Almost every year, the Bills and the Chiefs end up meeting in the playoffs. This will again be the case in the American Conference final next week, since Buffalo triumphed over the Ravens in a suspense that stretched until the very end of their duel.
• Also read: Barkley and the Eagles masters in the snow
• Also read: Commanders cause a huge surprise
• Also read: The Chiefs win…and it was embarrassing!
The Bills finally won 27-25 in the Siberian cold of Buffalo and for the fourth time in five years, they will cross swords with the Chiefs in the quest for the Super Bowl.
It may have been cold, but it didn’t matter, Josh Allen’s gang was hot, really hot!
With a 27-19 lead late in the game, the Bills watched as the Ravens gained ground and gained ground and gained some more ground. Until quarterback Lamar Jackson joined his tight end Isaiah Likely in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown.
However, it was necessary to successfully convert the two points to level the score and on this critical play, Lamar Jackson released a perfect pass that Mark Andrews was unable to control. Poor guy is going to have nightmares for an eternity or two. He’s clearly not the only culprit, but still…
A different approach
The Bills were astonishing on offense, not because they broke everything, on the contrary, but because they tried to serve the Ravens their own medicine.
Used to putting a lot on the shoulders of their pivot Josh Allen, this time they opted for 36 races and only 22 passes.
Allen was held to 127 yards through the air and did not throw a single touchdown pass. It was his lowest total yards since December 17, 2023. He was rather spoiled on the ground with two touchdowns, although again, he was not a determining factor with his legs either, he who been limited to 20 yards.
In the second half, the offense gained only 123 yards and scored only six points. The Bills had an 11-point lead at the half and their ultra-conservative approach will not be criticized since they won, but offensive coordinator Joe Brady will certainly have to be more creative against the Chiefs.
-Fatal errors
For their part, the Ravens progressed with more ease on the field, especially in the second half, when the Bills defense abandoned the heavy blitzes to which it resorted repeatedly during the first 30 minutes.
The Ravens finished with 416 yards, compared to just 273 for the Bills, but the turnovers clearly sunk them.
Lamar Jackson (18 in 25, 254 yards and two touchdowns) was the victim of two turnovers. Safety Taylor Rapp intercepted one of his passes in the first quarter, but the Bills failed to capitalize by not being able to score any points.
In the second quarter, however, Damar Hamlin chased down Jackson and knocked the ball away. Nine plays later, Josh Allen entered the end zone on a quarterback sneak.
It was Jackson’s first two-game turnover since last year’s conference final against the Chiefs. However, it was his fourth game with more than one turnover in eight playoff starts, which will certainly continue to fuel his detractors.
Mark Andrews, again, also committed a critical fumble in the fourth quarter, which led directly to a Bills field goal.
There is also reason to question the Ravens’ strategy. After experiencing a thunderous third quarter with 46 yards rushing during a single offensive series which he also finished in the end zone, Derrick Henry was underutilized. He only carried the ball twice after that.
The Ravens also erred by attempting a two-point convert that failed after Henry’s touchdown.
It’s another match that this team, which has everything to win, will regret for many months.
For their part, the Bills find themselves in the conference final for the first time since 2020. They admitted defeat by the Chiefs in the last three playoff confrontations.
If only we could teleport to next Sunday…
Related News :