Buffalo Rumblings
The Baltimore Ravens ended their 2024 season with a heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. After the Bills took an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Ravens rallied and looked poised to tie. However, they missed on their second two-point conversion try in a game they ultimately lost 27-25.
Hope springs anew in the first game of the season, and with it comes time for discussing the opposing squad. Baltimore has a fantastic roster, a great offensive line, some excellent linebackers, and a strong defensive front that can make any opponent’s life miserable.
Our list of five Ravens to watch doesn’t include players from those positional groups, however. With a team this good, it’s hard to pick just five players. Our list is below, but be sure to share yours in the comments!
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QB Lamar Jackson
After finishing second in MVP voting to Josh Allen, Jackson will look to start the year off by avenging another loss to the Bills in the playoffs. Jackson has played very well against Buffalo in four regular season contests, completing 66% of his passes and throwing six touchdowns against just three interceptions for a quarterback rating of 92.3. He’s rushed for 206 yards and a score, as well, in those games. The two playoff games have another story entirely, however, as Jackson has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions. The key difference has been that the Bills have done a better job containing him as a runner in the postseason, as he has totaled 73 rushing yards on 15 carries. Jackson has only rushed for less than 54 yards twice in the playoffs, and both times have come against the Bills. Will the Bills bring their playoff-caliber containment this week, or will the 2023 NFL MVP run wild? Forcing him to beat them from the pocket is the better bet—not because Jackson isn’t capable of doing it (he most certainly is), but similar to Allen, he’s just that much deadlier when he escapes contain.
RB Derrick Henry
Look, it’s inevitable. Henry is going to break a big gain at some point, and he’s going to churn through some defenders to pick up tough yardage. What can’t happen is what happened in Week 4 last season, when Buffalo allowed Henry to run 24 times for 199 yards and a score. Henry’s playoff numbers were still solid—he carried 16 times for 84 yards and a score—but those are manageable numbers. If the Ravens can turn around and hand it to Henry at an eight yards per carry clip, Buffalo has no chance. Jackson’s ability as a runner makes Henry that much better, and vice versa. Stopping the run on early downs and putting the Ravens behind the chains will be a big part of slowing Henry down, but the biggest part might have nothing at all to do with the defense. If Buffalo’s offense can score points and put the Ravens in a negative game script, then...
