Only for Guild Members » 5 storylines for Bills vs. Ravens Week 1 match up

The Baltimore Ravens are set to host the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the regular season Youth Brandon Carr Jersey , and this is not the first time these teams have met in the season opener. In 2016, the Bills traveled to Baltimore in Week 1, and the Ravens won 13-7 in a defensive slug fest. Both teams have had significant roster turnover since then, but this match up could still be a defensive battle.1. How will the Ravens’ offensive line handle Buffalo’s interior pressure?The Bills signed Trent Murphy and Star Lotulelei in the offseason to pair them with Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes. This could be trouble for a Baltimore offensive line that has several new pieces. With Matt Skura scheduled to start at center and James Hurst set to start at right tackle over Orlando Brown Jr., the Ravens will have their work cut out for them. Baltimore’s decision to start Hurst over Brown Jr. is highly questionable. While Hurst is the veteran and just received a new contract, he has struggled at tackle throughout his entire career, and he took few reps at that position during training camp. If Hurst struggles out of the gate, will the Ravens make a change?2. Can Baltimore’s receivers make an impact?In 2017, the Ravens wide receivers failed to consistently make much of an impact as they were plagued with poor route running, an inability to create separation and poor hands. With only one receiver on the 53-man roster from a season ago, how will this position group improve? Will Michael Crabtree emerge as the third down and red zone target he was signed to be? Can Willie Snead produce from the slot, or was he just a product of the Saints system? Will John Brown stay healthy, and can he run more than one route?3. Will any tight end emerge in the passing game?Benjamin Watson had one of his best seasons, statistically, in 2017 with the Ravens. He was one of the team leaders in terms of receiving yards, but he signed with New Orleans in the offseason, creating a massive need for Baltimore. Up to this point, Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams have been better blocking tight ends than receiving tight ends, forcing the Ravens to aggressively pursue tight ends in the draft. They selected Hayden Hurst in the first round and Mark Andrews in the third round.With Hurst out for the next three to four weeks due to a stress fracture in his foot, Andrews has an opportunity to emerge as not only a red zone threat but a third down target as well. One of Buffalo’s biggest weaknesses is their ability to cover tight ends. The Bills allowed the seventh most receiving yards to tight ends last season Cheap Marlon Humphrey Jersey , and this is a match up Baltimore should be looking to exploit.4. The Ravens struggled to defend the tight end, will that change in 2018?Baltimore also struggled to match up well against opposing tight ends last year. They allowed the 10th most yards to tight ends, and it is unclear if they found their solution. Kenny Young figures to be part of that equation as he excels in coverage. Charles Clay is a talented tight end, who has put up impressive numbers the past five seasons, and he could give Baltimore a run for their money. 5. Can Baltimore limit LeSean McCoy?Buffalo’s offense last season centered around McCoy, who finished fourth in the league with 1,138 rushing yards and six touchdowns. In the Bills’ nine wins last season, McCoy played an integral role, but they also lost when he was ineffective. The Ravens run defense last season was inconsistent, but it is vital that they shut ‘Shady’ down on Sunday. Otherwise, it could be a long day for Baltimore. The Baltimore Ravens travel to Cincinnati on Thursday with an opportunity to claim an early lead in the race for the AFC North title. John Harbaugh’s club will be out for revenge after the Bengals ended their playoff aspirations in heartbreaking fashion last season. Following their beatdown of the Bills, oddsmakers have installed Baltimore as one-point favorites despite the challenges of a divisional road game on a short week.The Ravens are 6-9 on the road over the last three seasons but 2-0 on Thursday night and 10-5 since 2016 when the point spread is a field goal or less. Marvin Lewis’ Bengals are just 5-12 as an underdog recently, yet 14-8 all-time when hosting the Ravens.Expect a hard fought battle that will ultimately be determined by these five key matchups:QB Joe Flacco vs FS Jessie BatesFlacco has historically struggled against Marvin Lewis’ defense. Through 19 career games, he has thrown more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (19), including 13 picks compared to 10 scores since the Super Bowl. Joe will aim to replicate his efficient showing from Week 1 against a more talented defense.Cincinnati will likely utilize a heavy dosage of zone coverage against John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead because beyond William Jackson, their corners are vulnerable. The second-round rookie, Bates, has the range and ball skills to make the veteran quarterback pay for mistakes into his zone. It is unlikely the Ravens will earn the road win if they lose the turnover battle.CB Marlon Humphrey vs WR A.J. GreenRavens safeties Tony Jefferson and Eric Weddle will be tested by Tyler Eifert, yet A.J. Green is the receiver the Ravens fear most. Green led Cincinnati with 92 yards and score in Week 1 and tortured Baltimore’s defense earlier in his career. Lately http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/eric-weddle-jersey-cheap , the secondary has bottled up Green for the most part, but he remains one of the top downfield playmakers in the game.Enter Marlon Humphrey, the second year corner turned in an excellent game against Kelvin Benjamin on Sunday. Using Humphrey to mark John Ross may seem like a better option due to his speed. However, isolating Marlon on Green will allow coordinator Martindale to devote the necessary resources towards damage control against Eifert and pass-catching back Joe Mixon in the middle of the field.RB Buck Allen vs LB Jordan EvansEvans serves a crucial role as the Bengals primary coverage linebacker, especially while Vontaze Burfict serves his latest suspension. Evans played well in the December meeting between these divisional rivals, but had an inconsistent season overall. He can be exposed in coverage against tight ends and tailbacks.Allen is quietly emerging as a reliable chain-mover out of the backfield. Buck appears quicker and more elusive this season and may eventually lead the team in receptions. Assuming the Bengals pass rush comes to play, Baltimore will need Allen in the short passing game to help the offense stay on schedule.OLB Matthew Judon vs RT Bobby HartJudon is aiming to build on his breakout eight sack sophomore campaign. Thus far, he has not flashed as much as some of the other young pass rushers on the depth chart. Yet with Terrell Suggs lined up across from competent tackle Cordy Glenn, Judon will need to help apply pressure on Andy Dalton.Fortunately, Bobby Hart is merely a below average journeyman. Against Indianapolis, Hart allowed five pressures and two sacks against mediocre competition. Judon can use his motor and strength to bully Hart. The Ravens need a strong showing from their edge rushers, they do not want to allow Dalton to find his rhythm.RT James Hurst vs DE Carlos DunlapOn paper, this head-to-head matchup clearly favors Dunlap. The Pro Bowl edge rusher has amassed nine career sacks against Baltimore, including three during their last four contests. He posted a pass deflection, sack and another crushing hit on Andrew Luck in his 2018 debut. On the other side of the ball, James Hurst has not proven to be an effective tackle throughout his career. And the Ravens cannot afford to slide protection away from All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins, as he is fully capable of beating even Marshal Yanda one-on-one. Coordinator Monrhinweg must devise a gamelan that helps Hurst with chip blocks and moves the pocket to prevent Dunlap from causing havoc in the backfield. Score prediction: Bengals 23, Ravens 20