Ravens-Bills Showdown 'Might As Well Be the Super Bowl'
Sunday's showdown between the Ravens and Bills isn't just the most anticipated game in the divisional round this weekend. Pundits are referring to the contest as one of the best in recent memory and perhaps more appetizing than any potential Super Bowl matchup.
"This is like one of the best games of the decade," The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said. "I'm so excited for it."
SB Nation’s James Dator said the game, which features leading MVP candidates Lamar Jackson and Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, "might as well be the Super Bowl."
"There's always that one game before the Super Bowl that we all wish was the Super Bowl," Dator wrote. "The contest between legendary quarterbacks, amazing teams, titans of the NFL — who just so happened to be locked in the same conference. Normally it comes in the AFC or NFC Championship, but for the 2024 season we're being treated to it a week early.
"The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills are poised to give us the best game of the season, and in the Wild-Card round, both teams proved why. ... Now the two teams meet in the AFC Divisional Playoff round in what feels like a prelude to who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl."
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote: "As two of the more dangerous teams left in the playoffs, the second-seeded Bills and third-seeded Ravens certainly makes this one much-watch TV."
Peter Schrager Makes Plea to Fans Regarding Jackson-Allen Debate
There has been a fierce debate for much of the season over whether Jackson or Allen is more deserving of winning the MVP award. It's the most obvious talking point heading into the marquee matchup in Buffalo.
“Good Morning Football’s” Peter Schrager offered a refreshing take on the topic. He encouraged fans to be uniters, not dividers.
"All season long we had this amazing debate over Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, and it really heated up in the final month of the season, and at some point it became divisive," Schrager said. "It became like you had to stand on one side or the other and if you didn't, you didn't have a take.
"I'm just going to make a plea right now for the viewers. Let's not try to tear the other one down this week. Let's build this up for what it is – a great Divisional round matchup, one of the best all-time quarterback matchups we've ever seen in the Divisional round. Let's enjoy it. … Instead of making it Josh versus Lamar, maybe we just try on for size making it Josh and Lamar."
Pundits Believe Ravens Are 'Super Bowl Ready'
The Ravens are the No. 3 seed in the AFC, but they've been so dominant on both sides of the ball during their five-game winning streak that a growing number of pundits believe they are poised for a Super Bowl run.
"The AFC may be loaded, but the Baltimore Ravens are uniquely positioned to make a Super Bowl run, even with a gauntlet of a path to get there," The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke wrote. "Baltimore made a statement in the AFC Wild Card, dominating its division rival with a 28-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens set a franchise record with 299 rushing yards on 50 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.
"That kind of dominant performance has the Ravens feeling good about where they're at heading into a divisional-round matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The confidence helps, but it's an elite level of complementary football on both sides of the ball that has the Ravens looking like the league's most dangerous team."
A Ravens win over the Bills could set up an AFC Championship rematch with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City.
"The Ravens look like a team that matches up well against both of those opponents on paper," Brooke wrote. "The Ravens already faced both teams, blowing out Buffalo in a 35-10 win back in September and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs by Isaiah Likely's toe being out of bounds at the end of their season opener.
"Those games were at the beginning of the year when Baltimore was still trying to figure out its identity. Now, the Ravens are carrying a five-game win streak into the AFC divisional round with a surprisingly healthy roster, pending the status of Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers."
ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Paul Hembo came away from Baltimore's convincing victory over the Steelers believing the Ravens are going to win the Super Bowl.
"If they can get Derrick Henry running like that and Lamar Jackson gets the running game going, I don't think anybody beats them," Greenberg said. "If I had to pick right now, betting an amount of money that mattered to me on the one team that's going to win the Super Bowl, I would put it on Baltimore."
Hembo said: "So would I. They're the best team, at least when they play their best. … When they're playing at their best, they're totally unstoppable offensively. It's also the best defense in the NFL over the last two months."
Fox Sports' James Jones' confidence in the Ravens making it to the Super Bowl stems from how well Jackson played against the Steelers on Saturday.
"They're Super Bowl ready because Lamar is Super Bowl ready," Jones said on “The Facility.” "This was the first playoff game Lamar has looked like Lamar in the regular season."
But not everyone is of the same belief. ESPN's Dan Orlovsky essentially said the Bills have the higher ceiling.
"First of all, I was way more impressed with what the Bills did than what the Ravens did because the Steelers were just so bad," Orlovsky said on “First Take.” "If [the Bills] play this weekend against the Ravens like they did yesterday, Buffalo wins that game – absolutely."
What Is the Ravens' Biggest Concern Against the Bills?
The lone negative for the Ravens in Saturday's win was the defense giving up two deep touchdown passes to the Steelers on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter.
Those hiccups in an otherwise dominant performance brought back painful memories of the pass defense's struggles during the first half of the season.
The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn said the secondary is the biggest concern against the Bills.
"They've seen significant improvement in limiting explosive plays since Week 11, then looked vulnerable, particularly in the third quarter Saturday night," Cohn wrote. "Brandon Stephens, Nate Wiggins, Tre'Davious White and Ar'Darius Washington all got beat at one point or another. … Pittsburgh's passing game wasn't enough to sway the game. Buffalo's could be."
When discussing the Steelers' two touchdowns, Head Coach John Harbaugh said: "They found the weakness in the coverage, and we didn't play it quite perfectly. We have to chase perfection and play those things a little better."
