Ravens/Bills Divisional Preview

    Written by: William Petersen •

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    Many people that are not football fans often wonder why people that are football fans love to watch the game. The final game of the Divisional Round is the reason why football fans love to watch, especially playoff football. The Baltimore Ravens travel to Buffalo, New York for a battle with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. When looking at both of these teams it is hard to argue which team looks more like a team of destiny given the seasons both of their quarterbacks have produced in the regular season. The quarterback duel between Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen could go down as the game of the year after they have both been battling with each other all year for MVP. Although the ballots have already been casted, this game will prove to everyone watching who the real MVP of this season is no matter who wins the award later this month. The Ravens reached the divisional round after spanking divisional rival Pittsburgh 28-14 in the Wildcard round behind running back Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. Buffalo had the pleasure of playing the seven seeded Denver Broncos at home and held rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the offense to only one touchdown while Josh Allen had two passing touchdowns and James Cook ran for over 120 yards in a 31-7 win. Two high powered offenses will be gracing the field in a game where points should be in abundance, as well as drama.

    Baltimore has been a wagon of a team all season after signing Derrick Henry in Free Agency this offseason to accompany Lamar Jackson in their rushing attack. Henry ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns off of 26 carries against the Steelers while Jackson only had one rush for 15 yards but threw for 175 yards on 16/21 throws and 2 touchdowns. The dual threat of Henry and Jackson will make any defensive coordinator looking for answers, especially  after Jackson finished the season with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and only 4 interceptions in the regular season. Jackson has always been a threat with his legs but his accuracy and near perfection throwing the ball this season is a major reason why the Ravens have won 12 games this season as well as why he is the betting favorite to win the NFL MVP for the second-straight season. If the Ravens are to make their second-straight AFC Championship they will have to keep Bills quarterback Josh Allen hemmed in the pocket and forced to throw,  rather than let Allen extend plays and use his own legs to gash the defense.

    The Buffalo Bills have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL after winning the AFC East for their fifth consecutive season thanks to MVP candidate Josh Allen. Allen has willed the Bills to wins this season on his own, rushing for 531 yards and five touchdowns to accompany his 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. The Bills defense is porous but it doesn't matter when you have a guy under center in Allen who can nearly do it all when it comes to playing quarterback. James Cook has helped take some of the load off of Allen’s shoulders, Cook ran for over 75 yards in the first half against Denver in the Wildcard, but Allen does not have many other weapons surrounding him in that offense. Khalil Shakir has been his most reliable wideout, who had six receptions for 61 yards last week, but Buffalo mainly relies on their quarterback play to win them games. Josh Allen will have to play a near perfect game if the Bills are to advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since 2020. Buffalo has not lost a game at home all season (8-0) but if anyone will come in and ruin that streak it will be Lamar Jackson. This game is currently set at a “pick em” in terms of odds, but Baltimore is currently a 1.5 point favorite on the road. Whether you are a fan of either team or just watching for fun, this game is a must see and I will be shocked if it is not the game of the year and an absolute barn burner.

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