Washington DC Sports Today

Washington DC Sports News Continuously Updated

Bills vs. Ravens Preview: Heat Check Time for Josh Allen, Buffalo?

by

Bills Ravens

Josh Allen, the early NFL MVP favorite, and the Buffalo Bills are riding high after three straight wins to open the 2024 season. The schedule gets tougher starting Sunday night, however, as they visit Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the team’s annual “Darkness Falls” game at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Bills’ offense is clicking on all cylinders in the early going. Allen and Co. lead the league with 112 points, and they’ve topped 30 points in each contest. It’s been a welcome sight for Buffalo after an offseason of endless questions about how the team would replace Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

Meanwhile, the Ravens picked up a much-needed road win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday after back-to-back losses to open the campaign. Now, they’ll try to start climbing the AFC standings by knocking off one of the conference’s top contenders.

Sunday Night Football is scheduled for an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC and Peacock.

Bills-Ravens Game Preview and Score Prediction (Week 4)

X-Factors

Bills: LB Dorian Williams

Williams was thrust into a massive role in the middle of the Buffalo defense for the second straight season after injuries to Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard. Milano is sidelined until at least December with a bicep injury, while Bernard remains without a firm timetable after suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.

Although Williams struggled at times across his first two outings of 2024, he stepped his game up significantly Monday night in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He recorded a team-high 11 total tackles and received the squad’s highest grade from Pro Football Focus:

Now, the 23-year-old Tulane product is staring down the Ravens’ offense, which is the NFL’s toughest test for a linebacker. Baltimore has everything that can cause headaches for an LB group: a running quarterback in Jackson, a downhill runner in Derrick Henry, a shifty pass-catching back in Justice Hill, and two impact tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

In turn, Williams must shrine bright for the second straight week if the Bills have any chance of slowing down the Ravens. He’s got all the physical tools, but he’s dealt with some play-recognition issues. That’s a concern against an offense with plenty of variability.

Baltimore is likely going to attack Williams and fellow linebacker Baylon Spector a lot of the first few drives. How they handle that will go a long way in determining if the Buffalo defense can hold up.

Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson’s Rushing

The Bills have been on such a roll the past two weeks it’s easy to forget they trailed the Arizona Cardinals 17-3 in Week 1. They stormed back to win, but defense allowed 28 points. Kyler Murray’s legs were a key reason for Arizona’s success. The dual-threat signal-caller tallied 57 rushing yards on just five carries (11.4 YPC).

Now Buffalo has to face one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in NFL history. Jackson is off to a terrific start on the ground. He’s averaging 84.7 rushing yards per game and an eye-popping 7.3 yards per carry.

His ability to escape figures to become even more important than usual Sunday night, too. Baltimore has three injured starting offensive linemen (LG Andrew Vorhees, C Tyler Linderbaum, and RT Patrick Mekari) in a race against time to play this week. So, it could be a makeshift group up front in Week 4.

That would be a concern when facing any opponent, but even more so against the Bills. Buffalo features one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing groups, led by Von Miller and Greg Rousseau. It’s racked up 11 sacks during the three-game winning streak.

As a result, Jackson probably won’t have much time to stand in the pocket Sunday night. Expect a lot of first-read-or-run situations for the two-time MVP, and it’s unclear whether the Bills can contain him when he does opt to run.

Key Matchup

Bills WR Khalil Shakir vs. Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey

Allen and the Buffalo offense are finding success with an “everybody eats” mentality. Following the departures of Diggs and Davis, there’s no true No. 1 target, but spreading the ball around has kept opposing defenses off balance.

Shakir put together an impressive finish to the 2023 campaign. His rise played a key role in the Bills’ decision to revamp the receiver room. He’s rewarded the front office’s confidence with an impressive start to the new season, tallying 14 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

So, while there’s no conventional No. 1 weapon, the California native has been incredibly reliable when Buffalo needs someone to step up. In fact, he’ll set a new NFL record if he catches his next target:

Shakir faces a tough matchup with Humphrey on Sunday night, though. The Ravens cornerback is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2019.

Humphrey is putting himself on a trajectory for another strong campaign. He’s done his part to slow down a trio of talent-laden passing attacks in the Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders.

Shakir and Humphrey won’t see each other on every snap Sunday night. The Bills use a lot of variety in their offensive formations, and they also rely heavily on pre-snap motion.

The Bills wideout and Ravens corner should still line up across from each other a lot, though. The winner of those head-to-head battles will give their side a crucial edge.

Final Score Prediction: 24-23 Ravens

The Ravens can’t afford to fall behind Sunday night. The Bills have proven themselves as amazing front-runners. When they can build an early lead and let their pass-rushers loose, it can get ugly. The Dolphins and Jaguars found that out the hard way.

Buffalo has struggled defending the run, though. While the defensive tackle tandem of Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones is among the NFL’s best, opponents have found running lanes. Teams are averaging 4.7 yards per carry through three games.

So, expect a ball-possession approach from Baltimore. If the game is trending in the Ravens’ direction, Jackson, Henry, and Hill are going to see endless work. Although the team’s passing game has been solid, a perfect world in this contest would be 35-plus carries for that trio.

The Bills’ saving grace could be the aforementioned injuries to Baltimore’s offensive line. It would make life far easier on Buffalo’s front seven if the home team is forced to start multiple reserves.

All told it feels like the Bills-Ravens clash will come right down to the wire. Buffalo is the more complete team, but Baltimore’s biggest weakness is also its biggest strength. The visitors are also on short rest after playing Monday night.

Justin Tucker is due for a marquee moment after a sluggish start to the season. A game-winning field goal at the buzzer to cap a hard-fought battle sounds about right.

Main Image: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports

The post Bills vs. Ravens Preview: Heat Check Time for Josh Allen, Buffalo? appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.