Three key matchups that could tilt Week 1 in the Ravens’ favor against the Bills on Sunday Night Football
Where do the Ravens have the best advantages against Buffalo in their rematch from the 2024 playoffs?
The Baltimore Ravens will look to gather some semblence of revenge for the 2024/2025 AFC Divisional round on Sunday night. For the second consecutive year, Baltimore’s season will begin against the same opponent that ended their season the year before. 2024 saw the Ravens come up a toe short of avenging their loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game — Baltimore is hopeful that this year’s opportunity will have a different ending.
The good news for Baltimore is that there’s a number of matchup advantages the Ravens should be leaning heavily into for this contest against the Buffalo Bills. If Baltimore walks away victorious in Week 1, here are three personnel matchups that are likely to be a big part of the reason why.
Three personnel matchups that favor the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills
Ravens‘ running game versus Bills interior DL
Early success running the football will go a long way in this contest. Staying out of negative game scripts where Baltimore must chase points on the scoreboard will be important — what’s what caught up to Baltimore in the playoffs. The first time these two teams met in 2024? Derrick Henry ran wild, posting 199 rushing yards.
This year, Baltimore catches a Bills remade defensive front that will be missing Larry Ogunjobi (suspension), Michael Hoecht (suspension), and now DeWayne Carter (injury). Behind Ed Oliver and Daquan Jones, Buffalo now has two rookies as backups on the interior in T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker. Strap up and pound the rock.
Ravens wide receiver depth versus Bills cornerback room
Buffalo’s first-round rookie, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, is on injured reserve — meaning veteran Tre’Davious White, JaMarcus Ingram, and rookie Dorian Strong are currently pencilled in as the other cornerbacks set to try to match the combination of Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins, and others. The raw matchup element of those individual talents skews towards Baltimore’s favor for whoever is not drawing Bills cornerback Christian Benford in coverage.
If Baltimore can find success running the ball and creating balance, those matchups should be available for Lamar Jackson as he needs them in the passing game.
CB Marlon Humphrey versus matchup of choice in Bills WR room
How the Ravens choose to defend Buffalo’s passing attack will be an interesting subplot to watch unfold. Marlon Humphrey is physical, capable of playing inside or outside, had excellent ball production in 2024 and does a great job in tackling. He could match up with a physical receiver like Keon Coleman, but his experience should lean the matchup in his favor. The Ravens could choose to leave him in the slot and match up against Khalil Shakir, although Humphrey’s physicality should play well against a smaller, slippery receiver like Shakir.
Look for Humphrey’s assignment to set the secondary in Week 1 against the Bills.
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