OTL: No Secrets or Tricks Headed to Buffalo – It’s King Time

This past Saturday, Baltimore took the crucial first step in pursuit of a ring: the elimination of the dreaded Steelers. Despite not having Zay Flowers at their disposal, the Ravens came out and beat Pittsburgh pretty handily, and they did it by sticking to their guns; to the relief of all of us, they ran the ball in the postseason.

“Their mom knows we’re running” @charliekolar_ pic.twitter.com/j7jS27XmGz

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 13, 2025

To Charlie Kolar’s point, there’s no secret to how this Ravens offense wants to attack you, and it’s very hard to stop, as evidenced by the fact that Baltimore’s offense finished the regular season #1 in total yardage and rushing yards. Let’s talk about what worked this past weekend, and what we can hope to see against the Bills.

Baltimore was a kneeldown shy of notching 300 rushing yards against Pittsburgh, a whopping figure that was boosted by a few long rushes by Derrick Henry, but overall, one that came from a methodical, merciless ground attack. Henry entered the postseason with his highest-ever yards per carry in a season at 5.9, and he posted 7.2 YPC against Pittsburgh as he trucked along for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Lamar Jackson set the tone early on the ground as well with a few nice carries that forced Pittsburgh to shift personnel to account for the threat of #8’s legs.

Once that happened, the boxes got just a little lighter for The King, and that was all he needed.

That’ll do.#RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/4G9HSIWNxI

— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) January 13, 2025

That’s a LOT of carries for Henry, but if it’s working, I understand sticking with it. In fact, I relish the fact that the coaching staff continued to put the ball in his gut even when drives didn’t look the smoothest, because they killed the clock as the Steelers tried to counter-punch, and the defense did the rest. It’s what we all wanted to see last season, and I hope they continue to trust that approach.

With Pittsburgh now trampled underfoot, the Ravens travel to Buffalo to enter what looks like a very even matchup on paper…

good morning pic.twitter.com/DCdhCazEzS

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) January 13, 2025

…with a focus on making this game look a lot like it did the last time the Ravens saw the Bills.

Full highlights of Bills-Ravens WK4 matchup

pic.twitter.com/E1Tu39L9AT

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 12, 2025

Ravens played the Bills Week 4 and beat them 35-10 with the 32nd ranked passing defense at the time…

Now the Bills go on to play the #1 ranked defense. pic.twitter.com/amtFBOjU4E

— Allison Waite (@nosilla38) January 13, 2025

In Week 4, the Ravens rode roughshod over the Bills defense, even while still trying to figure out some offensive line issues. Henry’s final stat line benefited from ripping his longest carry of the year on an 87-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, but the Ravens accumulated 271 rushing yards on the night, by far the most that Buffalo surrendered to any opponent.

Now, Bills fans will rightly point out that they were without several defensive starters, and given that this game is being played in Buffalo, it could very well be more of an uphill battle for the visiting Ravens.

Counter-argument: The Bills have played few, if any, teams in the past few weeks that run the ball as effectively as Baltimore does, and I truly believe that several weeks of reprieve from an attack like this one might catch them off guard. The last time they saw a team with a potent running game in the Detroit Lions, the Bills were able to effectively neutralize them on the ground… while getting shelled for almost 500 yards through the air. Beyond that, you’re now looking at a Ravens team that’s clamped down on defense at the back end of their schedule; a defense against which Buffalo only mustered 10 points in their first meeting.

This isn’t the same Ravens team we saw Week 4. pic.twitter.com/3UlxgKq7f0

— ð™Ÿð™ªð™¨ð™©ð™žð™£ (@justinbtw_) January 13, 2025

Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the all-important weather factor. Normally, you’d think the Bills would enjoy an edge being accustomed to the cold weather climates, but the bitter cold is conducive to wearing down your opponent with an effective run game. In their first meeting, the weather sat at a comfortable mid-60s range throughout the game, but forecasts for Sunday’s game are hovering around the low 20s with a possibility of snow. Sounds like a very opportune time to have #22 run straight at the defense until they can’t take it anymore.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This Bills team has a potent offense and they’ll be a tough out, but the Ravens don’t need a silver bullet to beat them. They just need to start up the freight train and let it roll.

The post OTL: No Secrets or Tricks Headed to Buffalo – It’s King Time appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/01/14/out-to-lunch/king-henry-buffalo-divisional/