Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills are back in the AFC Divisional Round for the fifth season in-a-row, and will be hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium this Sunday evening.
With a win, the Bills would clinch a spot in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2020 season. That season also saw Buffalo defeating the Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round in Orchard Park.
Sunday's matchup will be a rematch of an earlier contest between the Bills and Ravens this season in Week 4 back in Baltimore. That game saw the Ravens emerging victorious, 35-10, in a game that saw Buffalo get off to a slow start it could not recover from.
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With a fair amount of film to sort through and learn from the mistakes of their Week 4 loss, the Bills are hoping for a much different outcome this time around against the Ravens.
"I think it's a snapshot, really, of adversity on the whole, where you don't get the results you're looking for. You go back and you evaluate everything that you can, from personnel to strategy to play calls, just to name a few of the areas," said Bills head coach Sean McDermott during his weekly appearance on the "Extra Point Show" on WGR. "You try and take as much out of that experience as you can, certainly when you look to play them again later in the year, and that's an important piece for us. And now, as we get into the last couple of days, heading into the game, is really the execution of those key learns that we took from that game."
Following the Week 4 matchup in Baltimore, both teams went on to have very different seasons.
After a loss the following week to the Houston Texans, the Bills went on to win seven games in-a-row, which helped them secure a fifth-straight AFC East title in record time. Buffalo ended up finishing the season with a 13-4 record, thus securing the 2-seed in the AFC standings.
The Bills have also made some significant additions since last playing the Ravens, including the acquisition of wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns, as well as a depth signing of defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
As for the Ravens, they also continued to win, but lost a couple of key divisional games along the way that almost resulted in Baltimore missing out on winning the AFC North. However, they managed to finish the 2024 campaign with a 12-5 record, and surging past the Pittsburgh Steelers and earn the 3-seed in the AFC.
Baltimore also finished the regular season with nine Pro Bowlers on the roster, including quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. They have one of the top rosters in football that could be comparable to some Bills teams of recent years.
"They're an extremely talented team, and then when you add the scheme on top of it, there's a lot of dimensions to their scheme," McDermott said with Sal Capaccio. "Turning around and handing the ball to Derrick Henry, and Lamar Jackson and his ability to run and be explosive as well. Two very explosive players they have in their backfield. Then what they're able to do in the passing game with the tight ends and the wideouts. Extremely talented football team on offense, and they're tough to stop because of it.
"Then they're able to play a complimentary game because of, again, the roster and the talent on the defensive side. They're able to rush the passer well, stop the run game, and get people into one-dimensional situations, as we refer to it, and then affect the quarterback."
However, one of the constant "X" factors for the Bills whenever they're playing at home is having the luxury of Bills fans making their presence known. McDermott certainly appreciates "Bills Mafia" and what they bring to the table during a game at Highmark Stadium.
"'Bills Mafia' is undefeated. They're the best fans in the world, and it's just so awesome that we get a chance to play at home," McDermott said. "We can't wait to be side-by-side with them this weekend. The game is going to be decided on the field, but they certainly are a big piece of every win that we have here."
Kickoff on Sunday is slated for 6:30 p.m., and you can hear all of the play-by-play action on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550 - with Chris Brown, Eric Wood and Sal on the call.