Two Bills Drive

‘Running back James Conner, who has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury, is expected to return to practice this week, along with standout receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has been out with an injured knee. If Conner plays Sunday night, that likely will influence the Steelers to stick to the ground and minimize Hodges’ passing.’

‘“It’s kind of funny how I got into the radio job,” Hansen says. “I was planning to ref a game on a Friday night and then go to a game at the University of Montana when I found out it was a 16-hour drive. So I called a friend and asked if I could get a ride on his plane. He said no. But he called back an hour later and asked, ‘Would you like to do color for the game?’ And I said, ‘What the heck is that?’ He said, ‘You just have to watch the game and talk about it.”‘

‘Josh Allen was too amped early, and his passes often sailed too high, missing three deep balls to open receivers that were momentum, if not game-changers. He held the rock too long, bailed too early, and couldn’t elude pass rushers he’d dodged all season. It was a subpar effort and a turkey following his best day ever on Thanksgiving.’

‘“Every time we’ve lost, we’ve done a great job of bouncing back,” linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said after Sunday’s defeat. “A lot of that is credit to (coach) Sean (McDermott) as far as putting us in that mindset, but also the leadership in each room, as far as making sure these young guys don’t dwell on something too long and move on. We’ve practiced that, we’ve done that all year, so I don’t see any of that carrying over into the Pittsburgh game.”’

‘Baltimore blitzed on 30 of 48 dropbacks in their 24-17 win over the Bills, according to Buffalo News charting.’

‘“One week at a time,” the Bills’ third-year head coach said. “Respect the opponent. Respect our preparation. Respect the process as we prepare and get some rest today for them after they left this afternoon. Get themselves ready to go. This is a good football team we’re going to face. A team that’s had a lot of success if you study the tradition of the NFL and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s going to be a good week in preparation for us and we’re looking forward to it.”’

‘And the Bills’ base 4-3 defensive front held up when the Ravens used two backs or multiple tight ends. Baltimore ran 19 times for just 3.8 yards a carry against the Bills’ 4-3, according to Buffalo News charts. The Ravens had been averaging 4.9 a carry with heavy personnel in the game.’

‘The Ravens came to Orchard Park with a game plan to pressure Allen, and they did just that. Allen completed 29% (7 of 24) of his passes against the Ravens’ 30 blitzes. If the Ravens were not blitzing, they came with a hard pass rush that kept Allen from being comfortable in the pocket as he completed 1 of 16 attempts under duress.’

‘To say that Wood is an upgrade from Kelso is about as big an understatement as saying the Bills offensive line had problems with the Ravens’ blitz packages.’

‘The game was competitive because the Bills’ defense, ranked third in the NFL, essentially put a choke hold on an offense that was averaging: 33.8 points per game, 421 total yards (the Ravens had 257 Sunday, including only 95 in the first half), and 208 rushing yards (the Ravens had 118 Sunday). The Bills also pressured Jackson enough to force him to throw a high pass that was intercepted and held him to 40 rushing yards, his lowest total since the season opener.’

‘“He looked like he was under duress throwing the ball, didn’t know where he was going to get hit and kind of looked jittery in the pocket at times,” Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said. “He stood in there and made some strong throws, as well, though.”’

‘Their fans knew this team was capable of a comeback. They knew the game wasn’t over yet. They know this group isn’t the same old Bills.’

‘Drops were a huge issue for the offense in the second half of a 24-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at New Era Field.’

‘Lamar Jackson needed 63 yards to pass Michael Vick’s single-season quarterback rushing record of 1.039, set in 2006. Jackson managed just 40 yards. Jackson had a streak of nine straight games of 60-plus rushing yards, an NFL QB record.’

‘“First, especially in the first quarter, I have to find more completions early on,” Allen said. “Take what they give us. Maybe felt like I was pressing a little bit when they were bringing some good pressures that we maybe hadn’t seen. … They brought a good game plan.”’

‘The Bills’ offensive line was constantly under siege, and it led to Allen being sacked six times for a loss of 41 yards. That meant the Bills had just 105 net passing yards. “They were in our backfield a little bit,” guard Jon Feliciano said of the Ravens. That’s an understatement.’

‘The Bills remains position as the first wild card in the AFC because of the division winners. For the Bills to clinch a playoff spot, they need one win over the final three weeks.’