WKBW staff predicts Bills vs. Ravens [Week 14]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. [WKBW] — With a win and plenty of help the Buffalo Bills could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. The odds aren't stacked in their favor but will they be able to win their 10th game of the season against the red hot Ravens? Here's what our WKBW sports team thinks:

Matt Bové:

On Thanksgiving, the Bills made a statement when they dismantled the Cowboys. For a few days, they were given plenty of praise, which was much deserved.

Then the Cowboys lost to the Bears and fans started to wonder once again, is this team any good? Nobody will be wondering that if the Bills can knock off the Ravens, who in my opinion, are the favorite to win the Super Bowl this year.

Lamar Jackson looks like a cheat code and nobody has figured out how to contain the second-year QB. He’s the most explosive signal-caller in the league on the ground. But don’t go thinking he can’t pick you apart through the air. Jackson has the second-most passing touchdowns this season with 25. Add that with the seven rushing touchdowns he’s scored and you get an offensive weapon every team wishes they had.

In the backfield, first-year Raven Mark Ingram has reaped the benefits of a paying alongside Jackson. A very good player in this own right, Ingram has had plenty of success thanks to Jackson having defenses’ on their toes. With 837 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games, Ingram is one of the best running backs the Bills will face this year.

As for the Bills, it’s hard to find anything negative to say about Josh Allen’s game as of right now. He’ll always be picked apart just a little bit more than his peers but his last three games have been his best stretch as a pro. If the Bills are going to have any chance on Sunday they’ll need Allen to stay hot and protect the ball.

At least to me, this feels like a game that can be won if the bounces go in the Bills favor. The Ravens are the better team, but that doesn’t always equate to a win. If the Bills sustain some long drives and keep the ball out of Lamar Jackson’s hands’ they’ll have a real shot at their 10th win of the season.

My brain tells me the Ravens are going to storm into Orchard Park and get a win. My gut tells me the Bills pull it off and prove they are one of the most complete teams in the NFL. This week I’m going with my gut.

Bills 26, Ravens 24

Jenna Callari:

The Ravens are one of the best teams in the league. I also think they have a good shot at winning it all.

The Bills are inching closer to securing a playoff spot. They're back at home with momentum and motivation.

Coming off arguably their best win of the season, the Bills continue to show sparks in different ways. The offense was able to make some big-time plays (think John Brown to Devin Singletary) while the defense continued to do what they do best and that’s shutting offenses down. Baltimore, though, is a whole different challenge. Lamar Jackson is playing like there’s no tomorrow and like many of the guys in the Bills locker room say, can make something out of nothing.

This game is big and with the rest of the football world starting to take notice of what the Bills are doing, a lot of eyes will be back on this Buffalo squad to see how they respond in another tough challenge. Do the Bills have a shot? Absolutely. Would I be surprised if they won? Absolutely not. I gotta go with my gut though on this one.

Ravens 27, Bills 19

Adam Unger:

For the last three weeks, the Buffalo Bills have been playing their best football of the season. But the Ravens have been playing their best football since September; and we saw what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in last week's Baltimore-San Francisco game.

The Ravens are putting up over 200 yards per game on the ground to lead the NFL. And all of it runs through Lamar Jackson and the offense that Baltimore's staff has built for him. Offensive and defensive players alike on the Bills have been enamored by it. But Buffalo's run defense is in the middle of the pack statistically; and that won't be enough to stop Jackson.

The Bills simply aren't equipped to get into a shootout with the Ravens. I know I said that last week about the Cowboys, too, but the Bills' defense kept that from becoming a shootout and allowed their offense to operate as usual. They won't have such luxury against the Ravens.

Ravens 34, Bills 20