Why Bills Are 'Perfect Litmus Test' for Ravens
The Ravens used a dominant running game to build a three-score lead over the Dallas Cowboys last week, then held on for a three-point win after their pass defense gave up several big plays in the fourth quarter.
When the Ravens host the Buffalo Bills this Sunday night, they'll be facing a team that is built to challenge their offense and exploit their vulnerability on defense, The Baltimore Banner's Jonas Shaffer wrote.
"The Buffalo Bills, who will enter their 'Sunday Night Football' showdown in Baltimore with a 3-0 record and the NFL's best point differential, might be the biggest beasts in the NFL," Shaffer wrote. "They have the early front-runner for Most Valuable Player honors, quarterback Josh Allen, and a defense ranked among the league's best.
"All of which makes the Bills a perfect litmus test for the Ravens' development on offense and defense. The Ravens probably won't rush for 274 yards again — but Buffalo won't discourage a ground-and-pound approach. The Ravens probably won't allow 379 passing yards again, either — but the Bills have the passing offense to stress them all night."
Shaffer noted that unlike the Cowboys' porous run defense, the Bills are stout against the run, and they do so by using five-defensive back groupings.
"How Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken attacks the second level of the Bills' defense will be one of the game's more important subplots," Shaffer wrote. "Can the Ravens' offensive line get enough push against a talented Bills defensive front to support another Derrick Henry-heavy workload? Will quarterback Lamar Jackson pepper tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews with targets over the middle after a quiet Week 3? Can the Ravens force Buffalo into base personnel?
"More responsibility than ever will fall to Jackson, who's struggled against Bills Coach Sean McDermott's nickel-heavy defenses over his career."
The Ravens have a star-studded defensive spine, but their middle-of-the-field pass defense has surprisingly struggled the first three weeks of the season. It won't get any easier against the Bills.
"Bills quarterback Josh Allen does not profile as a get-right patsy," Shaffer wrote. "He leads the NFL in EPA per attempt on throws between the numbers, completing 26 of 30 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Slot receiver Khalil Shakir has caught all 14 of his overall targets for a team-high 168 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Dalton Kincaid has eight catches on 11 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown.
"With running back James Cook's emergence as a reliable receiving option, Buffalo's creative passing offense can torment linebackers and safeties in coverage. Cook (eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown) is fast enough to run by second-level defenders, but Allen's scrambling and improvisational abilities require heightened attention from that same group."
Rashod Bateman (Still) Among League Leaders in Getting Open
New year, same storyline for Rashod Bateman. Bateman is one of the best receivers in the league at getting open, according to Pro Football Focus.
The fourth-year wide receiver's 75.68 separation percentage is the fifth-best in the league. Separation percentage measures how often a receiver beats the coverage to get open rather than benefiting from a defense more focused on limiting yards after the catch or stopping them short of the first down.
Last week against the Cowboys, Bateman had separation on all seven of his opportunities and caught his first touchdown pass of the season. He and the Philadelphia Eagles' Johnny Wilson were the only receivers in the league who were perfect in Week 3.
Tight end Mark Andrews also is among the season leaders in separation percentage at 73.68 percent.
'GMFB' Host Says 'It Is So Fun to Watch Derrick Henry Run in Purple'
After Henry delivered a vintage performance against the Cowboys, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, "Good Morning Football" host Jamie Erdahl said he is her favorite running back to watch right now.
"That's the OG right there. It is so fun to see him run in purple," Erdahl said.
Co-host Kyle Brandt acknowledged that he had doubts about how effective the 30-year-old Henry would be with the Ravens, but he has been impressed with what he's seen thus far.
"Hell, yes. Nobody works harder than that guy, nobody has better genetics than that guy. That combination of both is why he was destroying guys last week," Brandt said.
Henry was the recipient of Brandt's "Angry Runs" scepter for Week 3.
