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Archives for January 14, 2021

Ravens coordinator’s comparisons put Bills’ Josh Allen in great QB company

‘“That’s the most important thing is usually when you evaluate a quarterback, and he’s not accurate, it’s hard for them to shed that tag,” Martindale said. “And what he’s done in the offseason, and what he’s done this year with Brian (Daboll) and those guys, it’s amazing to see with his accuracy. And it’s accuracy on the move, it’s accuracy in the pocket — everything he’s done, he’s become more accurate with it.”‘

My View: Playoffs stir emotions for the dearly departed

‘In the days and years since Matt’s death, recalling his passion for the Bills, his excitement for the Super Bowl era, or stories like the time he stood in line like a little kid to get Jim Kelly to sign a jersey – have all become immense sources of comfort and happiness for my family. The shared memories are often a catalyst to long text threads that let us imagine what he would be thinking today or how much he would love our unstoppable franchise quarterback and the whole “process.”’

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson at the forefront of an NFL quarterback revolution

‘Not surprisingly, the players themselves don’t really care all that much about this storyline, and Allen could very well have been the spokesperson for the group when he said the other day, “I mean, it doesn’t affect me or I don’t really care about that too much. I’m just trying to be the best quarterback for the Bills that I can be. It’s cool, but our attention, my attention, is towards the Ravens and trying to figure out how we can put our best foot forward.”’

Despite pleas from bars, state won’t extend curfew hours during Bills-Ravens playoff game

‘“The fact is the CDC has specifically pointed to indoor dining as a higher-risk activity, and this policy is a commonsense way to reduce the risk of exposure,” said Jeffrey Hammond, public information officer. “As much as we feel for restaurants in Buffalo and as much as we want to let fans watch the game at bars, we won’t sacrifice public health.”’

Bills’ Josh Allen reminds Richard Sherman of Aaron Rodgers

‘“And the fact that when he extends it I have to be super cognizant,” said Sherman. “They ran seven-seven on me one time and… I’m obviously responsible for the deeper seven. Teams run seven-seven. The first seven is usually at like 15 yards or so and the second seven is at 30. Their first seven was at 40 yards. Their second seven was heading to 70. So it stretched me so far down the field, but I still had to go to the high seven because if I would have took the 40 yards he would have hit the 70. That will always be in your mind because not only can he throw it anywhere he wants, he can get it anywhere on the field and that’s similar to Aaron. Aaron can throw it 80 yards backside of the field, outside the numbers.”’

It’s January in Buffalo, so of course Bills-Ravens game could be snowy

‘“The potential is there for lake effect snow, and lake effect is very localized, so it’s hard to pin down where any bands would be at any given moment,” said Kirk Apfell, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Buffalo. “It doesn’t look like a huge event, though.”’

Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Bills’ Josh Allen trade compliments before showdown

‘“People always – just talking about Josh – say, ‘His big arm,’ but he’s doing it all out there,” Jackson said. “He’s getting out of the pocket, taking advantage of what the defense gives him, throwing the ball on a rope, and he’s slinging the ball, like a [Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes. He’s just helping his team out a lot. He’s one of the key reasons they’re putting up so many points and winning games. Hats off to Josh, because he’s been doing it since his rookie season.”’

Josh Allen on Lamar Jackson: ‘I root heavily for him’

‘“I tell this to everybody I talk to about him — he is one of the greatest dudes you can be around. He really is,” Allen said. “And for him to kind of have the adversity of coming out the first year and people doubted him, and then go out and explode on the scene last year and just be this dynamic quarterback. You see the impact that he makes in his communities on Instagram and stuff like that. He’s just one of those special guys. Obviously, they’ve been having success, he’s had a lot of success early in his career.”‘

Ravens to attack Josh Allen, create problems Buffalo hasn’t seen this season

‘”It makes you have to cover longer. You’ve heard the terminology ‘plaster’ before. Big Ben’s a person we had to do that a lot with when he had Antonio (Brown) and all those guys back in the day. But when they extend plays, he has fast guys running all over the field and you have to plaster them for four, five, six seconds while an athlete like Josh Allen can still launch the ball 50 to 60 yards down the field,” Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said.’

Richard Sherman explains why Josh Allen reminds him of Aaron Rodgers

‘”It’s not going to be the initial play that kills you. It’s going to be the secondary scramble… and I think that’s the factor that you can’t account for,” Sherman said. “And at least when we played him, we had him. We had their plays buttoned up… and they ended up being explosive plays because he casually extended the play. He didn’t panic, he didn’t say ‘hey, I’m gonna scram, I’m gonna run.’ He said, ‘hey, this is my outlet, I’m going to move and create three more seconds for this guy…”

Test of wills coming between Buffalo quarterback Allen, Ravens defense

‘“He has receivers that can get open. After that first 2 1/2 seconds, three seconds, boom. He went through his couple reads, it’s not there, and he breaks that pocket,” said Smith about preparing for Allen. “That’s something that you kind of have to practice in practice a little bit, just ‘plastering’ [receivers] and making sure that he doesn’t have anywhere to throw it. Try to force him to throw it out of bounds.”‘

How Wink Martindale’s Defense Is Preparing for the Josh Allen Challenge

‘”Most of the time when you evaluate the quarterback and he’s not accurate, it’s hard for them to shed that tag,” Martindale said. “What he’s done in the offseason and what he’s done this season, it’s amazing to see. His accuracy on the move, his accuracy in the pocket, everything he’s done, he’s done accurately.”‘

Mailbag: What’s the Plan to Slow Down Josh Allen?

