‘The much-hyped battle of first-rounders from the famed NFL quarterback draft class of 2018 offered little of the anticipated fireworks. This came down to a classic, old-school battle of defenses.’
Archives for January 17, 2021
Jason Wolf: Josh Allen, Bills advance despite little success on the ground
‘With both kickers missing field goals and passes sailing in the icy wind, the Bills didn’t even bother to run the football for most of the game against the Ravens, deciding they were incapable of executing much in the way of a ground attack.’
10 observations: Taron Johnson’s electrifying pick-six sends Bills to AFC championship game
‘Johnson, though, was there. He made an interception in the end zone, but instead of taking a knee for a touchback, he took off. At first, it looked like a shaky decision. But then Johnson kept going … and never stopped. He raced all the way to the other end zone – with fellow cornerback Tre’Davious White serving as the lead blocker – a 101-yard pick-six that sent Bills Mafia into hysterics.’
Bills’ defense picks perfect time for best performance in many years
‘“It has to be up there certainly,” coach Sean McDermott told reporters. “To hold a team in the divisional playoffs to three points is tough to do, especially a team with the weapons they have. We had to be disciplined and they played hard the entire game.”’
Analysis: Bills took away explosive runs, shut down Lamar Jackson
‘“Fraz and all the coaches put together a game plan that we knew could work,” Hyde said, referring to defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. “Last time we played them, there were five or six plays we gave them. If we wouldn’t have it would have been a totally different outcome. We felt like we were close. I remember in the locker room last year I was talking to Po (Jordan Poyer) and said we’ve got to find a way. The great teams find a way to win those games. You saw today just a total team effort.”’
Quarter by quarter: Big defensive effort carries Bills to NFL’s final four
‘Crowd noise: There were only 6,727 fans in the stands, but the noise helped cause three straight false start penalties by the Ravens, deep in their own end. Lamar Jackson had to go to a silent count due to the noise.’
Report card: Defense more than does its job in Bills’ win over Ravens
‘The Ravens put up 150 yards on the ground, but considering they had been averaging more than 250 yards recently, that’s a job well done.’
Bills fans substitute nearby restaurants for tailgating, but owners still feel loss
‘”We’ve been here over 20 years – it easily would have been our best season ever,” Ebeling said Saturday from the Abbott Road restaurant, where roughly 90% of the workers were forced onto unemployment.’
Cole Beasley’s latest single, ‘Sometimes,’ has a distinctly Buffalo feel
‘Beasley arrives – singing, not rapping, his voice slathered in Melodyne pitch manipulation, but earnest, emotional, committed. A laid-back trap hi-hat figure enters the mix, and the listener begins to submit to a pleasant, if anodyne, hip-hop/pop vibe.’
Bills defense throttles Jackson and Ravens in 17-3 divisional round victory
‘“I mean, the effort our defense put forward, I’m speechless,” said grateful center Mitch Morse. “The guys were on fire, they played with intensity, the game plan was sound, they were confident in it, and we needed them for four quarters tonight. Kudos to them, they played their tails off. We wouldn’t be in this position without them.”’
Bills report card: How Taron Johnson made one of the biggest plays in Buffalo history
‘It is clear the Bills have no faith in their run game. How else would you explain Brian Daboll calling 25 pass plays and just one run in the first half? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, ordinarily, because this Buffalo offense functions best when the ball is in Allen’s hands. But it felt like the Bills needed to make a better effort in the first half because the Ravens never had to worry about the run and they seemed ready to cover everything in the pass game because of it.’
Johnson takes his place in Bills’ lore
‘“I felt like he threw it right to me,” Johnson recalled of his historic play. “At first I was going to kneel down, then I saw all of that open grass and I figured, ‘OK, there’s only one guy I gotta beat … No. 8 (Jackson). But to have (cornerback Tre’Davious White) running with me helped out a lot, he got in (Jackson’s) way and let me go all the way.”’
Johnson makes a big play in Bills’ history
‘The TD was the first interception for a score for Buffalo in the postseason since cornerback Jeff Burris did it against Jacksonville (38 yards) in 1996.’
Buffalo Bills defense, Stefon Diggs lead Buffalo to AFC title game (Observations)
‘Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes was outstanding. Hughes has two sacks and two tackles for a loss to lead the defensive onslaught against Jackson. Trent Murphy had been a healthy scratch for weeks but was activated with Darryl Johnson unable to go with a knee injury. Murphy had one key play where he tracked down Jackson as he tried to evade the pocket and get out for a run.’
Inside the Buffalo Bills game plan that shut down Ravens’ Lamar Jackson
‘“Throughout the week of practice it allowed us to really gauge our sights on how fast this quarterback will be and what he can do with his arm. I think Isaiah did a fantastic job of doing what he does best, just being fast, quick and agile, and allowing us to get that speed. I think that helped tonight.”’