Flutie Flakes to be re-launched for Bills-Ravens meeting

The Buffalo Bills are honoring former quarterback Doug Flutie in Week 14, as the team hosts the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll be the “Legend of the Game” on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills are honoring former quarterback Doug Flutie in Week 14, as the team hosts the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll be the “Legend of the Game” on Sunday. Fitting for a football game featuring the likes of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

A big game just got bigger.

This season marks the 20th anniversary of the original launch of “Flutie Flakes,” the Western New York cereal staple that bears the QB’s name.

To celebrate the occasion, Flutie Flakes will be re-launched to help benefit the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.

According to a release from the foundation, boxes and t-shirts will be sold at New Era Field this weekend, first and foremost. Flutie will be on-hand at the stadium signing items for fans. The cereal will then go on sale the following week at Wegmans locations and eventually at select FYE and Wal-Mart locations.

Per ESPN, Flutie Flakes originally sold 2.3 million boxes of the cereal in 1998. Flutie also told the outlet his return to Orchard Park this weekend will be the first time in a long time for him.

“I haven’t been back to Buffalo, really, for anything football-related, in 20 years,” Flutie said. “I’ve gone to Jim Kelly’s golf tournament, hung out, done a couple things, but it’s really cool to be asked to come back 20 years later.”

The cereal will also be available online at www.plbsports.com/flutie next week.

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Week 14 EPA Power Rankings: Cowboys remain comfortably ahead of Eagles

A tough day against a tough team doesn’t hinder the Cowboys’ stats of playoff odds much

The Cowboys fell to a Buffalo Bills team that refuses to conform to what the numbers describe them to be. The Bills came into Thanksgiving as the No. 18-ranked team by adjusted EPA differential and stomped the fifth-ranked Cowboys. Still, their steady climb up the ranks (they sat at No. 27 after Week 10) does lessen the blow for Dallas in this week’s rankings, even if it does nothing to lessen the blow to the fans’ hearts.

Expected Points, the foundation of many analytical arguments, uses data from previous NFL seasons to determine how many points a team is likely to come away with on a given play based on down, distance, time remaining, and field position. The difference in expected points at the start of a play and expected points at the end is referred to as expected points added, or EPA.

A play with a positive EPA means it put the offense in a better position to score, while negative EPA implies the offense is in a worse position.

The below rankings represent team EPA differential (offense EPA minus defense EPA) adjusted for opponent strength.

Buffalo continues their ascension into a territory where EPA might consider them to be as good as their 9-3 record suggests. Josh Allen had the best EPA/dropback in the NFL in Week 13. And don’t look now, but of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2017 draft, only Lamar Jackson has a better EPA/dropback than Allen.

Dallas, meanwhile, has lost three of their last four without falling out of the top five by EPA differential. The defense is still performing at a below average rate (reminder: negative EPA = good for defenses), but the offense still shows up as the second best in the NFL. It’s strange to say so after putting up a total of 24 points in the past two weeks, but we can’t forget that New England and Buffalo both have very good defenses. And they get Chicago next week, which means we could be in for another round of under-performing on the scoreboard while looking fine in the advanced box score.

The Cowboys’ biggest rival for the division crown, the Philadelphia Eagles, plummeted six spots in this week’s ranks after a tough loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Eagles now sit as the NFL’s most average team, with an adjusted EPA differential of almost exactly 0. Miami has spent the entire season at the bottom of these rankings, but did manage to improve their differential this week.

The San Francisco 49ers surpassed the Patriots for the number two spot this week despite the loss. Their defense made a statement by holding the Ravens to fewer than 30 points for the first time in five games and to their lowest point total of the season. The marquee match up of the weekend lived up to the hype, and both teams managed to improve their standing by EPA differential.

This Ravens-49ers game also shone light on the newest trend in football: going for it on fourth down before your team is in desperation mode. There were six fourth down conversion attempts in this single game alone. Across the NFL, this week saw more conversion attempts before the fourth quarter than any week since at least 2009.

This is the third week this season to pop up into the top-10 list above, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see another one show up later this year. Teams are being more aggressive on fourth down, and the Ravens specifically are proving just how successful that can make a team.

