The Buffalo Bills will go on the road to play the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. The team will look to stay perfect on the year on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Bills (3-0) collide with a struggling Ravens (1-2) team that is hoping to avoid falling in a 1-3 hole to start the year.
The Bills will have their hands full with last year’s AFC No. 1 seed. To come away with a win on the road in Week 4, they will have to key in on a few specific areas.
They will need great execution in all phases of the game, but these factors could weigh heavily on the outcome of the star-studded primetime matchup.
Here are three keys to the Bills pulling out a victory against the Ravens:
Efficient passing
Much like last week’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen should be able to take advantage of the Ravens’ pass defense.
The Ravens are allowing the most passing yards per game in the NFL by a large margin (291.7). And, their run defense is the complete opposite. They are allowing the lowest rushing yards per game in the league by a large margin (50.0). Passing the ball seems logical on paper.
The Bills and offensive coordinator Joe Brady will look to take advantage of a vulnerable Ravens secondary. Through three weeks, the Ravens have already allowed four opposing receivers to surpass 90 yards. Sloppy game conditions may be a factor in slowing down the Bills’ air attack.
Stopping the run
It’s no secret that the Ravens like to run the football. They are currently second in the league in rushing, averaging over 200 yards on the ground per game.
At age 30, Derrick Henry is impressively averaging five yards per carry. He has already run for 281 yards through three games and he’s scored four times. And, QB Lamar Jackson has already had games of 87 and 122 rushing yards. Sean McDermott and Bobby Babich will have to be prepared for the run early and often.
So far this year, the Bills’ defense has been middle-of-the-pack at stopping the run. They give up 118 yards per game (16th in the NFL).
Pass protect
The Bills’ offensive line has gotten a ton of praise this week. They were ranked third in Pro Football Focus’ offensive line rankings ahead of Week 4. On Sunday night, they are going to have their hands full.
Like the Bills’ offensive line, the Ravens defensive line ranked third in PFF’s defensive line rankings. It will truly be strength on strength in the trenches when the Bills have the ball.
The Ravens’ team has 10 sacks on the year, which is good for 10th in the league. The player to watch out for on the edge is Odafe Oweh, who posted a 29% pass-rush win rate in Week 3 according to PFF.
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