Ravens Face Bills in Marquee Matchup of The Divisional Round

by Ryan S. in NFL on Jan 15, 2025 1:52pm

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are battling to see who is named 2024 NFL MVP but they will also go head-to-head on the field with a trip to the AFC title game on the line Sunday afternoon. The two teams met in September with the Ravens winning comfortably 35-10 at home. But now they meet at what will be a cold and crazy scene at Orchard Park. Let’s break down some of the storylines in this epic clash.

Bills Run Defense vs Henry/Jackson

The Bills biggest challenge will be to slow down Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. Back in Week 4, Henry took the Ravens first offensive play 87 yards for a touchdown. He racked up 199 total yards while Jackson had 54 yards on six carries and a score. While the Bills were 12th against the run, they have to find a way to contain the No.1 run game in the league. Last week, Baltimore ran for an eye-popping 299 team yards with King Henry leading the way with 186 and two scores. Buffalo likely can’t stop the run game but can slow it down especially with linebackers Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano on the field, as they missed that game back in Week 4.

Allen/Cook vs Ravens Run Defense

The Ravens not only have the best run game, they also have the top run defense in the NFL that allowed just 80.1 YPG in the regular season, more than 13 yards better than the second-best Vikings. Buffalo racked up the yards against Denver, 210 yards with 120 from James Cook and 46 from Josh Allen. The Ravens were actually really good against quarterback runs, sixth-fewest yards and just 3.75 YPA. And in their meeting earlier this season, Cook and Allen had just 60 total yards on 14 carries. The path for a Bills win relies on a successful ground attack, and must find success, especially early in the game.

Prediction: Ravens ML

The Ravens may have the best 1-2 punch in the NFL right now with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. This offense is No. 3 putting up 30.5 points per game and while the Bills, No. 2 (30.9), can score, it comes down to the defenses. Baltimore has not given up 20 points in 6 straight games, and just 26 total points in the last three games. Can Buffalo’s defense measure up? When facing elite offenses, the Bills have struggled giving up 44 to the Rams, 42 to the Lions and 35 to the Ravens.