Splitting up team offense by play type, the Ravens obviously remain miles ahead of everyone else. The Cowboys, as some might overlook, are the only other team in the top-5 in both adjusted pass and rush EPA. This offense is performing as well as nearly any other team in the NFL, and the main reason the Cowboys are still heavily favored to win the division. Their defense, on the other hand, isn’t doing them any favors.

The Cowboys are below average against the pass and the run by adjusted EPA, though very close against the pass. Meanwhile the Patriots and 49ers are attempting to break everyone’s charts with their incredible passing defense. The Bills defense sits right among that second tier of pass defenses, making Dak Prescott’s 7.2 Y/A, 2 touchdown day much more impressive than it may look on the surface.

Week 14 features a smattering of games between the top playoff contenders, with Buffalo getting their biggest test hosting the Ravens. We’ll also get two games between top-10 teams by EPA differential (49ers at Saints, Chiefs at Patriots). It all kicks off on Thursday with Dallas once again taking center stage against yet another of the league’s top defenses in the Chicago Bears.

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By The Numbers: Stats to know from Bills win over Cowboys

Six important stats to know from the Bills’ Week 13 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Well, well, well…

Don’t look now, but all of the sudden, the Buffalo Bills are national darlings.

It seemed like just yesterday, the upstart Bills were content to fly under the radar, picking up victories against what some in the media might call cupcake opponents. Buffalo entered its Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas as an overlooked 8-3 team which was presumably en route to a crash-landing back to earth at the hands of the Cowboys.

Except, by now, you know that didn’t happen. Instead, the Bills thumped the Cowboys 26-15, and had their Week 15 match up at Pittsburgh flexed to prime time.

Not a bad way to spend a holiday weekend.

Here’s a look at a few key figures that helped propel Buffalo to its ninth win of the season in Week 13:

79.1 percent

Bills quarterback Josh Allen turned in a gem in his first outing as Buffalo’s quarterback in front of a nationwide audience.

Allen threw for 231 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-24 passing for a career-high 79.1 percent completion rate. He ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, putting his full game on display for the world to see.

Not only was Allen efficient, he played an extremely clean game. Allen, and the Buffalo offense, didn’t turn the ball over; he converted a fumbled snap into a first down run on a fourth in the second quarter.

110

As good as Allen was, Thursday’s victory could easily go down as The Cole Beasley Revenge Game.

In his return to Dallas, playing against his former team for the first time, the wideout hauled in six receptions for a season-high 110 yards and a touchdown. It marked the second consecutive game in which Beasley caught at least six passes and a touchdown. He had six receptions for 76 yards and a score in the Week 12 win over Denver.

Beasley has 55 receptions for 635 yards and five touchdowns on the season, and is on track to catch 73 balls for 846 yards and seven touchdowns; the yards and touchdowns would be career highs for eighth-year veteran out of SMU.

28

John Brown became the first Bills receiver in franchise history to throw a touchdown pass, when his 28-yard pass on a trick play in the second quarter found a wide-open Devin Singletary for a go-ahead score.

Brown is the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown for Buffalo since Fred Jackson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Lee Evans in a Week 10 loss to Tennessee in 2009.

Brown finished with four receptions for a season-low 26 yards, but his play as a passer is what he will be remembered for in the victory over the Cowboys.

Two

Rookie defensive lineman Ed Oliver recorded his first multi-sack game of his career, bringing down Dak Prescott twice in Thursday’s win. It also marked Oliver’s third straight game with a sack, after recording just one through Buffalo’s first nine games.

After struggling to see the field midway though the season, Oliver is surging down the stretch. He’s notched 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and a forced fumble through 12 career games.

12

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot to 71 yards on just 12 carries, which tied his fewest carries this season with a Week 5 loss to Green Bay. Elliott did have a season-high seven receptions for 66 yards in the loss.

+6.5

The Bills welcome in the AFC’s top-seeded Ravens to New Era Field in Week 14, a game in which Buffalo opened as 6.5-point underdog.
Baltimore (10-2) is 6-51 against the spread, but 4-1 in its last five. Buffalo (9-3) is 8-3-1 against the number, but 4-0-1 in its last five.

The over/ under is set for 43.5 The over is 3-2 in Baltimore’s last five games, while the over is 1-4 in Buffalo’s previous five.

