The Buffalo Bills offense managed just 160 total yards in Sunday’s 13-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
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He completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards with a touchdown (99.9 rating).
However, it was the Ravens’ defense that carried the day.
Matt Sabuda analyzes Sunday’s Bills game during WBFO’s Beyond the Playbook.
The Ravens built a 10-0 lead early in the third quarter and had numerous chances to put the game away but couldn’t due to a mistake-filled afternoon on offense.
Coming in, you got the idea that this could well be a game with wild-card implications at season’s end and, one game in, the Bills have already lost a head-to-head meeting to a team it could be battling for a playoff berth.
Covering for the Bills was safety Duke Williams as the defense sent several defenders in on a blitz which Flacco exploited. “It doesn’t take as long when the players are more experienced” to get ready for the season. Wright made the stops on second and third down, dropping McCoy for a loss of of four on second down and six more yards on third to force a punt.
When Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III looks at the tape, he will see a Baltimore Ravens defense that was always a step ahead of the Buffalo Bills. As it turned out, that was enough. In 2015, Flacco was 8 of 31 with one touchdown and two interceptions on throws of 25 yards or longer.
The Ravens outplayed the Bills badly in the first quarter, out-gaining them 114-2. Having a healthy Flacco could help the Ravens contend in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers, their bitter rivals.
One week into 2016, the Bills are dead last in scoring and yards. Flacco wasn’t expecting the snap when Zuttah bounced it off his chest.
These are the Bills players who are inactive for the season opener against the Ravens. That group delivered impressive performance against the Bills.
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) punches though the line for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. The Bills drove 75 yards in 12 plays late in the second quarter.
However, right guard Marshal Yanda was called for a holding penalty on a 4-yard run by Justin Forsett and the Ravens never recovered. The same issue that arose so often last season showed up again. Tyrod Taylor threw on the next two plays the first was incomplete the second to LeSean McCoy for just four yards.
– By the way, former Bill Chris Hogan had three catches for 60 yards in the Patriots’ victory, including a 37-yard touchdown from Jimmy Garappolo.
The pass defense was impressive, but Baltimore was also impenetrable against the run, allowing only 65 yards on 24 carries.
Buffalo converted only three of 13 third downs and averaged only 2.7 yards per rush. After a loss of 3-yards on a Reggie Bush run play, Taylor connected with Tight End Charles Clay for 33 yards to the Baltimore three yard line.
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Still, no one on the Bills excused Taylor’s play.
