The Ravens (4-3) will face the Buffalo Bills (5-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Here are game predictions from The Banner’s sports staff and a guest picker.
The Bills were three-point favorites as of Thursday night, according to DraftKings.
Voting with my eyes
Kyle Goon, columnist (4-3): I know in my head that Lamar Jackson gives the Ravens a chance in any football game. I know the Bills do not have a good defense, and with Jackson, Baltimore should be able to attack that secondary. I know that the Ravens have to be on the warpath after being emasculated by the Bengals in last week’s second half. But I just can’t get past the lackluster play I’ve seen from these guys so far this season.
Buffalo is a hard place to play, and Josh Allen is a tough quarterback to defend. He’s the most mobile, most capable passer they’ve seen this year, and I don’t have enough confidence in this front to keep him in the pocket. There are some reasons to pick Baltimore to bounce back on vibes, but based on evidence, the Ravens haven’t earned a vote of confidence here.
Bills 28, Ravens 21
Ghosts travel across the parking lot
Giana Han, reporter (3-4): Lamar Jackson is back, but that doesn’t solve the defense’s issues. Jackson will be able to capitalize on a weak Bills secondary, but Josh Allen can do the same to the Ravens’. Other than Joe Burrow, who dropped 35 straight points on them, Allen is the only elite quarterback the Ravens’ defense has faced. And he’s a step above Burrow. The Bills, coming off a bye, have faced tougher tasks than the Ravens have this season.
Although the Ravens can attack the Bills’ secondary, their offensive line is going to have to hold off a strong pass rush. This is where getting Jackson back helps.
The Ravens have had difficulty in Buffalo for as long as I’ve covered this team. It’s a new stadium just down the road from the old Highmark Stadium, so maybe it doesn’t hold the same ghosts (especially since the Bills have proven they can lose a game there). But the Ravens haven’t done much to prove they’re all that different of a team as they head to Buffalo.
Bills 28, Ravens 24
Rely on reliability
Jonas Shaffer, reporter (5-2): On paper, the worst unit on the field Sunday will be the Bills’ defense. But if Lamar Jackson is not 100%, if the Ravens’ run game is not functioning, if their offensive line is still battered and bruised, will that weakness be so easily exploited?
The best unit on the field, or at least the most reliable, will be Buffalo’s offense. The Bills have three receivers on pace for 800-plus-yard seasons, and that doesn’t even include DJ Moore, who could be back from a shoulder injury. They have a star running back in James Cook. They have a bruising offensive line. The Ravens won’t be as bad Sunday as they were in the second half of their loss to Cincinnati, but how much better can their defense be when it’s Josh Allen at quarterback?
Bills 27, Ravens 24
History weighs on the Ravens
Childs Walker, contributor (3-4): Even with the anticipated return of Lamar Jackson, this is a potentially brutal matchup. The Ravens’ defense lost its way in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals, to the degree that it’s impossible to have faith in any of the team’s top playmakers going against Josh Allen. It won’t help that Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith have been nursing knee injuries that could hamper them, even if they play. The Bills move just as efficiently on the ground as through the air. They’re very good on third down and in the red zone. They’re going to put up points.
So that puts Jackson in the position of having to save his team by breathing life into an offense that has died in the second half of its past two losses. Is it possible? Sure. The Ravens were the most explosive team in the league with Jackson at the helm. They’ve hung big numbers on the Bills in recent years, and Buffalo’s defense remains vulnerable to downfield attacks, allowing 7.4 yards per attempt. This will likely be an entertaining game, but history has taught us to bet against the Ravens making the critical winning play in Buffalo.
Bills 31, Ravens 27
A Lamarvelous bounce back
Brandon Weigel, editor (3-4): It is, shall we say, less than ideal to enter one of your toughest matchups of the year in the midst of an identity crisis. Sunday’s loss to the Bengals may have been the worst second-half collapse yet in the Ravens’ long-running series of them. Coach Jesse Minter called for better leadership from his players. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver asked for fans at M&T Bank Stadium to get louder to pump up the team.
But, somehow, all is not lost, because the Ravens are poised to get quarterback Lamar Jackson back from an ankle injury. And folks, this Bills pass defense is bad. It’s allowed 285.8 passing yards per game (31st in the NFL), with the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and Raiders’ Kirk Cousins each going for 300-plus in the Bills’ last two games before their bye. We always talk about how this offense lacks dynamism when Jackson is out. Also missing: the arm talent. The Ravens answer Minter’s call and hang on in a shootout.
Ravens 33, Bills 30
Guest pick
Lance Lysowski, The Buffalo News: Communication issues among the Bills’ inside linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks were largely to blame for their defense allowing at least 29 points in all but one game before their bye week. They’ve given up too many explosive plays in key situations. In the fourth quarter, for example, Buffalo has allowed 8.1 yards per pass attempt and eight passing touchdowns. The run defense is better than it was a year ago, but it has yet to face a backfield tandem as dynamic as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The Bills’ run of seven consecutive wins when they have allowed at least 30 points is going to end Sunday. The Ravens will get the stops they need to hold on for a victory.
Ravens 31, Bills 24
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.