‘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.’
Archives for December 9, 2019
Ravens CB: Bills’ Josh Allen looked ‘jittery in the pocket’ against heavy blitz
‘“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.”’
Bills know they’re a good team. Can they be anything more?
‘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.’
Missed opportunities on offense prove costly for Bills in loss to Ravens
‘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.’
No records for Lamar Jackson, just a hard-fought win over Bills
‘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.’
Josh Allen laments slow start in attacking Ravens’ blitzes
‘“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.”’
Passing game’s failures factor heavily into Bills’ loss to Ravens
‘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.’
Where Bills stand in AFC playoff picture after Week 14
‘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.’
Bills gave it a great effort on defense, but offense dooms them in loss to Ravens
‘“At the end of the day we didn’t make enough plays,” said quarterback Josh Allen, who struggled mightily from start to finish. “We have to be better in that aspect.”’
Josh Allen had a rough day against a suffocating, blitz-heavy Ravens defense
‘The way the Bills contained Lamar Jackson — if allowing him to throw three TD passes can be considered contained — they very well could have pulled off an upset had they gotten anything from Allen and the rest of his pals on offense. If the Bills contained Jackson, the Ravens suffocated Allen.’
Roth: McDermott in no mood to talk ‘moral’ victories after sloppy loss to Ravens
‘After pondering how his team gave the Ravens two short fields to score touchdowns after an Allen fumble and a 29-yard Corey Bojorquez punt, how too many passes were dropped, how Allen was sacked six times and hit 12 other times, McDermott wanted no part of having his feelings massaged.’
Lamar Jackson’s poise, not legs, shine in win over Bills
‘It wasn’t a brilliant performance at New Era Field for Jackson, a credit to a swarming Bills defense, but as he’s done all season Jackson made the plays when it counted.’
Buffalo Bills report card: Josh Allen, offense were terrible and let the defense down
‘It was an egregiously bad day for the offensive line as it had no answers for Baltimore’s non-stop blitzing tactics.’
Buffalo Bills playoff picture is pretty clear: Just win once and they’re in
‘Houston lost to Denver, Oakland lost to Tennessee, and Indianapolis lost to Tampa Bay. It would have been the perfect storm for Buffalo, that is until Marcus Peters broke up Josh Allen’s fourth-down pass over the middle from the Ravens 16 with 1:03 left to play to secure Baltimore’s victory which, by the way, enabled it to clinch its own playoff berth.’
Bills’ rally falls short against Ravens
‘Buffalo’s ‘D’ held the Ravens offense to 257 yards … 20 fewer than their previous low against Pittsburgh. It also limited the Ravens to 118 rushing yards, 18 under the next worst. But it wasn’t enough.’
Pollock: Buffalo’s loss tightens AFC race to playoffs
‘Well, it’s not as if the sky is falling … but Bills fans are suddenly wondering if it might.’
Bills limit Jackson’s rushing, but MVP favorite comes through
‘“They were doing a great job on defense,” Jackson said of the Bills. “They were in cover zero. They hit us with that a couple times and it was successful for them. But that particular play, G-R (offensive coordinator Greg Roman) called a great play and Hayden just did his job and ran the line and it was successful.”’
SBU Final Four team, Flutie make appearance at New Era Field
‘Yesterday, the team was introduced and a short video was shown on the Jumbotron. Eight members of the Final Four team were in attendance Gene Fahey, Matt Gantt, Greg Gary, Paul Grys, Paul Hoffman, Mike Kull, Dale Tepas and Vic Thomas. Missing were Basketball Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier, who is battling bladder cancer, and coach Larry Weise, injured in a fall last week and hospitalized in Rochester.’
Buffalo Bills offense dooms defensive gem vs. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: 5 instant observations
‘But after that it was the Bills defense that set the tone and made things difficult on Jackson and all Baltimore ball carriers. When Jackson did have some space Buffalo swarmed to him and stayed in their lanes to contain him and make sure he didn’t break anything too big.’
Bills’ Josh Allen knows he needs ‘to find more completions early’ in games
‘“I have to find more completions early on. Take what they give us,” Allen told reporters during his post-game press conference. “Maybe felt like I was pressing a little bit when they were bringing some good pressures that we maybe hadn’t seen … at the end of the day, we didn’t make enough plays. Like I said, I have to be better in that aspect.”’
Buffalo Bills give NFL blueprint to limiting Lamar Jackson
‘“They were playing mostly a corners type style, a college quarter,” Harbaugh said. “The safeties were down, making numerous tackles near or at the line of scrimmage. I thought our backs ran really hard through some of those tackles too, but it was an all commitment basically to stopping the run in that sense. The (Bills’) corners are good and the safeties got back out of our play action really well – they’re very well coached. The conditions probably made it tougher to attack that coverage also.”’
