The Baltimore Ravens got on the board in the win column with a 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last week. Of course, in true Ravens fashion, they almost blew a 28-6 lead. The bottom line is they got the win and avoided an 0-3 start – which is pivotal for their playoff aspirations. They now have a chance to get back to even at 2-2 record. But to do that, the Ravens have to hand the 3-0 Buffalo Bills their first loss of the season. Can they do it? Let’s dive into the key players and keys to the game.
Key Players for Ravens
Quarterback Lamar Jackson didn’t need to do much in the air last week, because Baltimore had so much success on the ground against the Cowboys. Jackson was very much in that picture, with 87 yards and a touchdown on 14 rushes. Expect Jackson to throw more against the Bills than he did the Cowboys (15 passing attempts), and challenging them deep.
The Ravens’ top three receivers, statistically, are all pretty closely lumped together through three weeks. Zay Flowers has 16 catches for 148 yards, Isaiah Likely has 141 yards on 12 catches and Rashod Bateman has eight for 121. All three have a touchdown reception each.
Surprisingly, Mark Andrews has only seen eight targets through three games. Fans have to wonder if there’s a lingering injury, a scheme issue, or if offensive coordinator Todd Monken has something up his sleeve.
Key Players for Bills
The conversation on the Bills starts and ends with quarterback Josh Allen, unsurprisingly. Allen had a strong day against the Jaguars defense in Week 3, throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns. On top of that, Allen has yet to throw an interception this season.
Baltimore has picked off two passes through three games, with Marlon Humphrey and Roquan Smith each having one. Allen leads the league with a 0.59 expected points added per dropback. That’s 0.25 more than the next-closest, Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.
James Cook has helped give some stability at the running back position that the Bills haven’t had much of in recent years. On top of that, his versatility allows him to help in the run game and the pass game. Cook has also been successful against heavier boxes.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Cook is averaging 4.7 yards per carry against seven or more defenders in the box, the 4th-highest in the league. He’s also tied for second with a 56.7 percent success rate on such carries.
Keys to victory for the Ravens
Pressure and sack Josh Allen
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Allen is under pressure at the fourth-lowest rate in the league at 23.8 percent of his dropbacks. He’s also been sacked at the second-lowest rate, with just two of 20 pressured dropbacks.
Of course, that also means the Ravens have to step up their pressure game against the Bills. They rank 22nd in pressure rate (28.9 percent). Their pressure needs to get home and keep Allen at bay.
Find a way to get Mark Andrews involved
The Ravens have the highest use of 12 personnel this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. That makes it even crazier to think how little production Andrews has this season. At some point he has to pop, right? Maybe this is the week.
If ahead early, keep the foot on the gas
The Ravens were fortunate last week against the Cowboys despite almost blowing a 28-6 lead.
Josh Allen and the Bills won’t be as forgiving. If the Ravens get out to a fast lead against the Bills, they must keep the foot on the gas pedal. Don’t let up for a second. But be smart.
