Let's start this right now! Bills host Ratbirds!
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Victor7
Well-known member
So far I have the Ravens by a score. May change my mind later.
McD's defenses choke at the biggest moments. This is one. To this day all of our playoff wins under the bald one are vs wild card teams. That's right. We are 0 for forever vs divisional champs. Including the last 2 seasons dropping the divisional round AT home. Mostly I must say, because our D cant stop a wheel chaired 80 year old grandma.
This week we get the deadly Henry/Lamar duo. I doubt our D will stop them. Its that simple. Its not a good matchup vs our small D that chokes in the playoffs. I hope I'm wrong. I'll happily eat copious amounts of crow if we can stop them. I just don't see it.
Our only shot is Allen in god mode and a couple of well timed turnovers.
McD's defenses choke at the biggest moments. This is one. To this day all of our playoff wins under the bald one are vs wild card teams. That's right. We are 0 for forever vs divisional champs. Including the last 2 seasons dropping the divisional round AT home. Mostly I must say, because our D cant stop a wheel chaired 80 year old grandma.
This week we get the deadly Henry/Lamar duo. I doubt our D will stop them. Its that simple. Its not a good matchup vs our small D that chokes in the playoffs. I hope I'm wrong. I'll happily eat copious amounts of crow if we can stop them. I just don't see it.
Our only shot is Allen in god mode and a couple of well timed turnovers.
And hope that Lamar Lamars in the playoffs
sukie
Well-known member
Victor there were some big moments in the 14 wins so far.
Ravens D is lesser than Broncos in every stat category other than rushing allowed per game. Both under 95.
Bills O crushed a strong D with a killer pass rush.
Henry will get yards just like Gibbs got yards, like other RBs got yards. The Bills on offense cause coverage problems and they are running better than the did Sept 29th.
Bills won last Lamar playoff meeting
Bills won regular season meeting prior to this year.
6:30 in our house. Bring it.
I hope the Bills become home dogs…
Ravens D is lesser than Broncos in every stat category other than rushing allowed per game. Both under 95.
Bills O crushed a strong D with a killer pass rush.
Henry will get yards just like Gibbs got yards, like other RBs got yards. The Bills on offense cause coverage problems and they are running better than the did Sept 29th.
Bills won last Lamar playoff meeting
Bills won regular season meeting prior to this year.
6:30 in our house. Bring it.
I hope the Bills become home dogs…
Victor7
Well-known member
Sukie!
I'm not worried about our offense man. At all. Josh will Josh and points will be scored.
I'm worried about our D and McD's decision making.
Last reg season meeting and the one from 4 years ago mean nothing. They did not have Henry.
That's the tape to watch
SpikedLemonade
Well-known member
LOL!!!
JC-3122
Well-known member
herodotus
Well-known member
Wait until he sees that Gibby is on his ass.
SpikedLemonade
Well-known member
I see my Black Blow Up Doll series of photo posts in your honour has been deleted here.
I thought you would get a chuckle over those.
SpikedLemonade
Well-known member
THE BIG ONE BEFORE WE ARE OFF TO KANSAS CITY...
