Sunday Night Showdown: Ravens’ Blueprint to Defeat the Undefeated Bills
The Baltimore Ravens head into Week Four with yet another primetime showdown following their exhilarating road victory against the Dallas Cowboys in Week Three, in which they avoided another fourth-quarter collapse to secure their first win of the season. On Sunday Night Football, the Ravens will welcome quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to Charm City. With a 3-0 record, the Bills, arguably the hottest team in the league, are among five teams that remain undefeated. The Bills, who traded star receiver Stefon Diggs to the Texans in the offseason, were expected to regress in 2024 after losing a lot of talent. Instead, they have dominated their opponents over the first three weeks, outscoring them 112-48, with the Jacksonville Jaguars being their most recent victim on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, the Ravens, who avoided a 0-3 start with their win against the Cowboys, will be trying to return to .500 in the AFC North, where the Steelers, who are currently unbeaten, are unexpectedly leading the division.
The Ravens will need to focus on establishing an efficient run game early on to seize control of the game's tempo if they are to build on their victory against the Cowboys in Week Three and defeat the Bills this week. The Ravens had a ton of success last week against the Cowboys, who have the worst rush defense in the NFL in terms of rushing yards allowed. In the game, star running back Derrick Henry led the way on the ground, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, after the team had trouble getting the run game going in the first two weeks of the season. The Bills, who allow an average of 118.3 rushing yards per game and rank 16th against the run, will present a greater challenge to the Ravens' offense. The Ravens should be well-positioned to win if they can establish their run game early and force the Bills to play football in the Ravens' fashion.
The Ravens' defensive strategy should focus on limiting Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Bills, in his passing game options. The main issue facing the Ravens' defense heading into Week Four has been their inability to defend the pass. Over the first three weeks, they rank worst in the NFL in pass defense, having allowed an average of 291.7 passing yards per game. Most notably, the Ravens' pass defense has struggled most in the middle of the field. In the first three weeks, Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, who caught six passes for 95 yards last week, have had major success against the Ravens. If they are unable to limit the amount of passing yards allowed in the middle of the field once more, the Ravens could drop to 1-3. This time, the quarterback will be Allen, who leads the NFL in passes completed in between the numbers, having completed 26 of 30 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Last week, Allen exploited the Jaguars' defense, with 10 different players recording a catch.
Last but not least, the Ravens must keep applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks if they are to improve to 2-2. Through three games this season, veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who signed with the Ravens midseason last year, has continued to build on the success that he had a year ago, being a major contributor in the pass rush, having registered four timely sacks and six total tackles. In addition to Van Noy, the Ravens were expecting for an explosive season from fourth-year linebacker Odafe Oweh, who has battled with consistency, and has registered two and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and nine total tackles to begin this season. The Ravens will be successful in applying pressure, forcing the Bills off the field, and containing their explosive offense, all of which could lead to victory, if their defensive line can consistently get to Allen and take advantage of the Bills upfront at the line of scrimmage throughout all four quarters.
