For the first time in almost 30 years, Buffalo Bills is returning to the AFC Championship Game. Compared to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, the runner-up in the conference was not perfect in windy Orchard Park. Josh Allen and Co. managed just three points in an irregular first half, and even after Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left in the fourth quarter due to a concussion, the Bills almost allowed newcomer Tyler Huntley to put Baltimore down of a point. Still, Buffalo was great when he counted, with Allen meeting Stefon Diggs for the night’s only offensive result and Taron Johnson making history in the NFL with a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown – easily the most monumental move on a 17-3 Victory of the Divisional Round.
Jackson, who was marked by intentional grounding on his final move after a bad snap forced him into his own end zone, struggled to pull the Ravens out of an offensive fall that was apparent from the start. Allen, on the other hand, was not as deadly in the air as he usually is during a 2020 caliber MVP campaign, but managed the ball well enough. Bill’s defense, on the other hand, really showed up at home, recording two stops on the fourth down and neutralizing one of the main ground attacks in the game to not only lead, but preserve the victory.
Here are some instant conclusions from Bill’s historic victory on Saturday night:
Why Bills won
That defense, man. It’s funny how Sean McDermott’s award-winning unit basically took a back seat to Josh Allen’s rocket-offensive showcase this year, only to resurface here and almost literally beat the Bills on their first AFC title attempt since 1993. Everyone played well, since Micah Hyde collapsing in wideouts for Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds containing Lamar Jackson for Tre’Davious White and Taron Johnson (!) Smothering the passing windows. Allen was good enough to manage the leadership after connecting with Diggs to end one of the few continuous trips of the night, and Diggs and John Brown showed up, but this was all about Buffalo’s “D”. Johnson will be a staple in the Bills tradition for that pick-six.
Why the Ravens lost
His offense was painfully one-dimensional – and not even good in its one dimension. Greg Roman may have taken the NFL by storm when he launched Jackson as the centerpiece of a relentless attack in 2019, but the guy made the whole operation look obsolete and stagnant. It didn’t help that Matt Skura apparently forgot to grab several points in the game, but from Jackson onwards, the whole thing lacked a special touch. Neither Jackson, nor Gus Edwards, nor JK Dobbins hit 45 yards on the ground, and the occasional burst of speed at No. 8 could not compensate for an aerial game that was non-existent besides some Marquise Brown cameos. Jackson leaving early was not as problematic as it could have been, with reserve Tyler Huntley at least kicking the field, but make no mistake: this defeat was directly about Baltimore’s inability to do anything with the ball, especially during deep trips in the territory of Buffalo.
Inflection point
No less than choice six. The entire first half was ugly for both sides, but the Ravens finally seemed to be knocking on the door at the end of the third. Chewing nearly nine minutes of the clock on a 15-stroke course to Buffalo’s 9-yard line, Baltimore did not fail to convert a third kick into the final zone, which would have tied the game if it went to a tank destroyer. It also gave Bills an unthinkable boost, not to mention the six points, when Jackson inexplicably played on the triple cover and saw Taron Johnson run 101 yards to pay for the dirt. With 17-3 after the takeaway, Bills never looked back.
Game play
You may already know. Give up for Johnson, who signed up for the history books:
What is the next
The Bills will face the winner of Sunday’s Browns-Chiefs showdown in the AFC Championship, with a chance to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. The Ravens, for their part, will begin their 2021 offseason with some important questions about the sustainability of Roman’s attack and / or Jackson’s pocket passing skills.