Bills vs. Ravens: Top 5 storylines to watch in NFL Week 4
The Buffalo Bills continue to play in primetime this week when they hit the road for a Week 4 clash with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Here are five storylines to watch for in a game with possible playoff implications.
MVP Battle
The numbers comparison for Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens' signal-caller Lamar Jackson aren't close—Allen has nine total touchdowns this season, while Jackson has four. Allen has zero picks, while Jackson has one. Both have lost a fumble—but they weren't close last year, and the voters still handed Jackson the MVP. If an Allen-led Bills team can move to 4-0 with him playing well and the Ravens fall to 1-3, Allen SHOULD put a gap between himself and the reigning MVP for the honor this season.
AFC Supremacy
The Bills currently sit atop the AFC with a 3-0 record, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers for the best record in the conference. The Ravens enter Sunday with a 1-2 record. Buffalo moving to 4-0 and putting a three-game spread between itself and a team that can get hot at any point is invaluable. If the outcome were to go Baltimore's way, all of a sudden the gap is just one game, and there's a chance that the Jets are now tied with Buffalo. In the words of Dory (kind of), JUST KEEP WINNING!
Ravens Runners
Here come a bunch of numbers. The Ravens are currently fourth in rushing attempts per game at 34.7. Baltimore is second in rushing yards per game at 203.3. It's also fourth in rushing touchdowns per game at 1.7. In short, the Ravens like to run the ball and are good at it. On the flip side, the Bills are allowing .3 rushing touchdowns per game, good enough for second in the NFL.
Related: Bills HC details challenge of stopping ‘first ballot Hall of Famer’ Ravens RB
No Offense
You can't make it through a football Sunday without hearing about all the young, hotshot offensive geniuses taking over the game. Talking heads love to wax poetic about Kyle Shanahan, Kevin O'Connell, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, etc. Then there is Andy Reid, who deserves all his flowers. That said, the Bills vs. Ravens is a game featuring two coaches with mainly defensive and/or special teams backgrounds.
Road Warriors
The Bills visiting Baltimore begins a brutal three-game road stretch for Buffalo. After taking on the Ravens in Maryland, they head to Texas to take on the Texans and finish up the gauntlet in New Jersey against the Jets. If the Bills come out of these 22 days with a 6-0 record, it could be time to start making vacation plans for the second weekend of February in New Orleans.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —