The Ravens topped the Bills 24-17 in Week 14, but they certainly had to earn it and Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that on Sunday.
Following the win, the Ravens’ bench boss was very complimentary of Buffalo’s football team, giving them a very high status in comparison to other teams in the NFL.
“That was a great football game, and two really, really good football teams going at it, tooth and nail. Proud of the victory. Very impressed with the Bills. That’s a football team that’s going to be around, through the playoffs, into the playoffs, that’s a good football team. Very well coached by Sean McDermott and very tough, hard-nosed, hard playing football team. So, to win that game, obviously, is a very special victory,”
“Very tough win because of the opponent and I think the crowd here is great. It’s one of the best places to play in the National Football League. Very loud crowd, very enthusiastic crowd, very knowledgeable crowd. But even beyond that, the football team is really good. This is one of the best football teams in the league,” Harbaugh said.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson guided the Ravens to the win, but it certainly was not his best day at the office. The current MVP candidate was 16-for-25 passing for 145 yards with three touchdown passes. However, he only had 40 yards rushing with his first interception since Week 5, too.
Jackson, like his coach, had praise for the Bills.
“This was a regular playoff game. Both teams were coming in to try and prove themselves, and they did that, they were playing hard football the whole entire game on offense and defense and special teams as well. But we ended up coming out on top with the victory and we just have to keep it going,” Jackson said.
“[The win was] Very tough. We came into New Era Field, great environment, the Bills fans came, they were basically on the field it was so loud here. Defense came out to play like I said before, it was just a playoff game,” the QB added.
While there were “no moral victories” after this one, as Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said, it’s a big compliment that the Ravens were impressed with the Bills, seeing as they’re among the best, if not the best team, in the NFL. With that in mind, the Bills want to run things back and a few players in Buffalo’s locker room after the game acknowledged they’re hoping for a rematch in the playoffs. Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander was among them.
“We know we’re going to see that team again in the future. Obviously we’ve got Pittsburgh next week and have got to finish off the season strong and put ourselves in a position to [face the Ravens again],” Alexander said. “Definitely with the way we’re playing, the confidence, I definitely feel we’ll probably end up seeing them again.”
Time will tell if the Bills get that chance to prove they’re among the best in a game against the Ravens.
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