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Bills-Ravens: Who you got? Buffalo News writers make their predictions
Bills-Ravens: Who you got? Buffalo News writers make their predictions
The Buffalo News' sports reporters weigh in with their predictions for Sunday's Buffalo Bills game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen will face the Ravens on Sunday in an AFC Divisional game in Orchard Park. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
Jay Skurski
The Bills have thrived on using slights − real or perceived − as motivation all season. Well, wouldn’t you know, but they’ve got plenty of those to choose from this week. Let’s start with being underdogs at home ... despite being undefeated in Orchard Park this season. Or how about the result from Week 4? That alone should serve as motivation for a better showing. The Bills’ defense is getting Taron Johnson, Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard back for this game after they missed Week 4 against the Ravens. That shouldn’t be overlooked. Neither should the weather. Lamar Jackson has never played a game when it’s this cold. How he will handle it is a bit of an unknown. Give me Josh Allen putting the Bills on his back and carrying them to an AFC championship game appearance.Bills, 33-28
Katherine Fitzgerald
I went back and looked at my Week 4 prediction – I had the Bills winning 30-27. Honestly, I’m going to just run that prediction back, but with different reasoning. These are two different, evolved teams going at it on Sunday night in Orchard Park. The Ravens’ two-headed monster of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will give the Bills troubles again, especially in the forecasted weather. But I see Josh Allen leaving Highmark Stadium triumphant after he dishes it out all around the field. Everybody lives to eat another week.Bills, 30-27
Ryan O’Halloran
Baltimore has more talented players. Baltimore has star quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. And Baltimore has the NFL’s top-ranked run defense. But I’m picking the Bills … just because. How about that for some analysis? OK, let’s get serious. The Bills are on their home field, although that didn’t make a difference the last two Januarys. But they do have quarterback Josh Allen, who will author one of his career’s defining games. He will run and pass for multiple touchdowns and the Bills’ defense will produce two takeaways. The Bills advance to play Kansas City for the American Football Conference championship next Sunday.Bills, 30-27
Mark Gaughan
I think the winner of this game will go to Kansas City next week and beat the Chiefs. Baltimore has six All-Pro selections and nine Pro Bowlers. Buffalo has one All-Pro pick (Josh Allen) and two Pro Bowlers (Allen and Dion Dawkins). It should have been three Pro Bowlers, with James Cook. But that’s an accurate picture of the star power in this game. I think the Ravens have more talent than the Bills. They’re a little better. The Bills’ defense needs to get some stops in the red zone. It needs some big-impact plays at key moments from Von Miller, Matt Milano and Ed Oliver. Good-case scenario: The Bills’ defense holds the Ravens to 27 or 28 points, and Allen plays another great game. (Full disclosure: I am a miserable 7-11 picking Bills games against the spread this season.)Ravens, 37-26
Ravens at Bills: How to watch, weather forecast, radio, latest line, everything you need to know
The kickoff time and day are set for the Buffalo Bills' AFC divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens
The Bills (14-4) will face the Ravens (13-5) at 6:30 p.m. Sunday inside Highmark Stadium at Orchard Park. CBS will broadcast the game.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams (42) tackles Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the third quarter
at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News)
The Baltimore Ravens topped 200 yards rushing eight times this season, including 271 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 on Sept. 29 — the most the Bills allowed this season. Buffalo’s defense was missing three starters — linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard and cornerback Taron Johnson — while starting safety Taylor Rapp played just 16 snaps before being sidelined by a concussion. All four players are scheduled to play Sunday. Ravens running back Derrick Henry had a season-best 199 yards rushing, including an 87 yard touchdown, and also scored a TD receiving in the victory. The Bills are 3-1 at home against the Ravens, including a 17-3 win in a 2020 divisional playoff meeting. Bills QB Josh Allen is 1-3 in divisional playoff appearances, he’s combined for 975 yards passing and six touchdowns with one interception, and 159 yards rushing and three scores in those outings.
Here are the basics:
WHO: Baltimore Ravens (13-5) at Buffalo Bills (14-4)WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
WEATHER: 18 degrees and cloudy, with a 45% chance of snow and winds NNE from 8-13 mph, according to AccuWeather
TV: WIVB-TV (Ch. 4 in Buffalo). On the call: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Jay Feely
RADIO: Bills Radio Network (WGR-AM, 550 in Buff alo). On the call: Chris Brown, Eric Wood, Sal Capaccio
LINE: Ravens by 1½ (Over/Under: 51½)
Here are the 4 keys for the Buffalo Bills to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round
Here are the 4 keys for the Buffalo Bills to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round
The Bills will need a fresh game plan to keep the Ravens on their toes. But Buffalo also doesn’t want to overhaul anything. The Bills recognize how far they’ve gotten, but they remain unsatisfied.
Ready for any grouping
The Ravens make use of their big guys. They frequently line up two tight ends (fifth-most in the NFL), and they’re no strangers to using a running back and fullback (third-most in the NFL). In fact, the Ravens are last in the league in their use of 11 personnel at just 27.8%, but don’t let that fool you. They’re fourth-best in the league in efficiency out of 11P. So, no matter how it lines up, Baltimore can be lethal. Bills coach Sean McDermott has a perfect formula, however, to stop the Ravens and running back Derrick Henry. “Well, if we had about five 300-pound linebackers, I think we'd be in pretty good shape, I think,” McDermott said slyly this week. Since that is not an option, the Bills' defense will have to make do with the roster they have.Let’s get physical
The Bills' defense knows what it’s up against. “It's Ravens football, man,” defensive tackle DaQuan Jones said Wednesday. “You know what they're known for – the physicality and how they run the football and especially having Derrick and Lamar (Jackson) back there. So, just making sure we're all in the right mindset, the right frame of mind to go out there and play a real physical game.” The Ravens are 9-1 when Henry runs for 100 yards or more. That lone loss was in Week 1 to Kansas City, Henry’s debut for the Ravens. If the Bills can steal a stop or two against Henry, that will be key. With weather expected to be a factor, Henry could aim for a big day.
