AFC Divisional Playoff
(5) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills
Ravens: As the season was ending, I said on the radio that if there was one team that I didn’t want to play come playoff time because they could get hot, it was them. That win on Monday Night Football against the Cleveland Browns was what saved their season. I still remember referring to the Baltimore Ravens as soft which pained me to say. Since then, I’ve seen a confident team. They’re running the ball and the defense is playing well. Having a healthy Calais Campbell makes the different. I love what they did against the Titans in the Wild Card round. They knew they couldn’t allow Derrick Henry to beat them and they shut him down. Now, they have another challenge in New York on Saturday night.
Bills: They won their first playoff game in quite some time. 24 seasons to be exact. I wasn’t all that impressed. Their offense was good as expected. Josh Allen did what he does and the other weapons stepped up to produce. One area where they’ve been up and down for most of the year has been their defense. Last week on the radio, I even stated their defense was turning the page because they were playing solid, yet collective football. On Saturday against the Colts, I saw Philip Rivers continue to attack the Bills with the tight end until they could stop it. They’re a game away from reaching the AFC Championship game. However, the Ravens stand in their way.
Ravens X-Factor: JK Dobbins– As the season has gone on, they’ve been finding ways to use him more. He was a stud at Ohio State and he’ll be a stud in the NFL for years to come. He’s a big part of the Ravens offensive identity which is running the football. Look for him to get some touches early on.
Bills X-Factor: Tremaine Edmunds– This is the leader of the Bills defense. He’s a quiet leader at that. Tremaine is the one guy that polices the middle of the field. At 6’5, he moves around quickly whether it’s from sideline to sideline or he’s coming in on a blitz. Expect to see number 49 near the football always.
Final Thoughts: The Class of 2018 is on display here. That’s the year when Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were both drafted. Saturday night will mark their second career game against each other. I need to see Buffalo tighten things up on defense. They can’t play as loosely as they did on Saturday against the Colts. On the other hand, it’s key for Baltimore to keep Josh in that pocket. Don’t allow him to extend the play. Also, can the Bills get their running game going? I see the Ravens doing all they can to shut the passing game down.
Prediction: Ravens 29 Bills 24
