Majority of Pundits Pick Ravens to Prevail in Buffalo
Sunday's divisional playoff game between the Ravens and Bills in Buffalo is one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, headlined by a quarterback duel between MVP front-runners Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
The Ravens have been dominant during their five-game winning streak with an offense that appears unstoppable and a rejuvenated defense. The Bills beat both No. 1 seeds during the season and are undefeated at home.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see either of these teams hoist the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans in three weeks, but the harsh reality is that one of them will be cleaning out their lockers next week.
A majority of pundits we sampled (30 of 41) predicted the Ravens to come out on top and advance to the AFC Championship Game for the second year in a row.
Here's what pundits are saying about the game:
The deciding factor will be which quarterback plays better.
“Good Morning Football’s” Peter Schrager: "The fact that these two guys have had these incredible seasons and only one of them can advance tells me that the best quarterback is going to be the one that plays in the next round. … We haven't been able to declare [which one is better] through 19 weeks of football. We should know after this one because I think we're going to be asking for the very best from the two best quarterbacks all season long. I think the one who takes care of business is going to be the one worthy of saying 'I was the better dude this season.'"
The Ravens will win because they're the better overall team.
Anonymous NFL coach (via The Athletic): "(Baltimore is) playing so well right now. Better run game. Better, more complete defense. Better kicker. If Lamar takes care of (the ball), I think they're too deep and win because they're a better overall football team."
Derrick Henry gives the Ravens the edge.
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: "Jackson and his teammates will continue to be asked about past playoff clunkers, including their 17-3 loss in Buffalo at the end of the 2020 season, but in overpowering the Steelers, they did not look like a team haunted by those failures. Henry gives them a weapon seemingly immune to postseason pressure or foul weather."
The Ravens will prevail because of their defense.
CBS Sports’ John Breech: "With both quarterbacks playing so well, I'm just going to go ahead and say they cancel each other out. This one feels like it's going to come down to which defense plays better, and right now, there's no defense in the NFL playing better than Baltimore's. Since the Week 14 bye, the Ravens have played five games and they've surrendered an average of just 11.4 points per game, which includes holding the Texans offense to ZERO points in Week 17 (Houston scored two points in the game, but that came on a safety). Oh, and let's not forget that this Ravens defense also held the Bills to just 10 points in Week 4, which was Buffalo's lowest scoring output of the season."
ESPN’s Mina Kimes: "I just think the fact that the Ravens defense has been so good against the run. It's about matchups, and I just think the Ravens have a slightly better matchup on offense than the Buffalo Bills do."
Don't be surprised if it's a low-scoring game.
Sharp Football Analysis’ Pamela Maldonado: "The Ravens have allowed just 15.4 points per game since Week 10, and the Bills' defensive resurgence has led to lower-scoring matchups. Factor in Buffalo's January chill, and scoring opportunities may be few and far between."
Baltimore will be facing a Bills defense that is healthier than it was in the teams' Week 4 meeting (a 35-10 Ravens win).
Bleacher Report’s Ian Hanford: "[Keeping Jackson and Henry] off the field is really the only guaranteed antidote against a duo as dynamic as those two. But I will note that Buffalo is in a better position this time around with [linebackers] Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano in the fold. Neither played in the previous game and both should go a long way in their attempts to slow down the Ravens' run game. Milano especially should factor into keeping tabs on Lamar getting out of the pocket as well."
Allen is the reason the Bills will win.
ESPN’s Seth Walder: "Forgive the obvious answer here, but it's just the reality. It's fourth-and-short? Allen can deliver with his legs and barrel through a defense for a conversion. Third-and-long? He can unleash an absurd pass like his outrageous touchdown throw to Ty Johnson in the wild-card round (which actually came on fourth-and-1, but you get the idea). And he does all that while being the best in the NFL at limiting mistakes. He had the lowest sack rate (2.6%) and ranked second in turnover rate (1.2%) through the regular season. And the fact that he plays behind an offensive line that ranked third in pass block win rate in the regular season – and allowed only two sacks against a great Denver defense – certainly helps. As does the support Allen receives from his running backs. No team generated more EPA on running back targets than Buffalo."
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 5 of 9 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Baltimore Sun | 4 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “The Ravens were more explosive all season, and with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, they seem to present an impossible problem for Buffalo’s modest-sized defenders. They’ll batter their way to another AFC championship game.” — Childs Walker |
| USA Today | Ravens 28, Bills 24 | “Josh Allen was held to 180 passing yards in the loss earlier in the season, and that was when Baltimore’s defense was still figuring itself out. The Ravens have recently been one of the league’s best defenses, and the Jackson-led offense is dominant. I predict Jackson will go on the road and show the fans why he’s this year’s MVP.” — Tyler Dragon |
| NFL.com | 4 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “As far as high-stakes showcases go, this clash between two of the best teams in the playoff field screams ‘LEGACY-DEFINER!’ Jackson is already a premier star of our era, and I'm ready to go all in on him pulling off that signature postseason triumph.”— Tom Blair |
| NFL Network | 8 of 10 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Sporting News | Ravens 27, Bills 24 | “Jackson has been the better MVP-candidate QB by every key metric and won't be fazed with a big road shot after boosting his playoff confidence vs. the Steelers.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 1 of 2 panelists pick Ravens | “This game will be decided by whatever defense plays best and gets the turnovers. I think it will be the Bills. I think Allen will continue to take care of the football and hit big plays in the passing game, which can be the way to beat the Ravens. The Bills will win a game for the ages on a late field goal by Tyler Bass.” — Pete Prisco |
| Pro Football Talk | 2 of 2 panelists pick Ravens | “Josh Allen will have to be special beyond special and the offense will have to be special beyond special for [the Bills] to win the game. … A Ravens late field goal wins the game.” — Chris Simms |
| Sports Illustrated | 4 of 6 panelists pick Ravens |
Myles Garrett: 'The Only Thing That Stops Baltimore is Baltimore'
Cleveland Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett continues to show the Ravens respect. He sent rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten his jersey and gave the Ravens a compliment recently, according to ESPN's Louis Riddick.
"Myles Garrett told us this when we did their games a couple weeks ago: 'The only thing that stops Baltimore is Baltimore,'" Riddick said on the "This Is Football" podcast. "If they will just be who they are Weeks 1-17, no one will beat them. His words."
Riddick marveled not only at the Ravens' success this season, but also their tradition of excellence.
"They're so multifaceted and talented, and then there's the whole 'Play like a Raven,'" Riddick said. "There's a standard that these guys play to that has gone back all the way to 1996 when Ozzie Newsome put together his first draft class, and that has carried this team through the better part of 30 years. It's something to behold."
Rashod Bateman Says He 'Hasn't Even Scratched the Surface'
Rashod Bateman's breakout season has been a significant factor in the Ravens having the NFL's No. 1 offense in yards, and the fourth-year wide receiver said he's just getting started.
"I haven't even scratched the surface," Bateman told The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. "There's a s— ton of room to grow. I'm looking forward to that. I just feel like I got a reset with everything with my body and I've moved forward. Last year was my first year healthy, and this year was only my second. But this is my first year being more involved in the offense. No matter how long I've been in Baltimore, nobody saw me involved in the offense this much. It's good, man. Hopefully, I get to continue to show these fans what I'm about, what we're about."
Zrebiec noted that the Ravens are 9-0 this season when Bateman catches a touchdown pass.
Bateman and Jackson had missed connections on the field in years past, but that hasn't been the case this season.
"This year, we've finally put it together. But we both understand," said Bateman of he and his quarterback, "there's a lot more out there for us."
