The Baltimore Ravens pounded the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, winning a 47-3 embarrassment of a football game. The stars for the Ravens were mostly familiar names, with their veterans on offense supplying plenty of firepower, and their defense returning to its shutdown reputation.
Here is a look back at our five Ravens to watch for the week. We thought they would be the key to the game.
QB Joe Flacco
The University of Delaware product sure looked elite on Sunday, completing 25-of-34 passes (74%) for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns on the afternoon, which ended during the third quarter for him due to the laughingstock the game had become. Flacco had more completed pass than Bills’ starting quarterback Nathan Peterman had yards passing (24). He picked Buffalo’s secondary to shreds, exploiting rookies Tremaine Edmunds and Taron Johnson in the middle of the field, and then veteran Phillip Gaines by the sidelines and in the end zone. Overall, it was a clinic by the continuously underrated veteran.
CB Marlon Humphrey
The second-year man drew the assignment of covering Buffalo’s number one receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, and he did not disappoint. Benjamin caught only 1 of 7 targets for a total of 10 yards. Humphrey broke up a pass intended for Benjamin in the first half that the big wideout had both hands on, but the young corner was able to sneak his left arm in between Benjamin and the ball to rip it out. If Humphrey continues to play like he did on Sunday, Baltimore’s secondary will be downright scary when veteran Jimmy Smith returns from suspension in October.
EDGE Terrell Suggs
The veteran pass rusher did his thing on Sunday, pressuring Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen all throughout the day. Suggs had two tackles for loss and a sack on the day. He moved around Baltimore’s defensive front, beating left tackle Dion Dawkins and right tackle Jordan Mills. The 35-year old still has plenty left in the tank.
WR John Brown
We really just could have said “whichever receiver lines up opposite Phillip Gaines,” because the Ravens absolutely abused the Bills’ corner not named Tre’Davious White. Brown and Michael Crabtree each caught touchdown passes when covered by Gaines, and Brown also snagged a pass that Flacco threw from across the field when Gaines bit so badly on a double-move that the Bills’ corner was running fifteen yards away from his man while the ball was in the air. Brown totaled 3 catches on 4 targets, 44 yards, and the aforementioned touchdown on the day.
C Matt Skura
If there was one bright spot on the day for Buffalo, it was that they were able to contain Baltimore running back Alex Collins, holding him to 13 yards on 7 carries. Overall, Baltimore ran 34 times for 117 yards, and they were unable to open holes consistently in the middle of the line. The Ravens did manage to score three touchdowns on short-yardage carries up the gut, however. Skura performed well for the Ravens in his first game as the team’s starting center, keeping Flacco upright and directing traffic up front for the duration of the afternoon.