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PODCAST: Josh Allen embarrassed Cowboys on Thanksgiving

Kyle Silagyi is joined by Rich Kowalski, McKenna Middlebrook, and Justin DiLoro to discuss the Buffalo Bills’ dismantling of the Cowboys.

There’s nothing better than a healthy serving of turkey, gravy, and touchdowns.

Fans of the Buffalo Bills experienced a near-flawless Thanksgiving last week, as their 8-3 team rolled into AT&T Stadium and embarrassed the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys in front of a national audience. Quarterback Josh Allen led the team to a 26-15 victory, becoming the first Buffalo signal-caller to win nine games in a single season since Drew Bledsoe in 2004.

It was a total team effort in the Bills’ Week 13 dismantling of the Cowboys. On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Rich Kowalski, McKenna Middlebrook, and Justin DiLoro to discuss Buffalo’s statement win. They also talk about the latest happenings in the world of English soccer and the state of Utah.

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Here’s how the Ravens can clinch a playoff spot in Week 14

The Baltimore Ravens can guarantee themselves a playoff spot if they beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 14

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t lost a game since September. Since losing two straight games at the tail end of the month, Baltimore has gone on a league-best eight-game winning streak to a 10-2 record. As they prepare for the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, the Ravens have a rare opportunity to clinch a playoff spot early.

If Baltimore beats Buffalo, they’ll be guaranteed a playoff berth regardless of how the rest of the season fares. The Ravens could also clinch a playoff berth in the other following ways:

Ravens win
Ravens tie + Titans loss or tie
Ravens tie + Texans loss or tie
Texans loss + Colts loss or tie + Titans-Raiders ends in a tie

As noted in our AFC North standings article, a Pittsburgh Steelers loss and Ravens win would see them also officially clinch the division crown in addition to earning a playoff spot.

Baltimore currently holds the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture thanks to beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 while the New England Patriots lost to the Houston Texans. If the Ravens are able to hold on to their No. 1 seed, they’ll head into the postseason with a first-round bye and force all their playoff opponents to play in Baltimore.

This is somewhat unfamiliar territory for the Ravens. In the 11 seasons Baltimore has gone to the postseason in franchise history, only one season (2011) saw them skip the wild card round. Most of the time, the Ravens have had to pick up wins in the final week of the season and in some cases, they needed some outside help to back into the playoffs. To clinch a berth early really indicates just how special this team is.

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Sean McDermott says Bills might need 3 players to prep for Lamar Jackson

The Bills have a unique test when facing the Ravens this week.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is a jack-of-all-trades playmaker with elite running skills. Jackson is leading the NFL with 32 touchdowns and has his team on an eight-game winning streak.

In order to slow him down, the Bills will need all the help they can get. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott acknowledged that on Monday, joking that the Bills might need up to three players to simulate Jackson’s skills during practice this week in order to prepare for him.

“I don’t think there’s been a defense that’s cracked the code to this point, so to speak. … We’ve got some thoughts (on how we’ll prepare for him) but we’ve got a little more time to go through it. We may have to use, put a guy here, one guy there and one guy there, and just say go. He’s just so fast,” McDermott said.

It’s going to be anyone’s guess as to which Jackson the Bills will get. He’s nearing 1,000 rushing yards this year as he leads his team with 977 yards. Jackson is fresh off a game of only 105 passing yards, but he can sling it, too. He’s thrown five touchdowns in a single game twice this year.

While McDermott’s defense has slowed down Tom Brady among others this season, Jackson might be his team’s biggest test to date.

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Oddsmakers: Bills are home underdog vs. Ravens

Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens odds, spread, money line, over/ under.

The Bills and Baltimore Ravens are both among the best teams in the AFC. Oddsmakers are much more confident in the Ravens, though.

According to BetMGM, the Ravens open as 6.5-point favorites against the Bills at New Era Field in Week 14.

Had the game been in Baltimore, the Ravens could have been favored by as much as 9.5 points since the home team gets a three-point edge typically.

The Bills were underdogs against the Cowboys last week on the road as well. Prior to that, the Bills were favorites at home against the Broncos.

The over/ under for the contest is set for 44 points while the money line sits Ravens (-240) and Bills (+200).

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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8 things to know about the Bills’ Week 14 opponent, the Ravens

Eight things to know about the Buffalo Bills’ Week 14 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bills have an upcoming clash that might be the highlight of the NFL’s next slate of games in Week 14.

