Buffalo Bills Divisional: (3) Baltimore at (2) Buffalo; Sunday 1/19 @ 6:30 PM ET, CBS

[Jim Bob]

Perfect 2024 NFL Draft prospect for all 32 teams: New York Jets land Abdul Carter, Cowboys grab a much-needed receiver in Luther Burden III

Every NFL team will have a shortlist of players they've fallen in love with in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is one such prospect each franchise should be targeting.

www.pff.com

Buffalo​

Greg Rousseau led the Bills in pressures in 2024 and before the season, the team picked up his fifth-year option. However, with Von Miller likely moving on and Rousseau becoming more expensive, the Bills could use another young edge-rusher with an affordable cap hit.

Shemar Stewart is 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds and at this point in his development, he is a stellar run defender with a 88.2 run-defense grade and an improving pass-rusher who generated 39 pressures in 2024. Pairing Shemar Stewart with Rousseau not only aids the youth movement up front but possibly gives the Bills the flexibility to deal with Rousseau’s upcoming contract extension demands.

 

[Willgamesh]

Idk compared to league averages, but I feel like the Bills have given up a big big play on the first drive often this year. I know Arizona it happened, Baltimore with Henry. Denver now to Franklin. I believe a couple other times as well. That concerns me.

Really thinking this rematch truly comes down to how much of a difference does Milano, Bernard and Johnson make?

Those are 3 pretty big pieces to have back on defense this time and Milano showed some of his speed in the Den game.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Der Jaeger]

Perfect 2024 NFL Draft prospect for all 32 teams: New York Jets land Abdul Carter, Cowboys grab a much-needed receiver in Luther Burden III

Every NFL team will have a shortlist of players they've fallen in love with in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is one such prospect each franchise should be targeting.

www.pff.com

Stewart played RE and DT for Texas A&M. Power rusher who could move inside in a nascar type package, allows Rousseau to stay at LE.

I'm not sure he makes it to the Bills pick.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Also, a double digit loss in the McDermott era should be treated as nothing more than an anomaly. It’s been so rare. We were missing a lot of players, a few big plays all went against us, and our offensive drives were just off. No one should read much into it. It’s football, bad games happen

 

[TehDoak]

Idk compared to league averages, but I feel like the Bills have given up a big big play on the first drive often this year. I know Arizona it happened, Baltimore with Henry. Denver now to Franklin. I believe a couple other times as well. That concerns me.

Really thinking this rematch truly comes down to how much of a difference does Milano, Bernard and Johnson make?

Eh, the big issue in the Baltimore game last time wasn't the defense, oddly enough.

We let up 35 points, obviously a problem.

The PROBLEM was that the offense couldn't stay on the field in the 1st half.

The game really turned in the 2nd quarter:

Baltimore marches down the field and scores a TD to make it 14-3 after we kick a field goal.

Buffalo goes 3 and out and punts it back

Baltimore goes down the field and makes it 21-3.

Then we go 3 and out AGAIN, punt it back

Baltimore then FUMBLES it, we recover....and go 3 and out...and punt AGAIN

That's 3 consecutive series we could have gotten SOMETHING going...and didn't. It lets Baltimore play down hill in the next half.

The problem wasn't JUST that they ran all over us...is thats our offense couldn't stay on the field.

Adding two better linebackers and a top rated CB in Johnson WILL help...but really, our offense needs to click.

We get out of that half say....21-13 instead of 21-3, its a completely different game.

And that HAS to be the difference. I honestly don't think we can keep Baltimore under 24 points. So we're going to have to score 30+ on them, maybe more. Score 30+ points, win the turnover battle, we win the game, IMO.

This game is going to be decided by who can play downhill and lean on the other team.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Eh, the big issue in the Baltimore game last time wasn't the defense, oddly enough.

We let up 35 points, obviously a problem.

The PROBLEM was that the offense couldn't stay on the field in the 1st half.

The game really turned in the 2nd quarter:

Baltimore marches down the field and scores a TD to make it 14-3 after we kick a field goal.

Buffalo goes 3 and out and punts it back

Baltimore goes down the field and makes it 21-3.

Then we go 3 and out AGAIN, punt it back

Baltimore then FUMBLES it, we recover....and go 3 and out...and punt AGAIN

That's 3 consecutive series we could have gotten SOMETHING going...and didn't. It lets Baltimore play down hill in the next half.

The problem wasn't JUST that they ran all over us...is thats our offense couldn't stay on the field.

Adding two better linebackers and a top rated CB in Johnson WILL help...but really, our offense needs to click.

We get out of that half say....21-13 instead of 21-3, its a completely different game.

And that HAS to be the difference. I honestly don't think we can keep Baltimore under 24 points. So we're going to have to score 30+ on them, maybe more. Score 30+ points, win the turnover battle, we win the game, IMO.

This game is going to be decided by who can play downhill and lean on the other team.

That's my big concern - that Baltimore's personnel/scheme has really handled Josh in our previous 4 meetings. Even the 23-20 win we had was 20-3 Baltimore at one point in the 1st half.

