The Divisional Round matchups may not be fully set just yet, but it’s already abundantly clear what the highlight of the weekend will be.
That would be the Baltimore Ravens heading up north to face the Buffalo Bills in a matchup of MVP-caliber quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. Both teams have been among the AFC’s elite for over half a decade now, and with their explosive offenses, there should be fireworks in Orchard Park next week.
However, the last time these two met wasn’t quite the shootout one might assume it was. In a Week 4 clash on Sunday Night Football, Baltimore absolutely dominated en route to a 35-10 victory. Derrick Henry took over the game with 199 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, while the Bills offense struggled to get much going in their first loss of the season.
Much has changed between that matchup and this one, and best believe that the Bills are eager to even the score.
“They got after us earlier this year, so we’ve got a lot of film to watch,” Allen said after Sunday’s 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos. “It’s a great team. It’s a great quarterback, Lamar [Jackson]. What he’s able to do, he’s one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league. He’s so fun to watch, but I’ll be watching their defense this week. So that’s our focus.”
The home-field advantage should help the Bills, but they need to play far better than they did back in Week 4 to win this game. Buffalo suffered its worst loss of not just this season, but its worst since 2020. It goes without saying, but the Bills have something to prove in this game.
Of course, the Ravens also have something to prove as well. They’ve heard over and over again about how they can’t get the job done in the playoffs, with Jackson being the target of most of that criticism. They’re riding high after stomping their arch rivals, but this game will be an even greater test for them.
