The Buffalo Bills (13-4) have begun their long awaited postseason journey.
In the Divisional round, the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Highmark Stadium following Buffalo’s 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card opener.
All week, topics and storylines have been discussed ahead of kickoff. In the end, regardless of what is said by players, coaches, media outlets, and fans, it always comes down to what unfolds on the field in the NFL.
And once the battle arrives, there will be a few particular things to keep in mind to look out for.
Here are five things to watch for during Sunday’s Bills-Ravens matchup:
Slowing down Derrick
Getty
While the QB battle between the Bills’ Josh Allen and Ravens’ Lamar Jackson will have a lot of eyes on it, the ground game for the Ravens offense is excellent as a whole. When Baltimore beat Buffalo earlier this year in a 35-10 final, running back Derrick Henry was the big reason why.
In addition, along with 199 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 4, Henry’s resume against Buffalo is very solid. He averages 93 yards per outing against the Bills and has nine total touchdowns against them in six games played.
But what’s worth note in a big way: Henry is still only 3-3 against the Bills in his career.
Lamar and the cold
USAT
As noted, the quarterbacks will have a lot of the attention. Like Allen, Jackson is a MVP candidate. But here’s an interesting note to watch: Jackson, a Florida native, will likely be playing in the coldest game of his career against the Bills on Sunday. How does he cope with the Orchard Park weather?
Keeping Allen up
Imagn
If Allen is given time to work, he usually makes things happen. That was not the case when the Ravens beat the Bills earlier this season. Allen was sacked a season-high three times in Week 4, taking eight hits. Buffalo’s offensive line has to have a better effort in this upcoming one.
Keep them off the field
USAT
All the successes the Bills had as a team against the Broncos was put on display with one stat: Time of possession. Buffalo’s time of possession doubled Denver’s in the end in a 41:43 to 18:17 margin. If the Bills can do that against the Ravens, it would go a long way. Whether it’s takeaways on defense or long drives on offense, just keep Baltimore’s offense on the sideline.
Home-field advantage?
USAT
Let’s not overlook how important this could be: Week 4’s loss? That was in Baltimore. This upcoming Sunday is in Buffalo. How much of a difference can Bills Mafia make?