‘I expect the Ravens will use a variety of blitzes and coverages to keep Allen guessing. The last thing they want to do is let him get comfortable because he has the talent, and weapons, to carve up a defense. Last year, Baltimore held Allen to 17 completions on 39 attempts for just 146 yards and one touchdown. The Ravens sacked him six times and forced two fumbles. They’d like to do that again.’

Thursday’s Baltimore Coverage

NFL head coaching jobs are open. Why isn’t Ravens DC Don ‘Wink’ Martindale a top candidate yet? (Baltimore Sun)
Ravens OC Greg Roman: Offense is ‘more equipped to win in the playoffs’ than last season (Baltimore Sun)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Bills’ Josh Allen trade compliments before showdown (Harrisburg Patriot News)
The Baltimore Ravens built their secondary for a challenge like this. Will they stop the Bills? (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens’ Jimmy Smith says he was ‘way smarter’ to sign extension early this time (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Baltimore Ravens injury updates: Marcus Peters, Matthew Judon remain out of practice (Harrisburg Patriot News)
Harbaugh, Ravens happily travel road to success in playoffs (AP)
Baltimore Ravens won’t back down from blitz against Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (ESPN)
Lamar Jackson unveils the secret behind his MVP-caliber play since his return from COVID (CBS Sports)
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson could get to do something he’s never done before in divisional playoff game vs. Bills (CBS Sports)
Ravens’ Wink Martindale describes Josh Allen as a young Ben Roethlisberger with Dan Marino’s arm (CBS Sports)
NFL insider notes: Wink Martindale deserves more head coaching buzz, Seahawks could struggle to fill OC, more (CBS Sports)
Lamar Jackson on potential snow Saturday: ‘I never got to play in the snow’ (NBC Sports Washington)
Ravens’ Martindale compares Josh Allen to Roethlisberger, Marino (NBC Sports Washington)
Josh Allen on Lamar Jackson: ‘I root heavily for him’ (NBC Sports Washington)
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh Sports Face Coverings From Route One Apparel (WJZ-TV)
Ravens to attack Josh Allen, create problems Buffalo hasn’t seen this season (WBAL-TV)
Richard Sherman explains why Josh Allen reminds him of Aaron Rodgers (WJZ-FM)
Brian Baldinger on Buffalo Bills: “They Don’t Match Up Well With Baltimore” (WJZ-FM)
Test of wills coming between Buffalo quarterback Allen, Ravens defense (WNST-AM)
Roman says early challenges led to “evolution” of Ravens offense (WNST-AM)
Martindale on Buffalo’s Allen: “He knows that there’s going to be pressure” (WNST-AM)
Bozeman among Ravens hoping for no snow in Buffalo (WNST-AM)
Jimmy Smith says these Ravens “very eerily similar” to 2012 team (WNST-AM)
That time 20 years ago when this Ravens safety broke Tennessee’s heart (WNST-AM)
News & Notes: Ravens Don’t Plan to Let Snow Stop Them (BaltimoreRavens.com)
How Wink Martindale’s Defense Is Preparing for the Josh Allen Challenge (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Mailbag: What’s the Plan to Slow Down Josh Allen? (BaltimoreRavens.com)
Late for Work 1/13: Not an Overreaction: Ravens Are Dangerous Enough to Win It All (BaltimoreRavens.com)

Will N.F.L. Teams Learn the Right Lessons From Josh Allen’s Success?

‘Some teams will try to copy the Bills’ formula more directly. The team’s offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, has become a hot job candidate as teams seek a head coach capable of slow-cooking their incoming or in-house quarterback prospects. By developing Allen over three seasons, Daboll appears to have cut the line in front of the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, who helped Mahomes become league M.V.P. in the quarterback’s second season.’

Bills Brace For Run-Dominant, Lamar Jackson-Led Ravens

‘“Given all the misdirection, and the quarterback having the option to pull the ball and run, it feels a little like college,” Hughes said Wednesday, referring to Buffalo preparing to host Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional playoff on Saturday. “I guess playing in the Mountain West for me has its upside.”’

McDermott: We’ve done a ‘great job’ playing in big games this season

‘”I think pressure is relative to the person and maybe the situation, but it’s all about how you interpert it. I think our guys have done a great job of playing in games that people would consider big, and in big moments of the game, in particular this past weekend. We try to stay in a routine, and make sure we’re ready to go to perform at a high level.”‘

Jackson, Ravens come to Buffalo on a roll

‘Once again, the world had underestimated Lamar Jackson. When Jackson returned from quarantine, he appeared different somehow, more emotionally wired, more like the man who won league MVP a year earlier.’

On the other sideline: Lamar Jackson

‘In last week’s Wild Card game against the Tennessee Titans, that have plagued the Ravens for two seasons now, Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 179 yards and added 136 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry in the 20-13 comeback win against the Titans, Jackson’s first playoff victory in his young career.’

How Bills Stadium testing could be used as a template to reopen the economy

‘The state piloted its strategy at Bills Stadium last week, when about 7,000 people were tested, using a PCR test, prior to the Bills Wild Card game against the Colts. It resulted in a positivity rate of 1.9%, which is much lower than the regional and statewide rate. Cuomo says early indications are that the event was successful. The pilot is being utilized again this week ahead of the Bills game against the Ravens.’