Bills and Ravens to meet for first time in NFL playoffs

Published Jan. 14, 2021 2:09 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BALTIMORE (12-5) at BUFFALO (14-3)

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC

OPENING LINE - Bills by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Ravens 11-5-1; Bills 11-6

SERIES RECORD - Ravens lead 6-3

LAST MEETING - Ravens beat Bills 24-17 at Orchard Park, New York, on Dec. 8, 2019

LAST WEEK - Ravens beat Titans 20-13, Bills beat Colts 27-24

AP PRO32 RANKING - Ravens No. 7, Bills No. 3

RAVENS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (1), PASS (32).

RAVENS DEFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (8), PASS (6).

BILLS OFFENSE - OVERALL (2t), RUSH (20), PASS (3).

BILLS DEFENSE - OVERALL (14), RUSH (17), PASS (13).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — The Bills and Ravens meet for the first time in the postseason, with Baltimore having won the past three regular-season meetings. ... Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen were among five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, which included Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield going first overall. The three each earned their first playoff wins last weekend. ... Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Bills coach Sean McDermott were members of Andy Reid’s staff with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2000s. ... Harbaugh is the NFL career leader in playoff road wins with eight. Baltimore is 11-7 overall in the postseason under Harbaugh, who took over in 2008 and won the Super Bowl for the 2012 season. ... The Ravens have won six straight; their franchise-best 12-0 run closed the 2019 season. ... Baltimore is one of four teams to make the postseason in each of the past three years, along with New Orleans, Seattle and Kansas City. ... The Ravens are 11-6 on the road in the postseason, a .647 winning percentage that is the best in the NFL since the 1970 merger. ... Baltimore ranked second in the NFL by allowing 18.9 points per game ,and backed that up by yielding 13 points against Tennessee. ... Baltimore’s rally from a 10-point deficit against the Titans was the largest playoff comeback in franchise history. ... Baltimore’s 236 rushing yards at Tennessee were the most in franchise postseason history. ... Jackson had his second postseason game with at least 100 yards rushing last week. Both came against the Titans. ... Despite playing in only three postseason games, Jackson ranks eighth in NFL history in yards rushing by a QB (333). ... Jackson owns a 30-7 record as a starter in the regular season, and is 1-2 in the playoffs. ... Ravens rookie RB J.K. Dobbins has scored a touchdown in seven straight games. ... Baltimore owns a plus-21 turnover differential in its 26 playoff games, including plus-13 under Harbaugh. ... Ravens P Sam Koch kicked only twice against the Titans, and just once after the opening series. ... The Bills, making their third playoff appearance in four seasons under McDermott, won their first AFC East title in 25 years and then proceeded to win their first playoff game over the same span. ... The Bills have won seven straight, marking their best streak since an 8-0 run in 1990. ... Buffalo has scored 24 or more points in 10 consecutive games, a franchise record, and finished the season with a franchise-best 501 points. ... Allen set Buffalo’s single-season records with 4,544 yards passing, 37 TDs passing and 46 overall, including one receiving. ... In finishing 26 of 35 for 324 yards and adding 54 yards rushing against the Colts, Allen became the NFL’s first player to top 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing and complete at least 70% of his attempts. ... Buffalo’s 96-yard scoring drive against the Colts, capped by Allen’s 5-yard run to give Buffalo a 14-10 lead in the final seconds of the first half, was the team’s longest in playoff history. ... All-Pro WR Stefon Diggs had six catches for 128 yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis to become Buffalo’s first player to top 100 yards in the playoffs since Eric Moulds had 240 in a 24-17 wild-card loss to Miami on Jan. 2, 1999. ... The Bills are 6-2 this season when allowing 400 yards offense after giving up 472 against the Colts. In three previous seasons under McDermott, the Bills were a combined 2-6 when allowing 400 yards. ... PK Tyler Bass hit a 54-yard field goal against the Colts, the longest by a rookie in the playoffs, and matched the team’s postseason record set by Steve Christie in 1993. ... Fantasy tip: With the potential of snow in the forecast anything is possible, though a slick field should favor Baltimore’s top-ranked running attack.

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