Rival Report: Ravens unbeaten; Bills become latest victims
On Saturday night, the Baltimore Ravens entered their third preseason game of 2017 against the Buffalo Bills with a ton of uncertainty remaining on offense. Considered the top defense in the league in preseason play, it was once again the defense that carried the day in what was a low-scoring 13-9 win.
Defensively determined
Veteran Terrell Suggs and the first-team Ravens defense handily deconstructed the Bills offense and were dominating again this weekend. They did not allow a single point in nine drives before four complete shutout drives on Saturday. Buffalo was held to 31 yards on 11 plays as the Ravens pushed them around along the line of scrimmage.
Bills starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was hit hard by linebacker Matthew Judon in a legal sack that, when Taylor landed, resulted in the back of his helmet slamming into the turf. Taylor was slow to get up and left the game with a concussion on just the Bills’ second offensive series.
Here's the play Tyrod Taylor was injured on. His head slammed against the turf. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/jVjRUWdGrN
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) August 26, 2017
Judon took a big step in solidifying a starting spot at outside linebacker and was very active. Suggs didn’t add a single tackle in the game but recorded two pass deflections and a healthy amount of pressure of his own.
Mallet still inconsistent
The Ravens continue to wait for Joe Flacco to return from a back injury many scoffed at early as being “minor” – which begs the question as to why Ryan Mallett continues to be their go-to guy. Against the Bills, Mallett once again failed to be consistent in moving the offense down the field. He finished the game with six-of-ten passes completed for 58 yards; 15 yards came on a third-and-17 situation.
Josh Woodrum, who had impressed in the first two preseason games, failed to take advantage of the first snaps he’s received with the offensive starters. He completed eight-of-13 passes for 55 yards and hit Taquan Mizzell for a touchdown late in the game.
Tucker scare for second week in a row
Kicker Justin Tucker is a scoring machine – and in Baltimore, that is critical at this point. Considered the most accurate place kicker in the NFL, Tucker put himself in harm’s way in the first quarter of the game when he attempted to make a tackle on a kickoff that immediately followed his 40-yard field goal. The result was near disaster.
Tucker lowered his head as he made a move for Bills returner Brandon Tate. Although Tate was eventually pushed out of bounds, Tucker was forced to the sideline and underwent protocol for a possible concussion. He was later cleared to return, but this came just one week removed from his attempt to return a fumble on a kickoff return for a touchdown.
What I was thinking was that I needed to put my head across, go low and get him down on the ground. I think he just came across with a knee pad or a thigh pad right in the neck. It was about trying to make a play.
This is what he looked like last week…
https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/898337323527557120
The hot and not-so-hot
Since most people like the good news first: Jaylen Hill, the undrafted rookie cornerback out of Jacksonville State, had another brilliant game. Not only did he play well in coverage, but he grabbed his second NFL interception. He also earned a quarterback hit on his stat sheet when he was sent on a blitz at Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman, narrowly missing a sack.
https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/901615722232659968
On the other side of the coin, the Ravens were absolutely horrid when it came to playing a penalty-free game. The team racked up 13 total penalties for 126 yards; the majority earned by the offensive line. The only reason those penalties did not hurt the team more was that the Bills earned several yellow flags of their own.
https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/901632070350508032
https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/901616342368845824
