5 takeaways from the Bills’ 17-3 win over the Ravens

The Buffalo Bills are going to the AFC Championship.

A 17-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, as the score suggests, wasn’t exactly a high-flying offensive showcase that we’ve come to expect during the 2020 season. A win is a win, though.

With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win over the Ravens in the AFC Divisional round:

Bills’ Devin Singletary. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

What is running the ball?

A big headline coming into the game was the Bills’ backfield situation. What would happen without Zack Moss in the lineup? In the Wild Card round against the Colts, the Bills lost the rookie due to an ankle injury. Upon further review, his season was deemed over.

Devin Singletary was dubbed the guy that would step up in his place… but he didn’t exactly do that.

Scratch that, he didn’t really even get a chance to do so.

The Bills decided to nearly take the rushing game out of their offensive playbook completely, especially in the first half of the game. In the first 30 minutes of the game, Singletary was given the ball once on the ground which came just before the half.

This was no slight against Singletary, though. This was the plan by Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. He decided that the Ravens run defense, who held 2,000-yard rush for the Titans, Derrick Henry, to 40 yards was too good.

While the game was tight early, it paid off.

Singletary finished the game with seven carries and 25 yards. Quarterback Josh Allen, often mobile himself, only had three yards rushing. Overall for the game, the QB had 37 pass attempts and was 23-for-37 passing with one score in the air. For once, the Bills didn’t win because of him, but they didn’t need to.

Who knew that’d be such a welcoming sight?

Taron Johnson #24 of the Bills. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

Taron hates the AFC North

It is official: The Bills have a player on their roster that does not like the AFC’s Northern Division too much.

Cornerback Taron Johnson is the guy, and the proof is in the pudding. Johnson had a pick-six interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season in a pivotal late-season game which Buffalo won. He went above-and-beyond that work in the Divisional round.

After the Bills scored a big touchdown after halftime, the first of the game, Johnson jumped a Lamar Jackson pass intended for tight end Mark Andrews. Jackson was staring down his target, who was in the end zone, and Johnson read his eyes, snatching the ball. But as mentioned, this was a pick-six.

Johnson got some blocking help from fellow cornerback Tre’Davious White down the sideline and he took the ball from end zone to end zone. Considering all the circumstances, the slow start to the game by both offenses included, this play was even bigger when things were all said and done.

Bills’ Josh Norman (29) and Micah Hyde (23) watch as Ravens kicker Justin Tucker (9) reacts after missing a field goal. (AP Photo/John Munson)

Special teams did, indeed, play a big part

Prior to kickoff between these two teams, Bills Wire was among many who though special teams could be a difference-maker in this one and the kickers in particular.

Well, they did… but not exactly how we imagined.

Buffalo is known for its weather. There’s two factors that are often mentioned. The first is the snow, but that mostly held off once the game started. But then there’s the wind tunnel that is Orchard Park.

The gusts certainly made up for the lack of fluffy stuff.

Both Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and Bills rookie Tyler Bass had a tough time with this breeze. Both guys missed two kicks, but luckily, Bass applied the early pressure, at least. He connected from 28 on his first kick, which was also the first points of the game.

Bass then missed from 43, but with a chance to tie it, the four-time All-Pro in Tucker missed from 46 and then from 34… yikes. Tucker’s known for never missing, and against the Bills he missed two kicks from inside 50 yards for the first time in his entire career.

Prior to halftime, Tucker did hit one from 34 to tie the game at 3-3 going into the second half, but those early misses were certainly momentum building opportunities missed, benefitting Buffalo.

In the second half, Bass missed another kick as both guys went 1-for-3. That would’ve put the game out of reach, but Buffalo still put it away in the end.

Bills cornerback Levi Wallace. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Everything you could imagine and more vs. Lamar

First off, well wishes sent Jackson’s way. As he tried to scramble and escape pressure from Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and defensive end Trent Murphy, he took a bad knock. He snapped the ball on his team’s 25 which went down as the final play of the third quarter and he ran all the way back to his two-yard line and threw the ball away. While hit, he was caught knocking his head on the ground by cameras. He did not return to the game.

From there, the Bills shutdown backup quarterback Tyler Huntley en route to the win. However, the Bills did a pretty good job locking up Jackson in the first place.

Holding any team to a field goal is very impressive, but doing so against a QB that can do anything on any play? That’s a huge task and job well done.

A big reason for that success was Jackson’s yards-per-carry. It was 3.8. That’s it. A 1,000-yard rushing quarterback was held under four yards per carry.

Buffalo’s defense has had a big turnaround since the middle point of the season. The run defense led the way there. No one in their wildest dreams could’ve thought this performance would be put out there.

Along with Johnson, those causing problems for the Ravens offense include defensive end Jerry Hughes, who had two sacks, and cornerback Levi Wallace, who had his first-career one. Covering tight ends was a problem for Buffalo against the Colts and linebacker Matt Milano had a big bounce-back effort against Andrews.

The final name that deserves recognition is Leslie Frazier. The Bills defensive coordinator dialed up a hell of a game.

Bills strong safety Micah Hyde. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Deal with it

This job is not done. There’s more wins to go.

But there’s no denying it now, the Bills are back, America.

When Bills head coach Sean McDermott took this thing over along with general manager Brandon Beane, they touted hosting playoff games, going the distance, and having a team that bought in. Western New York, you got it.

This thing is still not settled, either. The Bills could still be playing another home game, for a spot in the freakin’ Super Bowl, at home next week. That would require an upset from the Browns over the Chiefs on Sunday, but never say never. Who would have thought a few short years ago that this franchise would not only find their way to relevancy, but to the AFC Championship?

After this one, despite the efforts of many around the league, there’s no reason McDermott shouldn’t lock up the Coach of the Year Award. Other hardware might follow this team soon, too.

This week’s Victory Monday is going to hit a little differently, Bills Mafia. Turn your TV and radio up. It’s going to be a fun one to enjoy.

And you’ve earned it.

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