Basics
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m., Bills Stadium
TV: WBAL Channel 11 (Baltimore), WRC Channel 4 (Washington, D.C.), WRDE Channel 31 (Salisbury), WGAL Channel 8 (York/Harrisburg/Lancaster), NBC crew (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
Radio: WBAL (1090 AM/101.5 FM) and 98 Rock (97.9 FM), Raven’s crew (Gerry Sandusky, Dennis Pitta);
Stakes
The Ravens hope to reach the AFC Championship Recreation for the first time since their 2012 Super Bowl season. The Bills have not reached the conference championship game since 1993.
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History
Baltimore leads the all-time series, 6-3, and that is the first playoff meeting between the Ravens and Bills. They last confronted one another Week 14 in 2019, when the Ravens prevailed, 24-17, in New York. Lamar Jackson threw three landing passes, finishing 16 of 25 for 145 yards on a windy day. Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters secured the victory by breaking apart a cross on fourth down close to the objective line with 63 seconds to play. Devin Singletary rushed for 89 yards for Buffalo, whereas Josh Allen completed 17 of 39 passes for 146 yards and a landing.
Storylines
Which quarterback took within the 2018 draft will have the better night?
Each younger quarterbacks use their athleticism to keep the defense under fixed strain. Jackson has been electrifying during Baltimore’s present six-game successful streak. Allen is a strong runner with a huge army, and his completion share jumped from 58.Eight p.c in 2019 to 69.2 p.c in 2020. Coming off the first playoff victories of their careers, Jackson and Allen enter this sport with supreme confidence. One of them will lead his staff into the conference championship.
Can the Ravens observe up their huge win?
Jackson and the Ravens’ younger players acquired the monkey off their again with their first playoff win final week – Baltimore’s first since 2014. It was an emotional victory over a Titans squad that knocked the Ravens out of the playoffs final yr and beat them once more in 2020. The Ravens haven’t got the identical “revenge” feelings on this sport but need to play with the identical depth.
Can the Ravens’ front seven make the Bills one-dimensional?
Baltimore was very good towards the run final week, limiting Derrick Henry to only 40 yards on 18 carries. If the Ravens shut down Bills’ lead working again Devin Singletary, it might put much more burden on Allen and Diggs to carry Buffalo’s offense, and that may not be enough.
Key Matchups
Ravens’ cornerbacks vs. BillsWRStefon Diggs
Final weekend, the Ravens confronted a bodily, 1,000-yard receiver in A.J. Brown. On this game, they’ll deal with Diggs, who led the league in each reception (127) and receiving yards (1,535). Marlon Humphrey had a tough start towards Brown final week, but he shut him down when it mattered most. Marcus Peters had the game-clinching interception towards Tennessee, and he is recognized for making big plays in clutch moments. The Bills are 7-1 when Diggs goes over 100 yards in receiving. The Ravens’ elite corners might be determined to shut him down.
Ravens running game vs. Bills defense
Baltimore has rushed for at the very least 230 yards in 5 of its final six video games, all of them victories. Buffalo ranked 17thagainst the run this season and had troubles containing working quarterbacks, so this might be a significant test for the Bills. The Ravens have the potential to dominate on the bottom, led by the running of J.Ok. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Jackson.
Ravens pass rush vs. Josh Allen
Allen is hard to catch and tough to convey down. But the Ravens hope to create a constant strain on Buffalo’s quarterback, whether it means blitzing often or not. Ravens Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale loves the problem of strategizing against a top quarterback, and Baltimore’s defense is healthier than it has been all season. Martindale blitzed Allen over and over again with nice success final yr, but he is proven to be higher at handling it this yr.
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