Sean McDermott cracked a smile as the Buffalo Bills coach Wednesday described the challenge of stopping future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry.
Bills Ravens NFL Playoff Football (copy)
The Bills’ defense forced two turnovers in their matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round last season. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
“There’s a lot of people who have tried and haven’t been able to do it, so saying it is one thing, and doing it is another,” McDermott said as the Bills prepared to open the season Sunday at Highmark Stadium. “It takes all 11 guys on the field to be able to do it.”
They were able to mostly contain Henry in their 27-25 win over the Ravens in the AFC divisional round. The 6-foot-2, 252-pound running back had just 21 yards on eight carries in the first half. He finished with 84 yards and a touchdown, but Lamar Jackson created more problems for Buffalo’s defense on that snowy January night.
The dilemma for the Bills this week, however, is that they are unsure who will be healthy and available to try to stop the Ravens.
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Buffalo’s top two cornerbacks, Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White, are not guaranteed to play, though neither has been ruled out. Benford was limited at practice Wednesday with a lower-leg injury, but White has not been available since he suffered a lower-leg injury nearly two weeks ago. McDermott’s staff is preparing rookie Dorian Strong for a big role, and they have Ja’Marcus Ingram.
The Buffalo Bills will kick off their 2025 season Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium. Buffalo News sports reporters…
The depth chart at defensive tackle suffered another loss last week with DeWayne Carter’s season-ending injury. Carter may have been passed by rookies T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker, but the Bills already were down an experienced player because of Larry Ogunjobi’s six-game suspension. Sanders and Walker will need to make an impact when they rotate into the game Sunday. The defensive line has to occupy blockers so the linebackers can stop Henry and Jackson.
”It is a big challenge,” Walker, a fourth-round pick, acknowledged after practice Wednesday. “The start of every week, especially for me as a rookie, it’s all blown up at the start here. Our coaches are big on watching film and getting comfortable studying our next opponent. It’s an adjustment from camp, because you’re looking at what they’re doing. We’re just going to try to contain the Ravens to the best of our ability.
”I’m not about to chase down a 250-pound running back and get out of position. Play to our strengths and know what we have to do.”
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott discusses his team’s preparations for the 2025 season.
Last season, Baltimore ranked third in points per game (305) and first in yards per game (424.9) while finishing with a 12-5 record. Jackson reached career highs in completions (316), pass attempts (474), passing yards (474) and passing touchdowns (41). He also threw just four interceptions and ran for 915 yards with four touchdowns.
His top receiver, Zay Flowers, is a big-play threat with elite speed, and the Ravens find creative ways to get him the ball. Their receiving corps also includes Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins, while tight end Mark Andrews had 10 touchdowns in 2024.
In his four career games against the Bills, not including playoffs, Jackson has 469 passing yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 206 rushing yards on 35 carries and a touchdown. On the ground last season, Henry gained 1,921 yards, and his 16 rushing touchdowns tied the Bills’ James Cook for the league lead.
The Bills used a linebacker as a spy last season to try to prevent Jackson from escaping the pocket and scrambling for a long gain. They have to be aware of the running backs, but Baltimore’s offense runs through the two-time MVP.
“The challenge is always No. 8,” Bills veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson said. “When you’ve got somebody that talented and somebody that gifted, even Josh Allen, those mobile quarterbacks are a handful because there’s another element you have to worry about. ... I’m ready. I know what type of game it’s going to be. I watched both from last season.”
Bills-Ravens: What does recent history tells about this Week 1 blockbuster? Let's take a look
Both the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens have made changes since their last meeting in January, a 27-25 win for Buffalo in the AFC divisional round, but revisiting those games can provide some clues as to how they'll try to stop each other at Highmark Stadium.
The teams’ two meetings last season were vastly different. Buffalo couldn’t stop Baltimore’s running game in a 35-10 loss in Week 4. Henry ran for 199 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. His backup, Justice Hill, scored on a 19-yard pass from Jackson with 7:34 left in the second quarter to give the Ravens a 21-3 lead. The Bills had to abandon the run, which allowed Baltimore to focus on stopping Allen. He was sacked three times, and Buffalo was 3 of 13 on third down.
In the AFC divisional round, Buffalo ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries. Its defensive was opportunistic, forcing two turnovers by blitzing, and McDermott used a third linebacker to contain Henry in the first half. Thompson or Dorian Williams likely will be used often Sunday night to combat Baltimore’s heavy personnel, which it used on 62% of its regular-season snaps in 2024. Allen completed 16 of 22 passes for just 127 yards in the divisional playoff game, but the Bills were 5 of 11 on third down.
Between the two games, Buffalo’s defense allowed an average of 421.5 yards and pressured Jackson on 36.5% of his drop backs. The Ravens averaged seven rushing yards per play, including 4.05 yards before contact per attempt, and they had 15 runs of 10-plus yards.
“They can give you a lot of different things out of a lot of different looks,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of misdirection, and they’re a physical team. It’s a good challenge for Week 1. I know they love competing, and I know we love competing.”
Bills coach Sean McDermott discusses the development of safety Cole Bishop next to Taylor Rapp.
Baltimore returned all but one offensive starter from the divisional round, but the Bills may not have three of their four starters in the secondary. In addition to the injuries at cornerback, there’s a significant question about their safeties, specifically Cole Bishop, who is listed as the starter next to Taylor Rapp. McDermott knows what he is getting from Rapp, a six-year veteran who’s started 66 NFL games. Bishop is more of a question, though. He missed valuable snaps in minicamp and training camp because of a quad injury.
“Week 1 is always iffy, because you can watch film from last year or two years ago, but it’s going to change by Week 1,” Thompson said. “They might run the same stuff they did last year against you. They may bring out something new you’ve never seen, whether it’s a play or formation. You have to settle in. The first week is always about fundamentals. If you do, it doesn’t matter what they come out with.”
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