hit them with his arm, and he was finally able to. He passed three times and the Ravens won 24-17. But Jackson was a runner on 11 vessels. If the bills had been able to generate a real offense in the game, the result could have been quite different. A few weeks later, when the Titans beat the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs last year, Logan Ryan said Tennessee used the blueprint the Bills put up in their game with Baltimore to play against Jackson in that game to sketch.
What does the line mean?
Buffalo was opened as a -2 1/2 favorite, according to betonline.ag. This is the number of books used if they are a little unsure about what to expect. The Bills played in front of fans for the first time in the opening round and there is potential for fans in the division round again. But the plans have not yet been finalized. The Ravens and the Bills are two of the hottest teams in the league, and Baltimore’s defense against Buffalo’s offense will definitely be a game.
Ravens drive 6-win-finish line – and they were different
Since Jackson returned to a fight with the coronavirus, the Ravens have not lost and their defense has been a whole other unit. They allowed 333 yards per game in their first 11 games, but have brought the last five games to 302 per game and their victory over the Titans on Sunday. Speaking of the Ravens’ big win, they climbed on the Titans after Ryan Tannehill got Tennessee to a quick 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Over the last 45 minutes, the Ravens have kept the Titans at just 76 yards and three points. Jackson was sensational with his legs against the Titans. He was another player during the six-match winning streak. He has played four multiple powerplays in the last five wins in the regular season.
What is different this time around for the Bills?
Allen was almost a different player the last time these two teams met. He was completely restrained by the Ravens last season and managed just 146 passing yards on 46 attempts. Baltimore flashed Allen a ton and he led 2 of 17 on the 24 fullbacks where he came under pressure. He was fired six times when the Ravens brought the lightning. Allen will probably experience some pressure again this time. The Ravens were built from scratch and they even added Yannick Ngakoue on the deadline to bolster their pass. But Allen now has the NFL’s leading receiver in Stefon Diggs, raising the bill’s offense to one of the best in the league. How the Ravens decide to attack Allen will be one of the most intriguing storylines of this game.
Should Bills Mafia be worried about the game?
There are no easy games this time of year. The Ravens are healthy on both sides of the ball, but the Bills have the more dynamic and dangerous offense. Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier get an extra day to prepare for Jackson and the Baltimore offense and probably learned a few lessons about their defense in a tough outing against the Colts. The Ravens defensive front will challenge Bills’ offensive line, but Allen has responded to the season every time he has had adversity. Back home with the turmoil now out of their system after the franchise’s first playoff game this century, the bills could play on both sides of the ball against the Ravens.
18
READ MORE
Bills play Ravens in the division round on Saturday night
Must Love Bills: John Cusack reveals he’s a member of Bills Mafia
Josh Allen impresses: ‘People who have passed QB look really crazy at the moment’ (Media comments)