Orchard Park, NY – In a season typical of a second round showdown against no. 3 seeds for the no. 5 seed would probably be considered a more favorable matchup.
But after the Pittsburgh Steelers were defeated by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, Buffalo Bills’ tie-break tie against the Baltimore Ravens is set to become a much more difficult task.
Including victory over rival Tennessee on Sunday afternoon, the Ravens (12-5) have won six consecutive games since the beginning of December. The Steelers won their first 11 games and then lost four of their last five games of the regular season before being defeated by the Browns, who won their first playoff game since 1994.
The Bills (14-3) met in a slugfest with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, escaping with a difficult 27-24 victory. Buffalo hosts Baltimore on Saturday night at 8:15 pm on CBS.
Here are some initial thoughts about the matchup.
Two best QBs of the 2018 class showdown in this
Lamar Jackson won the NFL MVP award last season and Josh Allen will likely end as runner-up this year, behind Aaron Rodgers. The two QBs of 2018 emphatically claimed the top two places when it comes to classifying all defenders in that class. Allen had a better season in 2020, ending with 46 touchdowns in total and almost 5,000 yards in total. Jackson had 1,372 yards in total and 33 touchdowns in total. The outcome of this game may well depend on who plays best between the two.
What Bills did vs. Lamar in 2019
Buffalo worked out a perfect game plan for Jackson in his fight of the week 14 of 2019. They forced him to hit them with his arm, and he succeeded in the end. He launched three touchdown passes and the Ravens won 24-17. But Jackson, as a runner, was kept only 40 yards in 11 races. If the accounts had been able to generate any real offense in the game, the result may have been very 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 Bills plan outlined in its fight against Baltimore to plot against Jackson in that game.
What does the line mean?
Buffalo opened as a -2 1/2 favorite according to betonline.ag. That’s the number that books use when they’re not sure what to expect. Bills played in front of fans for the first time in the opening round and there is potential for fans again in the division round. But those 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 attack will be quite a struggle.
Ravens in a winning streak in 6 games – and they have been different
Since Jackson returned after a coronavirus fight, the Ravens have not lost and their defense has been a completely different unit. They were allowing 333 yards per game in their first 11 games, but reduced to 302 per game in the last five games and in the victory over the Titans on Sunday. Speaking of Ravens’ big win, they closed on the Titans after Ryan Tannehill took Tennessee to a quick 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the last 45 minutes, the Ravens kept the Titans at just 76 yards and three points. Jackson was the sensation with his legs against the Titans. He has been a different player during his six-game winning streak. He has had four multiple touchdown games in the team’s last five wins in the regular season.
What’s different this time for Bills?
Allen was almost a different player than the last time these two teams met. He was completely restrained by the Ravens last season, achieving just 146 yards in 46 attempts. Baltimore bombed Allen and he made 2 of 17, passing in the 24 heats, where he faced pressure. He was fired six times when the Ravens started the blitz. Allen will probably face some pressure again this time. The Ravens are built to blitz up front and they even added Yannick Ngakoue in the deadline to reinforce their passing race. But Allen now has the main NFL receiver, Stefon Diggs, who elevated the Bills’ offensive pass to one of the best in the league. The way the Ravens decide to attack Allen will be one of the most intriguing stories in this game.
Should Bills Mafia care about the dispute?
There are no easy games at this time of year. The Ravens are good on both sides of the ball, but the Bills have the most dynamic and dangerous attack. Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier have an extra day to prepare for Jackson and the Baltimore attack and have probably learned some lessons about their defense in a tough match against the Colts. Ravens’ defensive front will challenge Bill’s offensive line, but Allen has responded to the bell every time this season when he faced adversity. Back home with nervousness now out of their system after the franchise’s first win in the playoff this century, the Bills should be able to make plays on both sides of the ball against the Ravens.
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