Divisional Round: Bills vs Ravens Recap
The Buffalo Bills take advantage of two Lamar Jackson turnovers in the first half to build a 21-10 lead before holding on for a 27-25 victory over the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship game for the second time in five seasons. Baltimore opened the scoring to take a 7-0 lead on a Rashod Bateman touchdown reception. Buffalo responded with an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, their first of three in the half.
Baltimore started the second half with back-to-back scoring drives to get the score to 21-19 before a Bills’ field goal to make it 24-19. A costly Mark Andrews fumble ended what looked like a promising Ravens’ drive, setting up another field goal for the Bills. Jackson led an eight-play, 88-yard drive, resulting in a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely. Down 27-25, Baltimore needed a 2-point conversion to tie the game with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for them, Andrews was not able to secure the ball at the goal line. The Bills successfully recovered the Justin Tucker onside kick attempt and iced the game when Ty Johnson broke through for a 17-yard run before sliding down. The Bills kneeled the ball two times to end the game and secure their ticket to Kansas City next weekend.
Bills vs Ravens Sunday, January 19, 2025
Preview Hits and Misses
Hits
Justice Hill and Brandon Stephens had strong games for the Ravens. Hill finished the day with 50 rushing yards at 8.3 yards per carry. He was a much more effective runner than Derrick Henry was early on, and the Ravens did not utilize him as much as I expected, and he only had two catches on two targets in the passing game. Stephens gave up one catch in coverage on four targets—the 34-yard reception to Khalil Shakir. Going into the game, I thought he was a liability, and he held up overall.
Matt Milano was a difference-maker on the Bills’ defense. He and Ed Oliver tied for the team lead with 5 pressures each and did an excellent job in his QB spy role. He also had the pass breakup on the first failed two-point conversion that kept the score 21-19.
Misses
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson did not have the MVP-caliber performances I expected going into the game, but for different reasons. Allen benefitted from shorter fields from the turnovers and a run game that performed better than expected. He only attempted 22 passes compared to the 36 rushing attempts (10 by Allen) on the day. Jackson was affected by the weather early on. His interception and fumble in the first half were key factors in the Bills building a 21-10 lead going into halftime and disrupting the Ravens’ gameplan.
Dalton Kincaid finished the game with one catch on two targets for 11 yards. When writing my preview, I felt this was the perfect game for him to be a focal point in the offense. The game went down a different path than I expected it would. Kincaid played a role in the running game's success, finishing the game as the highest graded run blocker for a position player and third after O'Cyrus Torrence and Spencer Brown.
5 Things I Liked
Defensive Gameplan - Bobby Babich and Sean McDermott had a plan and executed it to perfection. The defense’s ability to slow down Henry in the first half, where he had seven carries for 22 yards, disrupted the Ravens’ offense and allowed the Bills to build a double-digit lead. Henry had nine carries for 62 yards in the second half, but the offense seemed hesitant to keep using him as time became their enemy.
Offensive Line - The Bills’ o-line allowed six pressures on 25 dropbacks with one penalty on Dion Dawkins, the “holding” call criticized by every analyst who watches football. They allowed 12 in the Week 4 matchup. On top of their pass protection, the run blocking opened running lanes all night for the offense to control the game and wear down the Ravens’ defense.
Pass Rush - The Bills’ pass rush had a lot of success pressuring Jackson and sacked him twice. They blitzed on 15 dropbacks and created pressure on nine of them and 13 overall. Milano, Miller, and Oliver had great games up front.
Running Game - I mentioned in my Ravens breakdown that Baltimore was the best defense against the run and were 9-3 when they held teams to 83 yards or less on the ground. Buffalo had 147 yards on 36 carries, which is the most Baltimore has allowed all season. Ray Davis and Josh Allen were responsible for all three scores in the game via the run.
Tyler Bass - Bass continues to redeem himself. Perfect on the day again, including a 51-yarder. His confidence is back, and McDermott’s post-game comments show how confident the team is in him.
5 4 Things I Didn’t Like
Injuries - Christian Benford, Matt Milano, and Taylor Rapp all ended the game with injury designations. Rapp’s hip injury led to him missing most of the game. Benford is in concussion protocol, and Milano’s injury is currently undisclosed (possibly not an injury). Taron Johnson injured his shoulder on the Ravens’ final possession but was able to return.
Secondary - It was a rough day for Rasul Douglas, Damar Hamlin, and Taron Johnson. The trio allowed eight receptions on twelve targets for 141 yards and a touchdown. Jackson had a 115.8 passer rating when targeting these players. There was a noticeable difference in the play after Rapp left the game with his injury.
Second-Half Offense - Joe Brady and the offense were too conservative in the second half. The first drive was a three-and-out. The second drive was six plays that took 4:26. It appeared to be the Bills trying to eat clock and protect the ball versus trying to move the ball down the field and score.
Third Down Defense - Baltimore was 4-5 in the first half, 2-2 on their opening scoring drive, and finished the game 7-10. This continues to be an issue for the Bills defense.
Critical Plays From the Game
Rasul Douglas' tackle on Rashod Bateman at the two-yard line. What looked like a definite walk-in touchdown after Bateman’s 42-yard reception, the Buffalo defense stood their ground three plays in a row, resulting in a loss of 6 yards and a 26-yard Tucker field goal to keep their 14-10 lead instead of a tie game.
The Mark Andrews and Lamar Jackson fumbles resulted in 10 points for the Bills while ending promising drives for the Ravens. Jackson’s fumble occurred inside the Buffalo 30 on a second-down play. Von Miller’s scoop and 39-yard return led to the Bills’ second touchdown of the game and a 14-7 lead.
After picking up a first down, Andrews’ fumble at the Buffalo 46-yard line killed another drive that looked like it would end in points for the Ravens’ offense. Terrel Bernard’s perfectly executed “peanut punch” and recovery were crucial to the Bills stopping the Ravens. The resulting Bills’ drive led to a field goal that gave them an eight-point lead to help secure the victory.
Stat(s) of the Game
BillsBanter Group Chat Quote of the Game
“Really really nothing but respect for Bass, guy was run out of town by folks like Jason and he just kept grinding”
Postgame Quotes of the Game
“Finishing 10-0 at home this year, just incredible...The environment that our fans build here, every Sunday, it’s not like that around the NFL, and we don’t take that for granted”
Postgame Perspective
I was confident heading into this game but did not think it would play out the way it did. I expected the defense to focus on slowing down Henry. I didn’t think they would make him a nonfactor for the first thirty minutes of the game. I expected the run game to be a focal point on offense to help the passing game. I didn’t think they would have the most rushing yards of any team against the Ravens, and Allen would only have 127 passing yards. I am more confident now because the coaching staff and the players showed that they can win in more ways than one. Josh Allen hasn’t had to put the cape on yet. Go Bills!
Up Next: AFC Championship: Buffalo at Kansas City - Sunday, January 26th 6:30 PM
