After struggling against the Ravens in October, Allen needs to be the MVP candidate he’s capable of being on Sunday
The Buffalo Bills lost badly to the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season. Entering play at 3-0, the Bills gave up 35 points to the 1-2 Ravens, losing 35-10 in their first loss by more than eight points in a regular-season game since November of 2021.
Buffalo was down three starters on defense, including both starting linebackers in Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard. That meant that, when the Bills went to a three-linebacker set, they were playing three backups — Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, and Nicholas Morrow. Granted, Williams was starting at that point, as Milano had yet to be activated from Injured Reserve, but neither of the other two players is even on the current active roster.
I could cheat this week and list [The Linebackers] as one of the five players to watch, but we’re going to leave that alone. We know that Milano and Bernard have to play better than their respective reserves did in order to stop Baltimore’s rushing attack, or at least contain it. There are other ways the Bills can limit Baltimore’s ground game, however.
Here are our five Bills to watch this week.
QB Josh Allen
Buffalo can slow the Ravens’ rushing attack by maintaining possession on offense and by scoring plenty of points. If the Bills have the football for long drives that end in touchdowns, they can eat away at parts of Baltimore’s offensive playbook just by dictating the game script.
Part of that involves Josh Allen having a stronger showing than he did in the first meeting between these teams. Allen completed just 16-of-29 passes for 180 yards. There were quite a few throws he’d like back, and while his receivers dropped a few that he’d thrown perfectly, it wasn’t a strong game for Allen.
Part of the reason for Allen’s struggles was that he and the offensive line failed to diagnose Baltimore’s pressure packages before the snap. Too often, Allen appeared confused by the Ravens’ alignment, and that led to free rushers, pressure, and hurried throws. The Bills were also protecting him at that point, limiting his rushing given that he was playing with a fractured left hand.
Allen needs to do a better job understanding what he’s seeing before the snap so that he can set the offense up for success after the snap. If he can do that while maintaining the same deadly efficiency he showed last week against a potent Denver Broncos defense, then the Bills have a great chance at victory.
RB James Cook
Let this man do his thing! Cook might be Buffalo’s best mismatch against the Ravens, as he can beat them as a runner and as a receiver from multiple spots on the field.
If he’s one-on-one with a linebacker, that’s a win for the Bills. If he’s one-on-one with a corner, it’s also a win for the Bills, because that means someone else is in a mismatch situation against a linebacker.
Cook was dynamite last week, rushing for 120 yards and a score on 23 carries. He wasn’t targeted in the passing game for the third straight week — the only other game this season that he didn’t see a target was against the Tennessee Titans — as Allen has used Ty Johnson as his go-to receiver out of the backfield of late.
I believe this would be a good week for that to change, especially if Baltimore plays as much man as they did in the first meeting.
WR Keon Coleman
Last weekend, it was Curtis Samuel appearing in this space as the “guy who needs to step up and have a game.” And step up he did, as Samuel led the Bills in receiving yards thanks to a 52-yard touchdown reception.
This week, it’s the rookie who’s going to look for a measure of vengeance. Coleman caught two long passes when he was one-on-one with cornerback Brandon Stephens, but it’s the one he dropped that likely sticks out in his mind. Coleman could have set Buffalo up in prime position to score before halftime, but he had a perfect pass glance off his hands.
I’d hear arguments that it’s Amari Cooper who needs to be the major force, but if he matches up against All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey, we could see the Bills eschew targeting Cooper yet again. Coleman has the chance to stretch the field vertically, and if Baltimore sticks in those single-high looks, it’s something that the Bills will need to do.
DE Greg Rousseau
We could talk about the linebackers, like I mentioned above, or maybe the defensive tackles (especially the one-techs in DaQuan Jones and Austin Johnson). However, with as much read-option as the Ravens run, it’s essential that the edge players maintain their discipline and their rush lanes, reading their keys while trying to force whatever outcome the defense desires on their given call.
Greg Rousseau is Buffalo’s best edge rusher, and he’s someone who likely won’t be the person Baltimore puts in a bind via the read-option. Chances are good that they’ll target the other side, whether it’s A.J. Epenesa, Dawuane Smoot, or Von Miller (with respect to rookie Javon Solomon, this isn’t a game where I’d expect to see him much). That could help the defense, as the edge player opposite Groot should know to be prepared for that read-option look.
If I were the Ravens, I wouldn’t run it much at Rousseau, who is an excellent run defender with a ridiculous wingspan. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich should use that to his advantage and try to flood the opposite side with an extra linebacker or safety in the box.
If it forces Baltimore to run at Buffalo’s best edge defender, then it’s a win in my book. Rousseau needs to play like a guy who deserves a fat contract extension.
CB Taron Johnson
I’ll be watching No. 7 for myriad reasons. First off, how will he fare against the big-bodied Baltimore front? Will he be the player who comes off the field when Buffalo goes to a three-linebacker set? Will he rotate back to safety like some have suggested in those same heavy defensive packages?
Johnson’s absence was a huge loss for the Bills in October. While much of the focus on stopping the run has rightfully centered on Buffalo’s front seven, the corners are vital to containing the run game, as well.
Johnson is one of the better run-fit guys in the league, and pound-for-pound, he’s one of the better run defenders in football. The Bills could use him in plenty of creative ways this week, and I hope that they do. I’d love to see Johnson as a spy, as a blitzer, as a safety, and as a hybrid linebacker/slot corner this weekend.