Bills return to form in week four, taking down Ravens
The Bills looked to bounce back in week four after their first loss of the season against the Dolphins. The team looked as though they had a chance to start their season 3-0 towards the end of the game last week, but frustrations ran wild as poor clock management spoiled the opportunity. The team was set to play the Baltimore Ravens, who were sitting at 2-1 on the year and coming off of a win against the ever-struggling New England Patriots. Notable inactives for week four included defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle), DT Jordan Phillips (hamstring), and wide receiver Jake Kumerow (ankle). Star safety Jordan Poyer (foot) and cornerback Dane Jackson (neck), who suffered a horrific injury in week two, were back in the starting lineup for Buffalo.
The Bills started the game out on offense as things quickly went downhill with the short drive concluding in a thrown interception by quarterback Josh Allen. The interception quickly led to a one-yard passing touchdown by Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson. Buffalo’s Isaiah McKenzie ran back the kickoff 42 yards to set the Bills’ offense up in a prime position at mid-field. The drive was kept alive after an 18-yard reception by WR Stefon Diggs; however, the team could not punch their way into the end zone and settled for a 38-yard field goal by Tyler Bass. The ball returned to Baltimore and the Ravens were able to put together an impressive 81-yard drive that concluded with a short touchdown rush by RB J.K. Dobbins, extending the score to 14-3.
After another short and ineffective drive by Buffalo concluded in a fumble, the Ravens were able to move downfield and open the second quarter with a 42-yard field goal by kicker Justin Tucker. The Bills continued to underwhelm in the first half as they were forced to punt the ball right back to the Ravens who looked to extend their lead. A huge Lamar Jackson scramble and pass for 21 yards kept the team moving; however, a sack by Buffalo’s defense halted their progress and forced them to settle for another field goal, making the score 20-3. Later in the quarter, after a nice scrambling play by Josh Allen, the Bills were finally able to get the ball in the end zone with a four-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah McKenzie.
Baltimore came back out in the second half with a comfortable 20-10 lead, but the Bills’ defense stood their ground and allowed no progress for the Ravens. Two Josh Allen rushes on third and fourth down advanced the drive and led to another Tyler Bass field goal, this time from 39-yards away, to bring the game to within one score. Buffalo was able to quickly get the ball back again, before completing a monstrous 80-yard drive that resulted in an 11-yard touchdown rush by Josh Allen, which was confirmed after a quick review, and tied the game at 20.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Lamar Jackson threw a pass that was blocked by the Bills and caught for an interception by returning safety Jordan Poyer. Unfortunately, the pick was for naught as Buffalo was unable to score on the following possession. The Bills allowed an ensuing 93-yard drive by the Ravens’ offense but came up with two huge stops at the goal line as LB Matt Milano tackled Baltimore’s running back for a loss. Following this, as the Ravens chose to go for it on fourth and goal instead of taking the easy field goal, Jordan Poyer came up with another huge interception to keep the game tied.
The Bills were finally able to work the clock correctly and after some successful plays on offense, kneeled the ball down multiple times to leave just enough time for a chip-shot 21-yard field goal by Tyler Bass. The ball went through the uprights as time expired and gave the Bills the 23-20 victory.
After their hard-fought win to get back on track, the Bills will look to keep the pace as they face a 1-3 Steelers team who, after finding a way to lose to the Jets in week four, will look to first-time starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to take over their offense.