Buffalo Bills’ comeback attempt versus Ravens falls short: 5 reasons to be encouraged, 5 reasons to worry
‘Buffalo’s offensive line play has been up-and-down this season. With three games remaining, the unit needs to figure things out quickly.’
Buffalo Bills LB Matt Milano expects to play Baltimore Ravens again in playoffs
‘By predicting a Bills-Ravens rematch, Milano is at least predicting one playoff win for Buffalo in the postseason. That may not seem like much, but the Bills have not won a playoff game since 1995. That season, Buffalo defeated the Miami Dolphins 37-22 in the Wild Card round before losing to the Steelers the following week.’
Buffalo Bills go toe-to-toe with Baltimore Ravens, but comeback falls short (Week 14 report card)
‘Allen’s offensive line, wide receivers and tight ends let him down at times on Sunday, but the quarterback has a lot of room for improvement following his 17-of-39 performance for 146 yards and one touchdown.’
NFL playoffs 2019: Buffalo Bills’ path to playoffs is simple entering Week 15
‘The Bills do not need any other help leading up to Sunday Night Football next week. If the Bills can knock off the Steelers at Heinz Field, Buffalo will make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under Sean McDermott.’
NFL Week 15 odds: Buffalo Bills open as slight favorite to Pittsburgh Steelers
‘Buffalo Bills (-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers.’
Buffalo Bills OC Brian Daboll a candidate for Carolina Panthers’ HC job, says Jason La Canfora
“Tepper is not going to waste anytime,” La Canfora said on CBS’ NFL Today. “I’m told he would like to get an audience with some of the better college coaches. Maybe a Matt Rhule, maybe a David Shaw. I’m not sure he is going to go with that model though. I can tell you he’s fascinated by the Patriot Way. He seems to think a QB driven head coach is the way to go. Maybe that leads him to Josh McDaniels. Maybe it’s somebody like Brian Daboll with the Bills who used to be in New England. Change is coming in the front office there as well.”’
Sullivan: Bills’ offense wastes another stellar defensive effort
‘In the end, this felt like too many other discouraging losses of the recent past— games in which the defense played its heart out, but the offense couldn’t keep its end of the bargain, when a heroic performance by the Buffalo D was wasted in defeat.’
An encouraging result against one of the NFL’s best
‘Buffalo has shown so many sides of itself this season. The Bills can be the team that blows out the Cowboys on the national stage and the team that plays with New England and Baltimore. But, they could also be the team that plays down to teams like the Jets, Giants, Dolphins and Bengals, and gets blown out at home by the Eagles. If Sunday’s game with Baltimore is a sign of things to come, I think Bills fans should be optimistic. We’ll see if I feel the same way after playing a third-string quarterback with stakes attached next Sunday night.’
Buffalo Bills Week 14 Report Card: Josh Allen, Bills come up short in 24-17 loss to Ravens
‘A terrible showing for the offensive line. The Bills couldn’t run the ball effectively and Allen was sacked six times. Cody Ford has shown improvement at right tackle, but he had a rough day. The Ravens’ defensive front won the battle at the line of scrimmage.’
Ravens have nothing else to prove until playoffs
‘Both the Bills and Ravens clearly decided beforehand that the best way to slow down the other team’s hot, second-year dual-threat quarterback and his recently romping, run-based offence was to blitz like crazy. That is, to send extra rushers at the quarterback on expected pass plays, and to move up extra, attacking defenders on expected run plays. Boy, did it work.’
