Bills’ depleted defensive second-level crashes to Earth in first half vs. Ravens

The Buffalo Bills' defense posted a first half that they'd like to forget in their Week 4 bout with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills' defense has been able to stay afloat throughout much of the 2024 season despite injuries to key starters in the interior of its second level. The proverbial ship started to take on water in the first half of the team’s Week 4 clash with the Baltimore Ravens, as the AFC North side identified the weaknesses over the middle of the field and frequently attacked them, often finding success.

Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard were sidelined for Buffalo’s Sunday Night Football clash, as they’ve all been for most (or, in the case of Milano, all) of the campaign to this point; Cam Lewis, Dorian Williams, and Baylon Spector, respectively, had filled in relatively well throughout the first portion of this season, but they got off to a rocky start in Week 4, with Baltimore running back Derrick Henry breaking off an 87-yard touchdown run on the Ravens’ first offensive play.

Related: Bills WR Khalil Shakir sets NFL record in first quarter vs. Ravens

The Ravens used play-action and screen passes to test Buffalo’s defensive second level throughout the entire first half, and the unit largely wasn’t up to the task. Tackling was an issue as Baltimore found frequent success on screen passes, the most egregious example being a second-quarter third-and-14 screen to running back Justice Hill that the 26-year-old converted into a first down.

The interior second level—most notably Williams and Spector—largely struggled in coverage, with Ravens pass-catchers oft-getting behind them (some may attribute this to scheme, but the execution wasn’t stellar, either). The most notable example of this was perhaps a second-quarter Isaiah Likely reception in which he snuck past the backers and became wide open to reel in a 26-yard grab; tight end Mark Andrews got behind them on the very next play, but he couldn’t reel in the pass from Lamar Jackson.

The Ravens also drew up an admittedly apt red-zone play in which they got Hill one-on-one with Williams; the running back put on a nice juke and got wide open, hauling in a touchdown pass to put Baltimore up three scores.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Ravens made a concerted effort to attack Buffalo’s depleted second level on the back of Henry and their quick passing scheme, and the strategy proved fruitful in the first half. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year finished the first half with 109 rushing yards on nine carries, reaching paydirt both on the ground and through the air. Jackson was 11 of 13 for 135 yards and two scores, with the Baltimore offense averaging 10.4 yards per play as it gained an impressive 281 yards and converted on all three of its third-down situations.

In other words, it’s a half Buffalo will want to forget.

It was perhaps unfair to expect the Bills’ depth defenders to allow the unit to continue humming at a near-elite level sans Johnson, Milano, and Bernard, but its first-half implosion was inauspicious nevertheless. The group did show some signs of life at the end of the first half, with Williams forcing a Jackson fumble that Spector recovered. Perhaps the unit will build on this in the second half; if not, Johnson and Bernard are expected to return in the coming weeks.

Baltimore leads Buffalo 21-3 at halftime.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —

More Buffalo Bills News:

• Bills vs. Ravens NFL Week 4 Preview: A Rivalry Continues

• 3 key matchups to watch in Bills' Week 4 clash with Ravens

• Bills vs. Ravens: 5 keys to victory in NFL Week 4

• Bills vs. Ravens: Top 5 storylines to watch in NFL Week 4

• Despite individual accolades, Bills QB Josh Allen is better than Lamar Jackson