Bills defensive end Dawuane Smoot, bottom left, and safety Cole Bishop tackle Ravens running back Justice Hill in the second quarter in Week 4.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Show your MVP stuff
The votes for MVP are already in, but Bills quarterback Josh Allen should still put on a clinic. It’s not about adding to the résumé; Allen will need a dynamic performance to lift his team past the Ravens. Even in a showcase of the two top MVP candidates, Allen has reiterated that he and Jackson are not on the field at the same time, and that the head-to-head meeting actually pits him against the vaunted Baltimore defense. And from there? “Our job on offense is score the football, and we want to score every time we touch the ball here,” Allen said. “Is that viable? Not usually. But that's our goal every time we step on the field, is to score more points than the other guys.”Remember what got you here
The Bills will need a fresh game plan to keep the Ravens on their toes. But Buffalo also doesn’t want to overhaul anything. The Bills recognize how far they’ve gotten, but they remain unsatisfied. “You work so darn hard every year to just sniff the playoffs,” McDermott said Monday. The Bills have worked hard, but also effectively. Their 13-4 record reflects those efforts, and now, they should play true to the style that got them to the divisional round. Spread the ball around on offense. Force takeaways on defense and steal a possession when you can. Keep special teams clean. The team seems to have the right mindset going into the game: balancing learning moments, while not living in the past. Now, they just need to play a complete game to seal the win
Bills' defense ready to match physicality of Ravens, Derrick Henry
The last time the Bills saw Baltimore's Derrick Henry, he rushed for 199 yards. They get a rematch in an AFC divisional playoff on Sunday night.
Quickly, the play was equal parts over for the Buffalo Bills and just getting started for the Baltimore Ravens. Same with the game in September, which was a 60-minute muscle-flex by Derrick Henry.
Received handoff. Peeked outside. Shifted left and then right. Split between blocks by tight end Mark Andrews and right tackle Roger Rosengarten. Made Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas pay for taking a poor angle.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry plowed through the Bills’ defense for 199 yards in his team’s 35-10 win in Week 4 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 29.
Joshua Bessex photos, Buffalo News
Henry, the runaway human bulldozer, was off to the races for an untouched 87-yard touchdown, part of a 199-yard tour de force in the Ravens’ 35-10 rout.
Sixteen weeks later, slowing down Henry is again top-of-mind for the Bills, who host Baltimore on Sunday.
Corral Henry, and the Bills will advance to next week’s AFC championship game.
Let Henry go crazy and the Bills will set an NFL record with a fourth consecutive divisional round loss.
Sometimes, in pro football, things really are that simple.
In his first year with the Ravens, Henry, who turned 31 on Jan. 4, carried 325 times, gained 1,921 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. How did he and Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley not generate more MVP buzz? Henry carried 26 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers; poor safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, like so many others before him, met Henry’s stiff arm.
“What he’s done this year has been amazing to watch,” Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones said.
In their first year under defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, the Bills’ run defense steadily dug themselves out of the un-amazing statistical crater created by Henry, rising from 30th (156.5 yards per game) in the league after the loss to Baltimore to a final ranking of 12th (115.5).
“We just took a step back, reset and got back to our core fundamentals of what we do as a defense and we refined a few things,” defensive tackle Jordan Phillips said. “We always had it, it was just tweaking it.”
And now, the biggest test of that tweaking and refining and improving.
Have fun, Bills defense. Have fun tackling the 247-pound power/speed combination. Have fun diagnosing the Ravens’ unique run-game system that is full of plays and eye candy. Have fun focusing on Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson. Have fun with all of it.
“You have to put your big-boy boots on, buckle your chinstrap and get ready to brawl,” Bills defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson said. “I love games like this.”
Adjustments required
The Ravens rushed for 271 yards against the Bills in the first meeting, third-most allowed since coach Sean McDermott was hired in 2017. Henry averaged 8.3 yards per attempt and had carries of 25, 38 and the aforementioned 87 yards. Jackson averaged 9.0 yards per carry.The Bills knew what Baltimore would run, and it didn’t matter. A defense without linebackers Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and Matt Milano (biceps) and nickel corner Taron Johnson (forearm) had no answers.
