Predictions from the Beatdown Staff see the Ravens defeating the Buffalo Bills.
The prediction game is a fickle one, but one the Beatdown staff are participating in and going bold! Below are some of the staff member giving their bold predictions for the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 4 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
Playing to the level of competition is a concern when the Ravens are against a lowly team. But when the lights are brightest, they can go blow-for-blow with the best. On Sunday, I predict the Ravens will be in a 60-minute fight.
Josh Allen is playing some of his best football ever. But in talking with Buffalo Rumblings’ John Boccacino, he mentioned the nickname “Jittery Josh,” who at times reveals himself and the turnovers become a factor. He hasn’t been that way against the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins or Jacksonville Jaguars. But all good things, like a turnover-free Allen, come to an end. I predict he presses when the Bills get down 17-6 and the Ravens get two turnovers by the half. One, a strip-sack from an edge rusher, be it Odafe Oweh or Kyle Van Noy, and a second coming from safety Marcus Williams, who has been under scrutiny this season.
The Ravens get a pair of field goals from the takeaways, where they stare into a 23-6 lead entering half time. And while the Ravens don’t outright pour on the offense in the second half, they answer each score with one of their own to keep the game out of reach with a 33-20 win. — Kyle Phoenix
The Ravens and the Bills have some interesting symmetry this season; both offenses like to use two tight-end personnel groupings with nickel- and dime-heavy defenses that rely on formidable defensive linemen to stop the run. And of course, there’s the quarterbacks: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, both playing some of the best football in the league and of their careers.
On paper, Baltimore should have the advantage. The Bills are down a few key defenders, and their consistent two-high safety looks are vulnerable to the Ravens’ downhill rushing attack. The Ravens should similarly be able to hold their own against a Bills pass-catching group that has just one receiver (Khalil Shakir) over 100 yards on the season. But Sean McDermott has imposed a new level of structure and discipline on both sides of the ball this season, yielding a balanced offense that can work underneath or explode downfield and a stout defense that feasts on positive game scripts. The Bills no longer force Josh Allen to perform superman feats of football to win games. Instead, a diverse and efficient running game and a motion-heavy quick passing game keeps the offense in rhythm and in control of the game. The defensive thrives in obvious passing situations, forcing opposing offenses to be perfect all the way down the field.
On Sunday night, the Ravens will flip the script on the Bills, getting out in front during the first half with multiple run-heavy drives down the field. The defense will give up some yards, but clamp down in the red zone to hold onto the lead going into halftime. The Bills will come out in the second half and tighten the game in the third quarter, putting the impetus on Jackson and the offense to avoid the back-breaking three-and-outs that have given way to blown leads in the past. This time, they get it done, pushing the lead back into double-digits in the fourth quarter on the back of a signature Jackson drive, who avoids sacks and weaves his way through defenders on scrambles. It’s not over yet, with Josh Allen activating Terminator mode and putting the Ravens defense on their heels late in the fourth quarter. He’ll manage to bring the game within one score, but a late interception will doom the comeback and Baltimore will move to 2-2. — Nikhil Mehta
After ending their skid to open the season last week the Ravens will establish a win streak by bringing Bills’ to a screeching halt and knocking them from the unbeaten ranks. Baltimore will rinse and repeat their approach on offense against a Buffalo defense that plays exclusively out of sub-packages whether dime or nickel which will likely lead to another big day and heavy workload for King Henry and a whole lot of 12 personnel. Defensively, with no star weapons in the passing game to key on, the Ravens won’t feel the same type of pressure they have in coverage to take out or double-cover a particular pass catcher which will allow defensive coordinator Zach Orr to call a more traditional game plan that focuses more on limiting Josh Allen’s scrambling and extended pass play ability. Both quarterbacks will make their fair share of plays but in the end, it will be reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson who shines the brightest under the national spotlight at home while this year’s front-runner watches most of the game from the sideline because his defense will struggle to get off the field in 31-20 win for the Ravens. — Joshua Reed
The Bills are one of the best, if not the best, teams in football. They’ve dominated their opponents and while some will talk about the quality of said opponents, I’ll point to the Ravens not doing the same against the Raiders and Cowboys despite late-game leads. Josh Allen looks like an early MVP favorite and the Bills offense is rolling despite loosing Stefan Diggs in the offseason.
While the Ravens defense has struggled and the Bills offense is great, I think the Ravens matchup well. Cornerbacks like Humphrey, Stephens and Wiggins should perform well against the wide receiver core. Khalil Shakir is a good receiver and Keon Coleman is a very exciting rookie but they aren’t stars. The Bills have revitalized their run game this season, helping to balance their offense and “mask” the loss of a top wide receiver. But the Ravens are excellent at stopping the run.
The game will be won or lost on whether the Ravens can cover the dangerous tight end duo of Kincaid and Knox over the middle of the field, which they’ve struggled with. Josh Allen will run and get his, he’ll have over 100 rushing yards in this game. But the Bills won’t be able to win purely on that. Roquan Smith and Marcus Williams get right, playing up to their contracts, helping shutdown the tight ends with Kyle Hamilton and Trenton Simpson who nabs his first interception.
Lamar Jackson and the offense simply play football, running over the Bills good defensive line. Dan Orlovsky recently talked about the Bills run defense and their gap discipline this season, but the Ravens have one of the best run games of the league and the options of Henrey and Jackson will simply be too much. Of this, they’ll hit a couple deep shots to Zay Flowes and Mark Andrews, who goes for at least 5 catches and 75 yards. Baltimore reminds many analysts that Lamar Jackson is that guy and wins football games.
24-14 Ravens — Zach Canter