The 10-2 Baltimore Ravens will travel to take on the 9-3 Buffalo Bills on Sunday as we near the end of the NFL regular season. The Ravens have the playoffs all but locked up, while the Bills are fighting with the Patriots for the AFC East division.
Continuing To Roll
The Ravens are coming off a statement win over the San Francisco 49ers, who were the last undefeated team in the NFL at one point this season. With the MVP leader, Lamar Jackson, under center and its defense continuing to improve, Baltimore is becoming more and more of a favorite out of the AFC for the Super Bowl this season.
Jackson has been incredible all season, leading the Ravens in both passing and rushing yards. The second-year quarterback has thrown for 2,532 yards, 25 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also got it done on the ground with 140 carries for 977 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
His primary target this season has been his reliable tight end, Mark Andrews, who has 53 receptions for 693 yards and seven touchdowns. With Marquise Brown and Seth Roberts listed as questionable right now, Andrews could be in for a lot of targets on Sunday.
The Ravens have averaged 33.8 points per game this season while giving up 18.3. They are also putting 429 yards of offense per game, split almost perfectly between passing and rushing. The Ravens are on track to be the first team in NFL history to average 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing for an entire season. Their defense is allowing 339 yards per game, including 94 rushing yards.
After their three-point win over the 49ers, the Ravens will look to keep their momentum going as they go into one of the more hostile environments in the NFL.
Surprisingly Good
The Bills are also coming off an emotional win as they took down the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Thanksgiving, 26-15. The Bills are one game behind the Patriots in the AFC East and could use a big win over the Ravens as we near the end of the season.
Similar to Jackson’s playstyle is Josh Allen at quarterback for the Bills. Allen has 2,591 passing yards this season, along with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Allen can also cause problems for defenses with his legs as well, as he has eight rushing touchdowns this season.
The Bills’ leading receiver is John Brown with 61 receptions. He has tallied 882 yards and five touchdowns this year and will most likely be matched up with Marcus Peters this week.
Buffalo is averaging 21 points per game while allowing just 15.7. The Bills are also holding teams to only 217 passing yards per game, which could turn Jackson into a one-dimensional quarterback. While Jackson is explosive with his feet, if the Bills can completely take away the passing game, they might have a chance to slow down the Baltimore offense.
The Bills have won their last three games. While Buffalo has been criticized for not beating very good teams this season, a win at home against the Ravens could silence some doubters and get attention from everyone in the AFC.
What To Expect
Jackson and the Ravens have been great this season. With that being said, it’s hard to come off a big win over a tough team and then go into a hostile environment against a potential underrated opponent and get another win. The Ravens are six-point favorites in this game, but I think the Bills defense will slow down the hot Ravens offense, and the Bills will pull off the upset at home.
