Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson will be on the same football field for the first time in nearly two years, and those around them on the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for another classic game.
“I’m just grateful to be a part of this event and to be around it,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “You look back on these things and say, ‘Oh, wasn’t it pretty cool to be there for that?'”
Allen’s undefeated Bills and Jackson’s Ravens reignited the NFL’s premier rivalry on Sunday night, but the AFC contenders are still chasing back-to-back Super Bowl champions Kansas City and are off to a very different start to the season. It started in shape. Allen is 3-0 against Buffalo and is the favorite to win league MVP, while Jackson and Baltimore return home hoping to get back on track after a 1-2 start.
It’s another chance for an elite quarterback to put on a show and further shock his doubters.
“I don’t think anyone was thinking about it other than maybe the people in the building,” Allen said, calling Jackson an inspiration. “I love watching him play because no play is wasted for him. He has this crazy ability to capitalize on plays and make guys miss and then get the ball downfield. He’s a special player.”
Jackson is the reigning MVP, a two-time champion, and his 254 rushing yards through the first three games of the season are the most of any QB. He is currently paired with Derrick Henry, who rushed for 151 yards last week to help beat Dallas 28-25.
Although the Ravens lost the first two games, Bills veteran linebacker Von Miller thought the Jackson-Henry pairing looked scary from the get-go.
“I remember watching the game on TV and thinking, ‘This is going to be a big deal,'” Miller said. “And so it happened.”
So did Buffalo’s offense, which led the league in points in a 47-10 blowout of Jacksonville on Monday night. Allen, currently the 2-1 favorite to be BetMGM Sportsbook’s MVP over Patrick Mahomes, has thrown for 634 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards and two more scores for his career. Even though he scored a record 18 points, he still hasn’t been picked off. Number of interceptions last season.
“He’s a great player who plays at a very high level,” Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy said, crediting much of the Bills’ success to Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady being on the same page. He said that. “They’re in sync right now, they’ve got a great pulse of offense that plays to their identity, and they’re doing a really good job of getting everyone involved.”
Mr. Allen says, “Everyone eats it,” and it will be a big challenge to stop not just him but James Cook and others from escaping. Jackson doesn’t worry about that on the ball-handling side, but he’s well aware that the spotlight is on him and Allen whenever they square off.
“It’s always going to be that way as long as we’re in the league,” Jackson said. “I really don’t know how people are going to judge it, what people are going to say. I’m just going there to get the ‘W’.”
protect your hands
Allen’s non-throwing left hand is still soft after landing for a touchdown in the season opener, and he primarily uses his right hand for handoffs. That includes backhands.
“It’s all about style,” Allen said with a wink, explaining that he is trying to limit his strikes to his left hand, which he said is improving.
Asked if he was nervous about Allen’s unconventional handoffs, coach Sean McDermott said with a laugh: “Yeah, so what I’m saying is, out of 100 things, I hope it works out.”
Baltimore’s blown lead
The Ravens lost at home to Las Vegas in Week 2, blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and nearly making history repeat itself against the Cowboys before coming away with the win.
“I think we need to get back on track,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “I think we came out really strong and it’s hard to maintain that for 60 minutes straight, but I think we have the personnel to do it, reset and refocus on the fourth quarter. ”
suck the game
Miller feels like his old self back on the field expecting, rather than expecting, to make a sack. The 35-year-old now has three straight sacks, a year after not recording a sack in 14 games, including the playoffs, while coming back from torn knee ligaments.
“It’s really, really comfortable,” Miller said. “Last year I was expecting something to fall into my lap, but this year it’s just like, ‘I need to be there to make it happen.'”
Miller leads the NFL with 126 1/2 sacks and is tied for 17th all-time with Derrick Thomas.
power outage in baltimore
Ravens fans are required to wear black and have enjoyed watching their team play under the lights for more than a decade. Baltimore is 20-3 in prime time since Harbaugh took over in 2008.
“Just hearing ‘The Flock’ and seeing the crowd go black, it’s hard to escape,” Jackson said. “Something about it. I can’t explain it. It’s like the dark side.”
When asked to name his favorite win of the night, Jackson replied: I love winning. ”