Bills analyst exposes the team's only chance of slowing Ravens' Lamar Jackson & Derrick Henry
The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills find themselves in very similar spots. Two teams with star quarterbacks looking to get over the hump that is the Kansas City Chiefs, one team will likely get another chance, while the other will be questioned immensely heading into the offseason. So for the Ravens to pull off the […]
The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills find themselves in very similar spots.
Two teams with star quarterbacks looking to get over the hump that is the Kansas City Chiefs, one team will likely get another chance, while the other will be questioned immensely heading into the offseason.
So for the Ravens to pull off the victory on the road, their star backfield is going to have to take the Bills' best punch and keep going…
Q. The Ravens but more specifically Lamar Jackson have seen struggles in the postseason. Walking all over a reeling Pittsburgh Steelers defense shouldn’t ensure a ton of confidence as the Bills are a far superior opponent. Do you expect any special game plan to slow down Lamar and Henry?
A. If there was a good way to slow down the duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, the two wouldn’t have combined for over 2,800 rushing yards this season. It’s easily the biggest, and toughest, task for any team when going against Baltimore. This time around, I expect Buffalo to lean more heavily on their 4-3 look instead of their Nickel package, though, with a healthy Terrel Bernard and healthy Matt Milano taking the field — both of whom were absent from the last game between these two. Expect a heavy linebacker set with the potential for one of them (Dorian Williams, maybe) to play down on the line to create five man fronts with athleticism.
– Jon Helmkamp, A to Z Sports Buffalo
Q. While it’s likely that Lamar Jackson will win the MVP this year, Josh Allen will be a close second. Arguably the best year of his career comes after the Bills parted ways with the top two receiving threats he had for most of his tenure. How has he been able to do so much with so little?
A. Honestly the progress for the Bills offense this year has been remarkable. Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady has done tremendous work to free Allen up to simply take the open option instead of feeling like he has to force it to a “number 1 receiver” that may or may not throw a tantrum on the sidelines. The team is completely bought into this process and have seen the fruits of their efforts, with Allen distributing the ball to anyone and everyone, as evidenced by the Bills tying the NFL record for the most players to score a touchdown in a single season with 13. Allen’s commitment to distributing the ball effectively, not forcing the deep pass when the shorter one is open, and Buffalo’s strong rushing ability have created one of the most potent and efficient offenses in the NFL.
– Jon Helmkamp, A to Z Sports Buffalo
Q. The Bills have been close in recent years but seemingly ran into the wagon, which is the Kansas City Chiefs or Joe Burrow. With the latter out of the way and KC aiming for another trip to the conference championship, why might this be the year that Buffalo gets over the top?
A. I think Allen’s progression, combined with Buffalo’s ground game, have this offense looking more dangerous and well-rounded than it ever has before. Running back James Cook has emerged into one of the league’s best, the offensive line allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL this year, and Allen is playing his best football ever. If they can continue to win the line of scrimmage and can come up with a few key stops in each of their remaining games, I think they have a legitimate recipe that could finally win the team’s first Super Bowl.
– Jon Helmkamp, A to Z Sports Buffalo
Ravens vs Bills Weather Forecast: Baltimore set to play one of the coldest games in franchise history
Frigid temperatures await the Ravens this Sunday.
