The Buffalo Bills’ defense took away the Baltimore Ravens' big-play rushes Saturday night.
Without the explosive rushing plays, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could not make enough plays in the passing game to lift his team.
It added up to one of the great defensive performances in Buffalo history as the Ravens were shut down, 17-3, in the AFC divisional round playoff game.
“We knew we had a huge challenge coming into this game, obviously, with the type of offense and their scheme,” said Bills safety Micah Hyde. “The talk was all about their defense, their offense and our offense vs. their defense. And not much was said about our defense. We knew we’re trending in the right direction. We’re continuing to play better.”
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The Ravens rushed for the third most yards this season in a 16-game season in NFL history – 192 a game.
Over the six-game winning streak they took into Saturday’s game, the Ravens averaged 262 rushing yards a game, 34.3 points, 60% third-down conversions and 14 rushing touchdowns.
The Ravens led the NFL this year with 80 runs of 10 or more yards and 31 runs of 20 or more yards.
The Bills held them to 150 rushing yards, with six runs of 10-plus yards and no runs of 20-plus yards.
The key to the effort was the containment of Jackson. Over three quarters, he managed just 34 yards on eight carries, a 3.8-yard average. Jackson had one scramble for 15 yards but did not have another run for more than 6 yards.
The Bills played disciplined on the edges, preventing Jackson from getting on the perimeter. That usually meant the defensive ends maintaining their positions and not biting inside on Jackson’s read-option handoffs.
“Fraz and all the coaches put together a game plan that we knew could work,” Hyde said, referring to defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. “Last time we played them, there were five or six plays we gave them. If we wouldn’t have it would have been a totally different outcome. We felt like we were close. I remember in the locker room last year I was talking to Po (Jordan Poyer) and said we’ve got to find a way. The great teams find a way to win those games. You saw today just a total team effort.”
Jackson had rushed for 80 or more yards in five of the previous six games. He averaged 6.3 yards a carry.
Here’s a look at some of the key plays for the Bills’ defense:
Play of the game. Jackson won the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2019. He’s the first NFL quarterback with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He’s 30-9 as a starter, and he’s the fastest QB in history to 30 wins.
However, Jackson ranked 23rd in passing yards this season with 2,757.
Baltimore is staring at a foreseeable future in the AFC in which its quarterback is going to be outpassed by Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo’s Josh Allen by 2,000 yards. That’s a problem for the Ravens.
Jackson made the big mistake of the game late in the third quarter when he threw to tight end Mark Andrews in the end zone and didn’t see cornerback Taron Johnson robbing the play underneath. Andrews was well covered as it was by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Jackson stared down Andrews. Johnson was initially in the passing lane on the left side, where receiver Willie Snead was running a hook route, with Poyer closing on him. But Johnson read Jackson’s eyes.
The interception return for 101 yards tied an NFL record.
“Congratulations on the Bills,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “They were mistake free and capitalized on their opportunities. It’s a tough loss.”
First sack. The Bills blitzed on eight of the Ravens’ first 18 drop backs. On Jackson’s second pass of the game, Levi Wallace blitzed off the slot and sacked the quarterback for an 11-yard loss.
It wound up forcing a field-goal try, which bounced off the left upright.
Disciplined rush. The Ravens’ second drive went three plays and out when Jackson misfired on a third-and-5 pass for running back J.K. Dobbins.
The Bills’ defensive ends kept Jackson penned in the pocket. They didn’t overcommit and allow him to escape. Rather than keep his eyes downfield, Jackson moved right and then left to try to scramble before firing an off-target check-down pass.
Good coverage. Matt Milano forced a punt on the Ravens’ fourth drive. Jackson looked to his security-blanket target, Andrews, in the left flat but the Bills’ linebacker broke up the pass to force a 46-yard field-goal try, which missed.
Staying home. The fifth Ravens drive stalled when Trent Murphy had textbook coverage on a read-option play. Murphy read the mesh point, with Jackson putting the ball into the running back’s belly. Murphy stayed on the edge, not committing to the run up the middle. When Jackson pulled the ball out and tried to run around end, Murphy tackled him for a 4-yard loss.
Bringing the blitz. On the next two plays, Frazier blitzed Johnson off the slot. On second and 14, Jackson forced a quick throw too low to the left. That was part of a six-man blitz. On third and 14, he forced a hurried throw off target to the right. That was part of a five-man blitz.
