All season, the Buffalo Bills (9-3) have had to deal with critics complaining their record was bolstered by beating the league’s bottom-feeding teams. That’s an argument largely rendered moot because teams can only play and beat the teams on their schedule and, unlike past Bills teams, this squad—for the most part—took care of the teams they were supposed to beat.
GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THIS SUNDAY’S RAVENS VS BILLS GAME RIGHT HERE
That all changed last week when, with the largest Thanksgiving Day crowd in 27 years tuned in on CBS, the Bills handed the Dallas Cowboys a 26-15 loss at Jerry World.
The Bills have another golden opportunity to make a statement before a national audience on Sunday, when Buffalo hosts the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens (10-2) at 1 p.m. at New Era Field. This is the Bills’ most important December home game in 15 years or more—at least dating back to the 2004 finale when Buffalo had a win-and-in scenario vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Buffalo leads the AFC Wild Card race thanks to a three-game winning streak and is currently in fifth place in the conference with a two-game lead over the sixth-seeded Steelers with four games remaining.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have rattled off eight consecutive wins to move past the New England Patriots (10-2) for first place in the AFC. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is the front-runner for league MVP after completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 2,532 yards with 25 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Jackson is closing in on 1,000 rushing yards (977 on 140 carries, an average of 7.0 yards per rush) and has an additional seven TDs on the ground.
Combined, Jackson and Josh Allen (430 rushing yards) have amassed 1,407 yards on the ground this year. Sunday’s showdown represents the most combined rushing yards by opposing QBs in the same game in NFL history.
This will be the ninth meeting all-time between the Bills and Ravens.
Baltimore leads the series 5-3, prevailing in the 2018 season opener (47-3) and the 2016 opener (13-7), with both games taking place in Baltimore.
The last time the Bills welcomed the Ravens to Western New York, Buffalo pulled off a 23-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champions on Sept. 29, 2013. Joe Flacco threw a career-high five interceptions (Aaron Williams and Kiko Alonso had two apiece while Jim Leonhard added an INT). Buffalo held Ray Rice and the Ravens’ rushing attack to just 24 yards, while Fred Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown and C.J. Spiller added 77 rushing yards.
EJ Manuel connected with Robert Woods on a 42-yard touchdown strike and Jackson scored on a 16-yard run as the Bills took a 20-7 lead into halftime. Clinging to a 23-20 lead, Flacco drove Baltimore into Buffalo territory late in the fourth, but Alonso’s second INT sealed the Week 4 victory for the Bills.
Here’s how to watch Sunday’s game from home:
TV/Streaming/Radio Schedule
Date: Sunday, December 8, 2019
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern
Channel: The game will be carried locally on CBS on WIVB 4 and CFTO 9 in Buffalo, WIVB 4 and WROC 8 in Rochester, WTVH 5 in Syracuse and Utica, WKTV 2 in Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, WBNG 12 in Syracuse, Binghamton, and Elmira, WYOU 22 in Binghamton, WRGB 6 in Utica and Albany, WCWN 45 in Albany and WENY 36-2 in Elmira. View the broadcast map.
Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline reporter)
Streaming: FuboTV
Location: New Era Field | Orchard Park, NY (Get Tickets)
Radio: WGR 550 AM (Buffalo), WCMF 96.5 FM and WROC 950 AM (Rochester), Fan 590 AM (Toronto), WTKW 99.5 FM and WKTV 105.5 FM (Syracuse), and the rest of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network.
Radio Play-by-Play: John Murphy and Eric Wood in the booth with sideline reporter Sal Capaccio.
Online: NFL Game Pass, NFL.com Game Center
Social Media
Twitter: Follow @BuffRumblings for complete Bills coverage on Twitter before, during, and after every game.
Instagram: @buffalorumblings
Facebook: Like Buffalo Rumblings on Facebook!
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Injury Report
Buffalo Bills
- Did not practice Thursday: OT Ty Nsekhe (ankle), G Quinton Spain (illness), RB TJ Yeldon (illness)
Baltimore Ravens
- Limited participant Wednesday: CB Marlon Humphrey (thigh), ILB Patrick Onwuasor (ankle), WR Seth Roberts (knee)
- Did not practice Wednesday: TE Nick Boyle (illness)