Monday’s Baltimore Coverage
Instant analysis: Ravens win ninth straight, clinch playoff berth with 24-17 victory over Bills (Baltimore Sun)
With relentless blitz, Ravens defense takes charge in win over Bills: ‘We want to be the heroes sometimes’ (Baltimore Sun)
Preston: Even when they’re not at their best, these Ravens still find a way to win (Baltimore Sun)
‘There’s a reason we got him No. 1’: Ravens TE Hayden Hurst delivers game-breaking play against Bills (Baltimore Sun)
Injuries to Ravens’ Mark Andrews, Anthony Levine Sr. ‘not serious’; both say they’ll play Thursday vs. Jets (Baltimore Sun)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson joins Michael Vick as only NFL QBs to rush for 1,000 yards in single season (Baltimore Sun)
Ravens set single-season franchise record for points in second quarter vs. Bills (Baltimore Sun)
Thanks to swirling winds, Bills’ Tre’Davious White gets peek at notes from Ravens coaches (Baltimore Sun)
Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey, Marquise Brown active vs. Bills (Baltimore Sun)
Five Things We Learned from the Ravens’ 24-17 win over the Buffalo Bills (Baltimore Sun)
Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 24-17 win over Bills (Baltimore Sun)
The five games in Week 14 that mattered to Ravens: AFC playoff picture coming into focus (Baltimore Sun)
Baltimore Ravens win sloppy vs. Bills, clinch spot in playoffs: How it happened (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens’ pass rush revs up, offense experiments and more takeaways from win over Bills (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson hits 1,000 rushing yards, but Bills stay close: 1st half highlights (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens injury updates: Mark Andrews, Anthony Levine say they’ll play Thursday, per reports (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens injuries vs. Bills: Mark Andrews, 2 others head to locker room (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens break franchise record for points scored in a season (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens inactives vs. Bills: No players out with injuries, Justin Ellis among 7 sitting (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Ravens not celebrating ‘expected’ playoff berth (ESPN)
Lamar Jackson slowed by Bills, but Ravens prove they can win ugly with their dominant defense (CBS Sports)
Ravens win ninth straight game to clinch playoff spot in Buffalo (NBC Sports Washington)
Ravens have shown as much in close wins as in their blowouts (NBC Sports Washington)
Ravens bruised but hopeful after Buffalo win ahead of short week (NBC Sports Washington)
Stock up, stock down: Ravens clinch playoff berth with 24-17 win in Buffalo (NBC Sports Washington)
Bills defender eyes Ravens playsheet after it blows onto the field (NBC Sports Washington)
Watch: Marcus Peters crushes a beer after sealing Ravens’ ninth straight win (NBC Sports Washington)
Defense Leads Ravens in Playoff-Clinching Win over Bills (WJZ-FM)
Ravens-Bills: Inactives and Pre-Game notes (WNST-AM)
Ravens Clinch Playoff Spot, But Eyes Are on Home-Field Advantage (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Marcus Peters Closes Attacking Day for Ravens DefenseHayden Hurst Steps Up With Mark Andrews Injured (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Matthew Judon Continues a Career Year in Buffalo (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Eisenberg Breakdown: Five Thoughts on Ravens vs. Bills (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Lamar Jackson Becomes Second Quarterback to Hit 1,000 Rushing Yards (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Mark Andrews Among Several Injured Against Bills (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Healthy Ravens Activate Brynden Trawick for Special Teams (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Photo gallery (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Photo gallery 1 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 2 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 3 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 2 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 3 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Ravens Clinch AFC Playoff Berth With 24-17 Win Over Bills
‘“I’m frustrated by the loss,” rookie defensive tackle Ed Oliver sad. “Forget hanging with the team. If we wanted to just hang with the team, we could lose every game. But ultimately, we’re here to win and that’s the most frustrating part.”’
Bills Offense Comes Up Short In 24-17 Loss To Ravens
‘“We were right there,” guard Jon Feliciano said. “We need to learn from it, but we’ve got to play better. That’s really it. We have three more games, still fighting for a playoff spot.” While the win helped the Ravens (11-2) become the AFC’s first team to clinch a playoff berth, the Bills (9-4) were unable to build off a three-game winning streak and following a convincing win on Thanksgiving Day over the Dallas Cowboys.’
Bills player gets look at Ravens coach’s notes
‘White only got a few seconds to look through the notes before they were taken by a referee.’
Bills fall to Ravens, 24-17, after final pass falls short
‘Baltimore got careless in Buffalo’s last gasp, with three critical penalties that totaled 56 yards and gave the Bills a trip to the red zone and advancing as far as the Baltimore 16 yard line. After heavy pressure applied by the Ravens defense, Allen and company were left with 4th and 8 on the 16 yard line looking for a first down to keep their hopes alive, but the pass to John Brown fell incomplete and sealed the loss for Buffalo.’
Slugfest
‘I know every week is different and the individual matchups within a given game will likely determine your winner. But I feel like what I learned today is that no matter who the Bills draw in a likely Wild Card matchup, they’ll be in the game. Need it be said, if you’re in the game then you’ve got a chance to win the game. They’ll need some combination of better throws from Allen and his receivers doing a better job of catching the good passes. But I’m heading into the final 3 games of the year feeling like the Bills have the potential to be a factor in the NFL Playoffs, not just get in.’
Bills give NFL’s best all they could handle
‘Despite the loss I think this game should leave with you a couple of thoughts. One, the Bills won’t have any trouble winning at least one more game which should be enough to get them in the playoffs. This Bills team is good enough to go on the road in the wild card round and win a game.’
One win and the Bills are in
‘Winning the division is still a tough road for the Bills as they would need an upset win from the Miami Dolphins or Cincinnati Bengals over the Patriots, and win-out including their own win against New England at Gillette Stadium in two weeks.’
Arrow Up/Arrow Down – Ravens at Bills
‘The Ravens brought more pressure than the Bills had seen all season, and they didn’t handle it well. Running backs had to stay in and protect a lot, giving Allen fewer options, but he also was under duress a lot of the afternoon. Baltimore wound up sacking him 6 times and Ravens defenders were credited with 12 QB hurries!’