No challenge is too daunting for this defense
The Baltimore Ravens have been rolling through opposing defenses all season. The Ravens came into Orchard Park ranked first in points scored and second in total yards. The Ravens are the only offense in football with more than 2,000 rushing yards on the season. Baltimore had scored 30+ points in five of their previous six games heading into Sunday.
Lamar Jackson has been the talk of the league, and rightfully so. Jackson went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season on Sunday, leading the league in yards per rushing attempt (oh by the way, he’s a quarterback). He also had thrown for 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions entering Sunday.
Jackson and the Ravens have flummoxed some of the best defensive minds in football, including Bill Belichick and Wade Phillips. For Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills, it was their turn to come up with a gameplan to slow down Jackson and the Ravens.
One week after besting the league’s best offense in total yards on Thanksgiving, the Buffalo defense was once again up to the challenge against the league’s hottest offense.
The Bills defense was excellent, holding the Ravens to just 257 total yards. Jackson was mostly held in check. While he threw three touchdown passes, he was held to just 40 rushing yards, his lowest single-game rushing total since Week 1. The pass defense also held Jackson to just 145 yards through the air, his third-lowest passing total of the season.
While the Bills’ offense was struggling, the Buffalo defense held them in the game. The Bills forced seven punts and also created a turnover as Tremaine Edmunds picked off Jackson on a high throw that was deflected by Micah Hyde and knocked right into Edmunds’ arms.
You couldn’t ask for a better performance from the Buffalo defense. Just like the New England game in Week 4, the Bills defense kept generating stops and getting the ball back for their struggling offense. The challenge was a bit more daunting in this game, though, as the Bills were facing an offense featuring perhaps the most exciting player in the league that had been rolling up teams.
This defensive effort is another example of how the Bills are not overmatched by any offense. Yes, the Bills had struggles containing running backs in late October and early November, specifically Miles Sanders, Adrian Peterson, and Nick Chubb. But whatever problems the Bills were having in that regard appear to have been corrected. The Bills have held four straight opponents to less than 120 rushing yards each.
The Bills are now ranked third overall in the league in total defense and have given up the second fewest points of any team. They are now ranked third overall in passing yards and 14th in rushing yards.
There should be no questions about the quality of this Bills’ defense. Sean McDermott can count on his group keeping Buffalo in the game against any opponent, even one featuring Lamar Jackson. If the Bills can find consistent production from their offense to pair with these defense, they are going to be a tough out in the postseason, assuming the Bills get there.