Bills at Ravens Recap
The Bills started their three-game road trip with a night to forget in Baltimore Sunday night. There aren’t many positive things to take away from their 35-10 loss to the Ravens. The 25-point defeat is the worst regular season loss since their 41-15 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. For the first time this season, the Bills were punched in the mouth and unable to respond while being outcoached and outperformed in all facets of the game.
The Bills received the opening kickoff and struggled to move the ball. On 4th and 1 from their own 39, they successfully converted a first down on their version of the “tush push.” Later in the drive, they faced 4th and 2 from the 50 and decided to punt the ball. The decision to go for it in your own territory on 4th and 1 but not go for it from midfield on 4th and 2 was confusing. The Ravens started their drive from their own 13-yard line and got the look they wanted from the Bills' defense, with Derrick Henry running untouched for 87 yards. Todd Monken had the perfect play dialed up, a “crunch” run concept, which set the tone for the rest of the night as the Bills never recovered from the early 7-0 deficit.
The following drive started better with two quick first-downs, but center Connor McGovern was injured and removed from the game to be looked at for a possible concussion. There was confusion as he appeared cleared to return to the game but was removed again during an injury timeout. The drive fizzled out after several holding penalties, and Tyler Bass kicked a 50-yard field goal. The Ravens went on back-to-back scoring drives of 9 and 10 plays, building the lead to 21-3 as the Bills had back-to-back three and outs. The Bills' defense did not have an answer for the Baltimore offense. Lamar Jackson picked apart the Bills' linebackers in coverage, and if it weren't for a fumble on their 4th drive, it appeared we would have a 28-3 game heading into halftime. Unfortunately, the Bills couldn't capitalize after being gifted a fourth-down conversion via penalty; three straight incompletions led to another punt.
The second half started better for the Bills, with the defense looking more aggressive. They forced a three-and-out and followed it up with a four-play touchdown drive featuring a Josh Allen signature play as he was scrambling to his right and heaved a 50-yard bomb before heading out of bounds to a wide-open Khalil Shakir. The ensuing Ravens drive was another three and out, with a Baylon Spector sack ending the drive and seemingly shifting the momentum to the Bills. Allen connected with Keon Coleman on a contested back shoulder throw before two James Cook runs to get another first down. The next play will be a decision that will be discussed all week. Josh Allen lined up out wide with Curtis Samuel lined up in shotgun, taking the snap and being under instant pressure before lateralling the ball to Allen, who attempted a deep shot but was strip-sacked by Kyle Van Noy and recovered by the Ravens. The decision to call this play must be explained because it makes zero sense. The offense was finally gaining momentum, so you take the ball out of your best player's hands to attempt a long developing trick play when your offensive line hasn't held up all night? I am not sure that the thought process will change my mind, but I hope there is some internal accountability between Joe Brady and the offense so we don't see it again. Fortunately, Allen wasn't hurt.
The Ravens scored another touchdown, followed by a Tyler Bass missed field goal and a final touchdown drive to put the score at 35-10 with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and a feeling of just getting out of this without any more injuries. The Bills eventually waved the white flag and brought in Mitch Trubisky and some backups for the final two drives of the game. Although I was very wrong with the score prediction in my preview, I mentioned Kyle Van Noy as a player to watch, and he finished the game with two sacks for the third straight week. My matchup of the game was the Ravens' rushing attack, and the Bills were shredded on the ground, with Derrick Henry finishing with 199 of the team's 271 rushing yards at an 8-yards-per-carry average. This was a wake-up call for the team and will hopefully rekindle the fire they were playing with through the first three weeks of the season. It's better to have a game like this in week four and use it to correct the issues so they don't linger throughout the rest of the season. Unlike previous weeks, finding five things I liked from this matchup wasn't easy. Narrowing down the things I didn't like to only five was a challenge.
Five Things I Liked
Khalil Shakir - Shakir continued to show that he has developed into Allen’s number one target. His streak of consecutive receptions when targeted ended after he set the new NFL record early in the game. He finished the night as the leading receiver for the third week in a row with four catches for 62 yards.
James Cook - Cook was running well before the Bills had to abandon the run game when the lead grew to 3 scores. He finished the night with only 39 yards but averaged 4.3 ypc against the league's best run defense, which was giving up 2.8 ypc coming into the game.
Keon Coleman - The drop in the second quarter was significant in what would have resulted in at least a red zone attempt to inch closer before halftime. Coleman made two contested catches on back-shoulder boundary throws in the second half that we need to see more of moving forward. He finished the night with three catches for 51 yards.
Sam Martin - It's not a good thing when your punter is one of the highlights from a game, but Martin finished the night with six punts for 289 yards, two inside the 20, and a touchback.
Dorian Williams - Williams struggled in coverage but seemed to be one of the only Bills defenders who was willing to make a tackle in this game. He finished the game with 12 total tackles, 5 solo.
Five Things I Didn’t Like
Line of Scrimmage - The Bills' offensive line looked pretty bad after two straight weeks of praise and not giving up a sack. The Ravens ended the game with three sacks, but Allen did not have time in the pocket to survey the field on most of his dropbacks. The Bills’ defensive line struggled against a banged-up Ravens line that was missing their starting left guard, which had them shift players around. Both groups disappointed.
Defensive Game Plan - In the first half, the defense looked scared to attack, fearing they would get burned by Lamar Jackson's speed and the offense's. The Ravens picked on the Bills’ linebackers all evening and exploited a weakness unlike anything we saw in their first three games. The adjustments made at halftime started the second half well, but things quickly deteriorated after the Allen fumble and ensuing Ravens drive.
The Trick Play - Every time I think about this play, it annoys me. The Bills have not run these types of plays since very early in Allen’s career, and it’s obvious why. Your best player on offense is your quarterback. Why are you removing the ball from his hands for a passing play? The second part was the timing of this play call in the game. The offense had developed a rhythm and was gaining momentum. This play ended that and the game simultaneously.
Curtis Samuel Usage - I was excited when the Bills signed Samuel this offseason because I thought he was a dynamic player who could be dangerous in this offense, especially given his history with Joe Brady. However, he’s been a significant disappointment through four games, and his usage seems forced. The quick passes to him and the decision to line him up at quarterback on the trick play are moves that do not feel natural within the offense. I understand they want to get him the ball and let his talents take over but they need to figure out a better way to utilize them.
Tyler Bass - I defended Bass throughout the offseason and preseason, but I admit that he is not the kicker we saw in 2022 before he signed his extension. He does not appear confident in his abilities and has become genuinely unreliable. It was apparent that he missed the 48-yard field goal as soon as he kicked it, and it makes you wonder how much longer the team can continue trusting him.
Next Up: Buffalo at Houston - Sunday 1:00 PM