The flip side of that coin is that the offense was clearly in the beginning of it's worst stretch of the season when we played them (Shakir got hurt during the game IIRC, and Baltimore+Houston games were by far Josh's worst of his season.) So hope that 4 is a small sample size and not something systematic to Baltimore and we put up our usual 30+.

 

[TehDoak]

That's my big concern - that Baltimore's personnel/scheme has really handled Josh in our previous 4 meetings. Even the 23-20 win we had was 20-3 Baltimore at one point in the 1st half.

The flip side of that coin is that the offense was clearly in the beginning of it's worst stretch of the season when we played them (Shakir got hurt during the game IIRC, and Baltimore+Houston games were by far Josh's worst of his season.) So hope that 4 is a small sample size and not something systematic to Baltimore and we put up our usual 30+.

Cook didn't play much (only 9 carries) either in that game.

Score more, don't turn the ball over, Keep Lamar off of the field. Trust the defense to stop the Ravens a few times

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Reddawg]

Idk compared to league averages, but I feel like the Bills have given up a big big play on the first drive often this year. I know Arizona it happened, Baltimore with Henry. Denver now to Franklin. I believe a couple other times as well. That concerns me.

Really thinking this rematch truly comes down to how much of a difference does Milano, Bernard and Johnson make?

Shakir is a huge x-factor for the offense as well, he missed the regular season Baltimore game. I think having those four guys in the lineup along with Amari Cooper makes us an entirely different team they haven’t seen yet.

 

[The don godfather]

Its gonna come down to last seconds field goal from buffalo kicker. Get out the doritos and pepto ready.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Bill's fans need a collective Valium

 

[Dubi Doo]

Shakir is a huge x-factor for the offense as well, he missed the regular season Baltimore game. I think having those four guys in the lineup along with Amari Cooper makes us an entirely different team they haven’t seen yet.

Did he? I thought he played? If he did, then the offense likely rolled out Coleman, Samuel, and Hollins as their top-3 WRs. Yuck.

If the difference between this game, is we now have Shakir, Cooper, Milano, Johnson, and Bernard, then it's going to go completely different than the last time these two teams met. Zay Flowers being out could have an impact, too.

 

[misterchainsaw]

Shakir is a huge x-factor for the offense as well, he missed the regular season Baltimore game. I think having those four guys in the lineup along with Amari Cooper makes us an entirely different team they haven’t seen yet.

Nah that was the Houston game. He got hurt at some point in the Baltimore game, but he did lead the team in catches and yards during the game so it couldn't have been too early.

 

[Jim Bob]

Did he? I thought he played? If he did, then the offense likely rolled out Coleman, Samuel, and Hollins as their top-3 WRs. Yuck.

If the difference between this game, is we now have Shakir, Cooper, Milano, Johnson, and Bernard, then it's going to go completely different than the last time these two teams met. Zay Flowers being out could have an impact, too.

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens - September 29th, 2024 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Buffalo Bills 10 at Baltimore Ravens 35 on September 29th, 2024 - Full team and player stats and box score

www.pro-football-reference.com

 

[Jim Bob]

TB's mental game is a huge factor on Sunday.

On the TFL on the screen to Mims, TB was running to blow up the play before the snap because he knew from the Broncos alignment what the play was and he blew it up.

Spector is nothing like that.

Update: found it!

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Dirty Dog]

View attachment 960807

And they didn’t have the current backup DTs

 

[Zman5778]

And they didn’t have the current backup DTs

DaQuan has also been playing much better than he did early in the year.

I'm still nervous and pessimistic.

 

[Reddawg]

Nah that was the Houston game. He got hurt at some point in the Baltimore game, but he did lead the team in catches and yards during the game so it couldn't have been too early.

My bad, yes, I was thinking of the Houston game that he missed and we missed him bad.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

Von was also available for the Baltimore game (he missed HOU, NYJ, TEN, SEA), we just had only so few many downs where we sent him out because of how the game went. Probably will see him a lot more this time around (he was at 50% against DEN).

the entire second level being different will be huge and hopefully a deciding factor

 

[TehDoak]

 

[Mike McDermott]

I’m feeling 27-24. I think we will win but I also know I’m going to be on pins and needles all week and will be a typical Buffalo fan nervous until the final whistle.

 

[SwordsgoneWild]

Screw all of the worries. We're beating them and sending a message. If we lose to the Ravens then we will officially be looked upon as a team who can't beat any contenders when it matters. Screw being a Divisional round doormat. This is the year we finally get over the hurdle and get back to the AFCCG. Plus it will be satisfying to prove all of the supposed experts wrong....

That offense is worrisome for sure but if we can do what we did in Detriot and play some sound D for 3 quarters then I'll be happy. Hell, we did that with a depleted as hell D against the best O in the league so I know we can do even better with a fully healthy defense. I'm going into this week with a glass full attitude. Time to make a statement.