Josh Allen has a way of turning a defense’s best-laid plans into a mess, and the Ravens are heading into Week 8 needing three defenders to keep that from happening again.
Baltimore goes to Buffalo for what should be one of the weekend’s biggest games, and the challenge is obvious. Allen has not always been sharp against the Ravens on a snap-to-snap basis, but he’s still done damage across seven meetings, piling up 1,519 total yards and 10 total touchdowns while giving the ball away only three times.
His 58% completion rate shows the passing game can get shaky, yet Baltimore still hasn’t cracked the code. The Bills are 3-4 in those matchups, and the Ravens are coming off a rough defensive outing that can’t repeat itself if they want a chance here.
Kyle Hamilton sits at the center of it all. If Baltimore is going to have a strong defensive day, he has to be one of the tone-setters.
Week 7 was one of those rare games where he didn’t look like himself, and that simply can’t carry over. Allen’s ability to improvise is what makes him such a headache, and when he extends plays, everything starts to unravel - routes open up, lanes appear, and the defense gets stretched.
Hamilton’s job is to be the stabilizer, whether he’s blitzing, patrolling deep, or stepping up as a sure tackler near the line. With Allen’s size and power as a runner, Hamilton also has to be ready to deliver a clean stop when the quarterback takes off.
Up front, the Ravens need Nnamdi Madubuike to make life miserable in the middle. Allen is too dangerous when he has time to sort through coverages, so Baltimore has to get pressure and do it from the inside.
Madubuike’s value is in collapsing the pocket and forcing Allen to drift deeper, which can open the door for edge rushers like Trey Hendrickson and Mike Green to finish the job. He can create sacks himself, but his bigger impact may come from wrecking the pocket and helping the rest of the front line work downhill.
Then there’s Trenton Simpson, who brings the kind of speed that can matter in a game like this. He’s been playing well this season, especially when it comes to working in space and closing on the ball.
Simpson fires downhill fast, fights through traffic, and tackles with urgency, all of which should matter against Allen. His athleticism also gives him a shot to match the quarterback in the open field when he scrambles.
On top of that, his burst could make him a factor on simulated pressures, where he might get a clean path to Allen before the quarterback has time to settle in.
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Ravens Red Zone Problems Are Raising Bigger Questions Entering A Critical Week
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Vega Ioanes knee injury only adds another layer to the problem, pushing the Ravens into yet another starting line setup as they head into a critical week. The timing matters because the offense is not the only concern, either. Baltimores defense has also been under pressure, with the numbers pointing to trouble generating heat on the quarterback and getting off the field on third down, which leaves the team searching for answers on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]