A key adjustment for the Bills against Baltimore will be matching personnel. If the Ravens go heavy – a fullback or two tight ends – the Bills should put Dorian Williams on the field more often as a third linebacker. Play a traditional 4-3 front instead of the usual five-defensive back package. Don’t be stubborn. Be pliable. Yes, it takes an elite player in Johnson off the field, but tough. The playoffs are no time for feelings. Plus, solid early-down run defense will lead to late-down takeaway opportunities for Johnson and the secondary.
“Johnson is one of the best nickels in the game, but it becomes hard going against (fullback Patrick) Ricard or Andrews or (tight end Isaiah) Likely,” said ‘NFL on CBS’ analyst Matt Ryan in a phone interview. “That’s one of the things I’m curious to see, how (McDermott) and Bobby Babich decide to attack that portion of the Baltimore offense.”
Williams led the Bills with 114 tackles before giving way to Milano after 11 games.
“I’m ready; I played the whole season, so I’m ready to go out and play,” Williams said.
Williams was told he would add a run fast/hit hard dimension to the Bills’ defense if he gets regular work.
“Every game where you get to tackle somebody is my type of game,” he said with a grin. “Getting bodies on (Henry) is the biggest thing. He’ll run through an arm tackle.”
Henry enters Sunday with 49 rushes of at least 10 yards, and The Buffalo News analyzed each play. Broken tackles were a theme.
• On the 49 carries, he broke a combined 39 tackles.
• The most common personnel group by the Ravens on those carries was two receivers and one tailback, fullback and tight end apiece (17 times), including the long touchdown against the Bills. The second most common grouping was two receivers, one back and two tight ends (11 times). Occasionally, the second tight end is masked as a sixth offensive lineman.
• Defenses literally tried everything against Henry on the 49 carries, save for putting 14 men on the field. He had 25 carries of at least 10 yards against a four-man line, 11 against a three-man line, seven against a five-man line and six against a two-man line.
“He’s a strong dude – I can only imagine how it feels for a (defensive back) to try and tackle him in the cold,” said Jones, who was Henry’s teammate with the Tennessee Titans.
Benefiting the Bills’ run defense was an overpowering offense that made opponents one-dimensional. In 18 regular-season/playoff games, opponents had 149 more pass attempts than rushes. But still, Seattle gained only 32 yards, Kansas City only 78, Detroit only 48 and New England 77 against mostly Bills backups.
What changed?
“We have professional men that understand when there is something that needs to be fixed, they fix it,” defensive line coach Marcus West said. “That’s what pros do, and that’s what’s awesome about coaching professionals. They created a mindset to fix an issue and they have.”
Run defense can be divided into two parts: 1. Want-to, the willingness to fight through double teams and a variety of blocks; and 2. Teamwork, the front (or entire 11-man unit) working together and playing off each other, instead of freelancing.
Kansas City provided an ideal example in its Week 1 win over Baltimore when Henry was held to a season-low 46 yards. The Chiefs muddied the middle.
On Henry’s 13 carries, the Chiefs used four down linemen 12 times, and when they used a 4-3 front, Henry was limited to 28 yards on nine carries. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and the other big fellas would move laterally to clog the interior, forcing Henry to stop, shuffle and re-group, allowing the Chiefs’ linebackers to pursue.
“If you Google it, that’s what everybody would say (is the key),” West said. “If you asked Derrick Henry, he would probably say the same thing. The key is to get as many people to the ball.”
Said Phillips: “He’s a guy you definitely want to have him restart his feet to get going, because if he hits the hole, he goes from good to great.”
Even if the Chiefs provided a blueprint, it didn’t work for other teams – the Ravens were 9-0 when Henry rushed for at least 100 yards. He enters the Bills game with at least 138 yards in each of the last four games.
“It’s a great opponent and a really good team,” Henry told reporters. “Yes, it’s going to be a heavyweight fight.”
Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for 199 yards in a Week 4 win over the Bills, including an 87-yard touchdown on his first carry.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Matching physicality
At opposite ends of the Bills’ locker room following Wednesday’s walk-through practice, Jefferson – who was signed along with Phillips on Nov. 6 – was told this game is why he was asked to return to Buffalo for a second tour.“We’re going to see,” Jefferson said with a laugh. “It’s going to be a physical game. You have a quarterback (Jackson) who is super dynamic, and a running back (Henry) who is super dynamic. They run a lot of different personnel and formations. As a collective, we have to be physical and put our hands on them.”
