Running back Derrick Henry rushed for a season-high 199 yards as the Ravens routed the previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills 35-10 on “Sunday Night Football.”
Henry, who now leads the NFL with 480 rushing yards, opened the scoring inside M&T Bank Stadium with an 87-yard touchdown run on the Ravens’ first offensive play and helped hold off Buffalo (3-1) with a strong second half.
In a battle of superstar quarterbacks, the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson outshined the Bills’ Josh Allen in prime time. Jackson went 13-for-18 for 156 yards and two touchdowns and added six carries for 54 yards, though he did lose a fumble late in the first half.
Allen, who entered Sunday’s game as the early favorite for league Most Valuable Player honors, struggled against a ferocious Ravens pass rush. He finished 16-for-29 for 180 yards and no touchdowns and had five carries for 21 yards. Running back James Cook was limited to 9 carries for 39 yards against the Ravens’ top-ranked run defense.
While Henry powered the Ravens (2-2) on the ground, another running back took the lead in their passing game. Running back Justice Hill had six catches for 78 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown that gave the Ravens a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter. Fullback Patrick Ricard did his part, too, clearing paths as a lead blocker and falling on Henry’s fourth-quarter goal-line fumble in the end zone for a touchdown and 35-10 lead.
Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy led the Ravens’ defense, finishing with two sacks, including a crucial momentum-swinging forced fumble midway through the third quarter, with the Bills driving and trailing just 21-10.
Big-boy football
At his Wednesday news conference, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked whether he expected his team’s running game to get the Bills out of their preferred defensive personnel groupings, with five or six defensive backs on the field at all times. “That’s a good question,” he said. “I really wish someone would ask that question to [Bills coach] Sean [McDermott] and then find out whether that’s a possibility or not.”
He was joking, but the sentiment rang true. If the Ravens had their way on offense with running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson, Buffalo would have to cede to the Ravens’ smash-mouth approach. After Derrick Henry punched the Bills in the gut with a breakaway touchdown on his first touch, McDermott didn’t seem to have much choice. The Ravens bullied Buffalo all night, no matter how much speed or size it had on the field.
With the Ravens’ defense finally rising to the occasion, they got one of the best wins of any NFL team in this young season.
— Jonas Shaffer, Ravens reporter
Rising to the moment again
I didn’t pick the Ravens to beat the Bills based on what I had seen in the first three games. But I had a sneaking suspicion that, with the prime-time game, the talent they have and how much potential they’ve left on the field, they might have one of their classic “rise to meet a strong opponent” performances as they did last season against Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco and Miami. The Ravens did just that, pounding the rock with the run and flustering Josh Allen all night.
The Ravens could improve the cardiovascular health of the Greater Baltimore region by playing this way every week. But it was great to see proof of concept against a previously undefeated team. There are still a lot of kinks to work out in the passing game, but Derrick Henry looked dominant for a second straight week, Lamar Jackson (mostly) pulled all the right strings, and the defense showed the kind of intimidating presence it can have against a Buffalo offense that came in red hot.
– Kyle Goon, columnist
A win to be proud of
The locker room following the Dallas game was not what you’d expect for the victorious team. And, shortly after, Lamar Jackson went viral for telling Marlon Humphrey to stop making him speak on Instagram Live because he was upset about how they finished.
But this win over the Bills was punctuated by celebrations (my favorite being the defensive line’s dance) and certainly merits a joyful locker room. The Ravens came out hot and built on the offensive identity they established last game: running teams into the ground. More important than building identity, the Ravens proved they can hold a lead in the fourth quarter. There were several moments it seemed like things might come collapsing down — the three-and-outs, Josh Allen’s insane sideline pass to Khalil Shakir, Jackson’s fumble — but the Ravens stuck to their plan and recovered momentum. There are things to improve on, of course, but the Ravens answered the most pressing question. They showed they can, in fact, play well in the fourth quarter.
– Giana Han, Ravens reporter
The report of the Ravens’ death was an exaggeration
The Bills’ hype train just came to a screeching halt at Camden Station. Coming into the matchup, Josh Allen looked like the presumptive MVP, but Lamar Jackson is still the reigning winner. The Bills appeared to be the AFC’s most complete team, but last year’s No. 1 seed showed it hasn’t gone anywhere.
The Ravens dominated at the line of scrimmage for the second straight week. On offense, Baltimore didn’t appear to miss the injured Andrew Vorhees, vindicating John Harbaugh’s unwavering support for this much maligned line. On defense, a boisterous secondary buttressed a pass rush that got consistent pressure on Allen. This was the Ravens’ first complete win of the season, and it shouldn’t be the last.
– Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast co-host
A reassuring performance. Kinda.
In my job, I spend a lot of time thinking about what Ravens fans are thinking. And at this point I can’t help but feel bad for you, in some ways. It was somehow not surprising to see the Ravens, a team that lost to the Raiders a few weeks ago, so easily handle the Bills. You weren’t swept over with joyous surprise; you’ve seen this before.
Yet I know you were also waiting for the worst as the third quarter got going and the Bills looked as though they might push their way back into the game. Or even as the fourth began. Because you have every reason to have doubts.
That’s sort of just where things stand. We know this team is very good and will often control a game like this. But big games — playoff games — don’t generally go that way, and it’s still hard to know if this team can thrive in big moments.
So, maybe just take solace that the Ravens did this to a good team and have room to grow. Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers haven’t gotten going but presumably will. The offensive line gets about 5% better each week. Zach Orr’s defense is steadying. It’s all trending the right way now, toward another big game down the line when the Ravens will have a chance to prove it once and for all.
– Chris Korman, editor
