A three-game winning streak to start the season, first place in the AFC East, and the new betting favorite for MVP is under center. Things are going quite well for Buffalo right now. All of the questions and concerns heading into training camp make all of us who posed them look foolish. Joe Brady’s offense is humming, Bobby Babich’s defense is swarming, and there is a new feel to overall team chemistry.
Weeks 1-3 brought a rebuilding Cardinals team, a hopeful Dolphins team, and an unraveling Jaguars team and the Bills dropped 30+ points in each game. Now they get a hungry Ravens team who are in a position they rather not being in. The Ravens are 1-2 on the season and host the Bills on Sunday night. The Ravens are still figuring things out but with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson under center it’s only a matter of time before they find their stride.
Here are two massive concerns for the Bills vs Baltimore Ravens
Limiting Derrick Henry
The Ravens found their first win of the season against a curious Dallas Cowboy team last week. The catalyst for that win, Derrick Henry. Having 151 yards and two touchdowns showed that Derrick Henry is still a beast when given his touches and he can put a team away almost by himself. In four games against the Bills Henry averaged almost 76 yards a game and has seven touchdowns.
The Bills rank 16th in rush defense allowing 118.3 yards on the ground, a number they would much prefer not to surrender to King Henry and the Ravens offense. The last game Henry played against Buffalo was with the Titans in which he had 13 carries for 25 yards and a touchdown. Limiting Derrick Henry is priority number one for Buffalo.
Do not become one dimensional
The Baltimore Ravens have the number one rushing defense in the NFL. They also have the 32nd ranked passing defense in terms of allowing passing yards. The staple of the 2024 Bills is balance. The running and passing games work in tandem with each other to make this Bills team the most balanced it has looked under Sean McDermott. Josh Allen has done it before but it should not be something that you want and it is too many pass attempts.
If Allen passes more than 25 times on Sunday night, that might be too many. Allen’s ability to run on a moments notice will keep a spy on him which should give James Cook one less defender to beat at the line of scrimmage. The Bills can get the most out of their run game when they need it and based on the numbers the passing game will be there when they want it to be. The Bills staying balanced is what they need for a win.