The Buffalo Bills did what few, if any, teams have doneso far this season on Sunday: Slow down Lamar Jackson and the high-powered Baltimore Ravens. However, it was not enough to get them their 10th win of the 2019 season.
The Bills’ three-game winning streak was snapped by the Ravens, 24-17, in a game where Buffalo will get plenty of credit for hanging with perhaps the NFL’s best team right to the final minute of the game.
In the end, Baltimore left Orchard Park with it’s 11th win of the season and a playoff berth because they hounded and frustrated the Bills’ offense, especially quarterback Josh Allen. One week after his best and most efficient outing as a pro, Allen had one of his least efficient performances of the season, completing just 17-of-39 passes for 146 yards.
Still, Allen found his groove a bit in the fourth quarter and led the Bills back. Trailing 24-9 in the final frame, Allen helped direct a 78-yard touchdown drive that he capped with a three-yard touchdown throw to Cole Beasley. The Bills then wisely went for two and converted (Allen to Beasley again) to cut the margin to just seven with seven minutes to play.
Buffalo then forced a three-and-out and had a chance to drive for the tie or, perhaps, the lead in the final minutes. Aided by a couple of unnecessary roughness penalties and a 26-yard pass interference penalty, the Bills moved the ball inside the 20, but the drive stalled. With one last chance, on 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 16, Allen threw incomplete to John Brown near the goal line, and Baltimore was able to kneel out the game.
While the game was ultimately a disappointing one for the Bills, a lot went right for them on this Sunday afternoon. The Bills’ defense turned in one of it’s best performances of the season in holding the Ravens, the league’s highest-scoring team, mostly in check. Jackson finished with just 40 rushing yards and 145 passing yards. Similar to the Bills’ Week 4 performance against New England, it was the type of defensive effort that should earn praise and raise eyebrows across the league, even in a loss.
Also, the Bills got some help away from New Era Field as Oakland, Houston, and Indianapolis all lost, meaning the Bills can clinch their second playoff berth in three seasons simply by beating the Steelers next Sunday night in Pittsburgh. Oh, the Patriots also lost too, meaning the Bills are still just one game back in the race for the AFC East crown.
Here are four things we learned as the Bills fell to 9-4 Sunday at New Era Field: