The NFL’s top two MVP candidates and quarterbacks in the regular season will clash for the right to go to the AFC championship game.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will travel to Orchard Park to take on Josh Allen and Buffalo in the divisional round at 6:30 next Sunday night. The game will be televised on CBS with the victor taking on the winner of Saturday’s tilt between No. 1 seed Kansas City and Houston.
These teams met back in Week 4 when the Ravens blew out the Bills in a 35-10 final at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday Night Football. Derrick Henry ran for an 87-yard touchdown on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage, and the Ravens never looked back in handing Buffalo its first loss of the season. Of course, that was 3 1/2 months ago, and the rematch will be played at Highmark Stadium, where the Bills went 8-0 in the regular season. The Ravens were 6-3 on the road this season.
As of Sunday night, ESPN Bet had Buffalo as a one-point favorite.
This will mark the second postseason meeting between these teams as Jackson and Allen faced off in the 2020 divisional round. Neither superstar quarterback shined in that game, but Jackson threw a backbreaking interception returned 101 yards for a touchdown by Bills defensive back Taron Johnson late in the third quarter, which sealed a 17-3 win for Buffalo.
After finishing off the finest regular season of his career, Jackson was voted the first-team All-Pro quarterback by the Associated Press last week while Allen earned second-team honors. That will likely be a preview of the NFL MVP voting announced next month, but both would tell you they’re more interested in reaching their first Super Bowl. That won’t be possible without a win on Sunday night first.