Jefferson has played 116 snaps, including only three last week against Denver. But he and Phillips will be required to spell starters Jones and Ed Oliver in the middle.
“They’ve played great,” West said of Jefferson and Phillips. “They’ve brought the wisdom of being the veterans they are, and they’ve fit perfectly because they’re great people and easy to coach.”
Dawuane Smoot also is able to slide inside in certain situations, giving the Bills a minimum of five interior options to rotate in.
“My brand of football, for sure,” Smoot said. “They say, ‘Hey, we’re running it here, stop us.’ ”
In six career games – five with Tennessee and one with Baltimore – against the Bills, Henry has averaged 17.8 carries for 93 yards and scored eight touchdowns. Henry-Ravens appeared to be the perfect match when he signed in the offseason, and the last 18 games have confirmed it.
The Bills were sent packing the last two postseasons by Cincinnati and Kansas City, who rushed for 172 and 146 yards, respectively. The Ravens present a different kind of problem in Henry. There will be no secrets.
“If he gets the ball and they have their pull blocks and he’s coming downhill, it’s a long game,” Jefferson said. “This is about as old school as it get – it is every time I play the Ravens. They aren’t tricking anybody. They run the ball. And we have to stop it.”
Improved run defense
Since losing to Baltimore in Week 4, the Bills have steadily climbed the rush defense rankings:| YPG | Rank | YPC | Rank | |
| Post-Week 4 | 156,5 | 30th | 5.7 | 32nd |
| Post-Week 8 | 120.3 | 15th | 4.8 | 27th |
| Post-Week 12 | 119.1 | 13th | 4.9 | 30th |
| Post-Week 16 | 118.3 | 14th | 4.6 | 24th |
| Final | 115.5 | 12th | 4.5 | 19th |
Henry vs. Bills
A game-by-game look at how running back Derrick Henry has fared against the Bills. The games from 2018-22 were with Tennessee, and the 2023 game was with Baltimore.| Year | Winner, Score | Att.-Yards-TD |
| 2018 | Bills, 13-12 | 11-56-0 |
| 2019 | Bills, 14-7 | 20-78-1 |
| 2020 | Titans, 42-16 | 19-57-2 |
| 2021 | Titans, 34-31 | 20-143-3 |
| 2022 | Bills, 41-7 | 13-25-1 |
| 2023 | Ravens, 35-10 | 24-199-1 |
| Totals | 107-558-8 |
The Athletic" Ravens at Bills: How to watch, odds, expert picks for Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen divisional duel
Ravens at Bills: How to watch, odds, expert picks for Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen divisional duel
The AFC divisional round features what might be the game of the season when the Ravens visit the Bills.
www.nytimes.com
The AFC divisional round features what might be the game of the season when the Ravens visit the Bills. And, given the MVP debate involving Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bills quarterback Josh Allen, this matchup could also launch thousands of narratives.
How to watch Ravens at Bills
- Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Since Allen became the Bills starting quarterback in 2018, Buffalo is only 5-6 against the spread as a home underdog, which might not seem all that encouraging going into the week. But the majority of those games (eight of them) came in his first two years, in 2018 and 2019. The Bills have not actually been a home underdog since the 2020 season. They have not been a home underdog in a playoff game since 1967, so this is relatively uncharted territory for this particular iteration of a Bills team.
All of this is a testament to how good the Ravens are and how well they’ve been playing.
Not only is Jackson playing at an MVP level at quarterback, but they also have Derrick Henry running wild. He is coming off a dominant game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round and is usually sensational in the postseason. In eight career playoff games, he has rushed for 918 yards on only 182 carries (more than five yards per carry). He is built for this time of year.
But so is Allen. He still makes freakish, highlight-reel plays and runs a dominant offense. This season he also has reduced turnovers, which is a major problem for opponents.
Although the MVP voting for this season has already concluded, the result of this game and the performances of both quarterbacks will drive the discussion for months, if not years.
Both teams have been nearly identical against the spread this season (11-7 for Buffalo and 11-6-1 for Baltimore), and their games have consistently gone over (13 games for Baltimore and 11 games for Buffalo).
Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills odds
Expert picks for Ravens vs. Bills
