Nightmarish early numbers show how badly Ravens out-coached, out-played Bills

The Buffalo Bills were statistically dominated by the Baltimore Ravens during the first half on Sunday Night Football.

Ralph Ventre | 3 Hours Ago

Sep 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) carries the ball en route to a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Statistically, the first half was about as bad as it gets for the Buffalo Bills in their Sunday Night Football road battle against the Baltimore Ravens.

Ravens' receivers were running open at will. Derrick Henry was running over defenders. Scat back Justice Hill was exploiting mismatches in pass coverage.

The Ravens physically dominated the Bills, and the numbers show it. Buffalo's defense couldn't do enough to get off the field in a timely fashion as Baltimore controlled the tempo and time of possession. Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson averaged 10.4 yards per play over the first two quarters while the Bills could only muster 3.1 yards per offensive rep.

Baltimore moved the chains 14 times before halftime and posted a 3-for-3 clip on third down, including a stunning 15-yard screen pass to Justice Hill on a 3rd-and-14.

It took a couple weeks, but the Bills' defensive injuries finally caught up with them. Baltimore was able to exploit the absences of linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard as well as nickel cornerback Taron Johnson.

The domination started on the Ravens' first offensive play from scrimmage as Derrick Henry went 87 yards on a perfectly blocked touchdown run.

Baltimore out-gained Buffalo by a 281-90 margin over the first 30 minutes. The Bills recorded only five first-half first downs and went 1-for-8 on third-down conversions.

The Bills looked overmatched in almost every area as the home team took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

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