The Buffalo Payments entered Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season as the most well liked crew within the league. The Baltimore Ravens stopped them proper of their tracks.
The Ravens earned a blowout victory over their AFC counterparts at M&T Financial institution Stadium. Baltimore bested Buffalo 35-10 in a recreation the place the Ravens by no means trailed. Derrick Henry practically ran for 200 yards whereas Lamar Jackson loved one other sturdy, environment friendly outing and earned a 135.4 passer score.
The Payments dropped to 3-1 after the defeat whereas the Ravens improved to 2-2 after beginning the season with back-to-back losses. The competition might finally show pivotal within the AFC playoff race, particularly as Baltimore inches nearer to the highest of the AFC North.
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This is a have a look at the winners and losers from the Payments vs. Ravens recreation, from gamers to coaches, to groups that did not take the sector on Sunday night time.
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Payments vs. Ravens winners
Derrick Henry
Any suggestion that Henry would possibly begin to decelerate throughout his age-30 season appears laughable after his effort on “Sunday Night time Soccer.” Henry took the Ravens’ first offensive play 87 yards for a landing. It was the longest run in Baltimore’s franchise historical past breaking the earlier 82-yard report that was shared by Jamal Lewis and Le’Ron McClain.
Henry showcased that he nonetheless has nice top-gear velocity, as he reached a peak of 21.29 mph in the course of the run. That is good for the fourth-fastest run by a ball provider up to now in 2024, per the NFL’s Subsequent Gen Stats.
From that play on, Henry continued to shoulder a hefty workload for the Ravens. He recorded 24 carries for 199 yards and two touchdowns, one on the bottom and one by means of the air. He was only one yard shy of his seventh profession 200-yard speeding recreation, which might’ve been good for probably the most in NFL historical past.
It is clear that Henry’s potential to shoulder the workload is taking strain off Jackson whereas additionally opening up the sector for him. The duo enhances one another properly, so so long as each keep wholesome, Baltimore may have top-of-the-line operating video games within the NFL. That might do loads to assist them of their Tremendous Bowl quest within the period of the two-high security.
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Lamar Jackson
Henry may need been the driving drive behind Baltimore’s offense on Sunday, however Jackson was terrific as properly. He was environment friendly by means of the air, finishing 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, and likewise added 54 yards and a rating on the bottom.
Jackson’s effectivity is what made him the NFL MVP final season regardless of not boasting prolific stats. He appears properly on his method towards establishing himself as one of many league’s most necessary gamers once more, particularly as he establishes a harmonious relationship with Henry.
Zach Orr’s Ravens protection
Like Henry, the Ravens protection confronted many questions coming into the 2024 NFL season, however the No. 1 concern of followers was how Baltimore would exchange Mike Macdonald after he took the Seattle Seahawks’ head teaching job.
The Ravens determined to advertise from inside, giving the job to Orr, who performed three years for the Ravens earlier than becoming a member of their teaching workers. Whereas Baltimore’s protection began slowly, they’ve progressively improved and at the moment are taking part in at a excessive degree, as evidenced by their containment of what had been an explosive Buffalo offense.
The Payments logged simply 236 yards of complete offense in opposition to Orr’s protection. Additionally they held Josh Allen with no landing for the primary time since City Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Payments 9-6 in 2021 and noticed veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy report two sacks for the third consecutive recreation.
If Baltimore can proceed to make strides every week, the Ravens’ cease unit ought to finally be among the many greatest within the NFL. If that involves cross, John Harbaugh can actually thank the 32-year-old Orr for persevering with the work began by Macdonald.
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
Look, it might sound bizarre to name the Chiefs a winner on a day throughout which they probably misplaced their No. 1 receiver to a torn ACL, however they’re the final undefeated crew standing within the AFC. It is very early within the season, however that also offers them a bonus within the quest for the convention’s No. 1 seed.
This was the perfect end result for the Chiefs, as they already beat the Ravens head-to-head, so they’re sustaining a two-game lead and a tiebreaker over Baltimore whereas now including a one-game lead over Buffalo. Once more, it is early, however given the accidents Kansas Metropolis has suffered, each little benefit will matter for them as they give the impression of being to win a 3rd consecutive Tremendous Bowl.
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Payments vs. Ravens losers
Notion of the Buffalo Payments
Three weeks into the 2024 NFL season, many have been saying that the Payments have been the NFL’s greatest crew. They have been one of many league’s 5 unbeaten groups after Week 3, and Josh Allen was taking part in at arguably the best degree of his profession to this point.
Popping out of Week 4, the narrative in regards to the Payments might shift considerably. Why? As a result of the three groups Buffalo confronted to start out the season — the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Jaguars — have all endured defensive struggles that are not restricted to their video games in opposition to the Payments. That can lead some to query whether or not the Payments offense benefitted from a weaker than anticipated schedule to start out the yr.
In fact, that is not solely honest. The Payments nonetheless blew out the Dolphins and Jaguars, and Allen hasn’t thrown an interception by means of 4 weeks, a giant step ahead within the decision-making points which have plagued him throughout his profession. Plus, the Ravens have one of many league’s most gifted defenses.
However odds are that Buffalo’s blowout loss to Baltimore may have no less than second-guessing the Payments, and NFL followers ought to count on to listen to loads of that forward of Buffalo’s Week 5 recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans.
The Payments’ pass-catching weapons
To be clear, Buffalo’s receivers weren’t dangerous on Sunday night time. Khalil Shakir made a big-time 52-yard play to assist spark the Payments offense within the second half; Dalton Kincaid was a dependable goal for Allen and helped hold the chains shifting; and Keon Coleman flashed a few of the upside that made him a second-round choose.
Besides, this marked the primary recreation throughout which the Payments missed Stefon Diggs. As soon as it went down 21-3, Buffalo did not have a participant who might win and get open constantly. And whereas Shakir, Kincaid and Coleman have been all strong, the Payments have been missing a real No. 1 receiver to open issues up for them.
That is a part of the rationale Allen needed to scramble round within the backfield a lot. He waited for gamers to get open. It is also why he took some downfield, contested-catch pictures to Coleman all through the competition.
Maybe Coleman can grow to be extra of a No. 1 choice for Buffalo because the season goes alongside, however at current, the Payments aren’t essentially constructed to beat bigger deficits or rating loads on nice defenses. Even an incredible quarterback like Allen will solely have the ability to take Buffalo up to now with no true, top-tier receiver.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers suffered their first lack of the season to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. A silver lining might have been hooked up to the loss had Baltimore additionally misplaced, however the Ravens’ resounding victory places them only one recreation again of the Steelers within the AFC North standings.
Once more, it is early within the season, however each recreation will matter within the AFC playoff race. The Steelers entered Week 4 in control of the AFC North, however will now exit it with issues getting a lot tighter in a division that is all the time aggressive.
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