Not many predicted the Bills (9-3) and Ravens (10-2) would have the records that they have heading into this game.

Alas, here we are, potentially battling for the top spot in the AFC at New Era Field. With such an important matchup in mind, let’s update ourselves on the opponent.

Here are eight things to know about the Bills’ Week 14 opponent, the Ravens:

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Lamar a potential MVP?

The easiest place to start on the Ravens is exactly where everyone’s mind is. Quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Like Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Jackson is a dual-threat quarterback but in a much flashier sense. Both players are tough to bring down. Allen has the big body while Jackson has the elusiveness of Michael Vick. With those skills, Jackson leads the Ravens in rushing this season with 977 rushing yards, to go along with 2,532 passing yards. In total, Jackson has 25 passing touchdowns, seven rushing scores, six fumbles and five interceptions. It will be the first Lamar-Josh meeting at quarterback, too.

It’s hard to put into words how good Jackson is. He’s the current frontrunner for the MVP race and the Ravens are the only offense in the NFL to have scored more than 400 points (406) so far this season. Yes, that is good and yes he did this just last week:

. @Lj_era8 doing @Lj_era8 things 🤣🤣#ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/0It0bYRIEK

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 1, 2019

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Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Cowboys

The Bills took to the national stage on Thanksgiving and beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-15.

The Bills took to the national stage on Thanksgiving and beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-15. A win that was so impressive, the Bills’ Week 15 game was flexed into Sunday Night Football.

Get ready for the nation’s eyes again.

But before that, here’s a full depth chart breakdown via snap counts for the Bills against the Cowboys in Week 13:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Foster. (AP Photo/John Munson)

Offense

Notes:

At RT, rookie Cody Ford played every single snap with the offensive line for the second-straight week and only second time in his career.
Rookie RB Devin Singletary played in 78 percent of snaps to Frank Gore’s 22 percent.
Heavy 11 personnel continued for the Bills, but Isaiah McKenzie’s snap counts took a hit. After playing in 77 and 74 percent of offensive snaps the past two weeks, respectively, McKenzie played in only 45 percent vs. the Cowboys. Robert Foster played in 42 percent, a season-high.
Rookie TE Dawson Knox tied his career-high snap percent at 78. He set that same mark last week.
TE Tyler Kroft played in only 18 percent of snaps vs. the Cowboys. For games he played in, that was a season-low.

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AFC playoff picture: Playoffs go through Baltimore after Week 13

The Baltimore Ravens handled their business while the New England Patriots faltered in Week 13. That moves the Ravens to the No. 1 seed.

With the New England Patriots’ loss to the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens move into the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. As of right now, the postseason runs through Baltimore. Let’s look at how it happened this week.

Week 13 was the toughest test for the Ravens and a potential chance for them to fall or rise in the AFC playoff picture. But by handling their business and pulling out a close 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens put themselves in a great spot at the end of the season. But Baltimore isn’t alone in the conference and there are six playoff berths open.

The Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs all won in Week 13, which helped them keep pace in the AFC playoff picture. However, Houston’s win over New England put the Patriots into a 10-2 tie with the Ravens. Thanks to their Week 9 win, Baltimore holds a head-to-head tiebreaker that gives them a half-game lead for the top spot.

Things are far from settled in the AFC playoff picture at this point but the cream is clearly rising to the top of the conference. With seven teams truly in the hunt, it’s seemingly just a matter of what seeds everyone earns and who they’ll be playing after Week 17.

Let’s take a look at the playoff race as it stands following Week 13.

2019 AFC playoff picture:

Seed	Team	Overall record	Conference record
1	Baltimore Ravens	10-2	6-2
2	New England Patriots	10-2	6-2
3	Houston Texans	8-4	7-2
4	Kansas City Chiefs	8-4	6-3
5	Buffalo Bills	9-3	6-2
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	7-5	6-3

With just four games remaining, it’s getting down to crunch time in the conference for playoff seeding. While it seems like destiny for the Ravens to make the postseason, they haven’t officially locked in a spot quite yet. However, if they beat the Buffalo Bills and get some help in Week 14, they could clinch a playoff berth.

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Tag: Buffalo Bills