(5) Baltimore Ravens 3, (2) Buffalo Bills 17
On a windy night in Orchard Park, New York, the Ravens and Bills battled it out for a trip to the AFC Championship, with the latter coming out victorious.
The Raven’s offense failed to get anything going offensively and was brutalized by the fast winds in the area. Kicker Justin Tucker, who the announcers reminded only ever missed one playoff field goal, missed two largely due to a lack of compensation for the wind.
The Bills also failed to get much going on offense in the first half, either. Buffalo also had a missed field goal that could’ve been blamed on nature. Nevertheless, the Bills got into their groove after halftime.
Quarterback (QB) Josh Allen secured his first playoff win after completing 23 of 37 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Running back (RB) Devin Singletary, the team’s leading rusher, was largely ineffective, picking up only 25 yards on seven carries.
The best offensive performance for the Bills came from wide receiver (WR) Stefon Diggs, who picked up 106 yards on eight receptions and a touchdown.
On the defensive front, linebacker (LB) Tremaine Edmunds led Buffalo’s defense in tackles with nine total. Fellow LB Matt Milano was also effective with seven total tackles. Cornerback Taron Johnson, who was infamous for getting hit in the face during a combine drill, had one of the longest pick-sixes in playoff history when he picked off Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for a 101-yard interception return. This play stuck the dagger in Baltimore and effectively killed their momentum.
For Baltimore, Jackson completed 14 of 24 passes for 162 yards and the aforementioned pick-six. Jackson was injured (and later sent to concussion protocol) in the second half, prompting backup QB Tyler Huntley to step in since Robert Griffin III and Trace McSorely were unavailable. Huntley completed six passes for 60 yards.
The Ravens’ run game was spearheaded by RBs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, who both recorded 42 yards on 10 carries. Baltimore’s receiving corps was led by WR Marquise Brown’s 87 yards on four carries. LB L.J. Fort led the Ravens in tackles with five total while LBs Matthew Judon and Pernell McPhee both recorded sacks on Allen.
While the Ravens are sent packing, Buffalo will advance to the AFC Championship for the first time since the early 90s. They have a tough matchup next week against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, but if there is anybody in the AFC whose offense can keep up with KC, it’s Buffalo.
Jackson’s postseason record now drops to 1-3 after going through a relative down year compared to last year. Baltimore will contend with Cleveland in 2021 for AFC North supremacy, and I see them back in the playoffs again next season. With that being said, they’ll need to regain that x-factor that can help them compete with the AFC’s best.
Ravens’ biggest offseason need: WR
(6) Cleveland Browns 17, (1) Kansas City Chiefs 22
This has been the best game of the playoffs so far, despite not being a predicted matchup just a couple weeks ago.
With Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes leaving the game with an injury and the store close, the Browns had a wide open chance to take down the defending champs. However, the Chiefs, thanks in part to decent play by backup QB Chad Henne and bold play calling by head coach Andy Reid, managed to pull through and punch their ticket to the AFC Championship.
The Browns were led by QB Baker Mayfield, who completed 23 of 37 pass attempts for 204 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Cleveland’s backfield was effective once again, with RBs Nick Chubb (69 yards) and Kareem Hunt (32 yards, touchdown) both posting solid outings.
The Browns’ best receiver was WR Reshard Higgins, who picked up 88 yards on five receptions. Fellow WR Jarvis Landry caught the squad’s only touchdown catch. Defensively, CB Kevin Johnson’s five tackles led all Cleveland defenders. Though the Browns’ pass rush was held in check, defensive end (DE) Myles Garrett recorded a tackle while safety Karl Joseph notched an interception.
For the Chiefs, Mahomes completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 255 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury. Henne stepped in and completed six of eight passes for 66 yards and an interception. Mahomes has been cleared from concussion protocol and will suit up for the AFC Championship.
RB Darrel Williams, who filled the gap at RB when Hunt was cut by the Chiefs years ago, picked up 78 yards on 13 carries. Mahomes also recorded a rushing touchdown to go along with 14 rushing yards. Remarkably, the Chiefs boasted two 100+ receiving yard performances from WR Tyreek Hill (110 yards on eight receptions) and tight end (TE) Travis Kelce (109 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions).
Defensively, CB Charvarius Ward led the way with six total tackles. Safety L’Jarius Sneed got the squad’s only sack while fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu got the only KC interception.
The Chiefs will advance to their third straight AFC Championship. The good news is that Mahomes will be back for that game, which casted serious doubts on the Chiefs’ odds to make it back to the big game temporarily. The AFC title game will be an offensive show for the ages. Neither defense is really all that great, so it all comes down to who can dominate more offensively.
The Browns had a hell of a year that shouldn’t be discounted. Them having a winning season was good enough, but not only that, they also won a playoff game against their bitter rival in Pittsburgh. Cleveland should come back stronger next season and compete for a division crown.
Browns’ biggest offensive need: CB/Safety
AFC Championship (my pick in bold):
(2) Buffalo Bills @ (1) Kansas City Chiefs
