Baltimore Ravens are better suited than Buffalo Bills for snowy weather

There may be snow on the ground in Buffalo, NY for the AFC Divisional round of Bills/Baltimore Ravens with the latter better equipped for the occasion.

When it comes to the post-season, games typically favor teams who can run the ball effectively. It means controlling the clock, dictating the pace of the game, and tiring out opposing defenses. This becomes more pivotal when the weather gets colder and the ball gets harder. It’s not as easy to throw the football anymore, short of your quarterback being elite. When the Baltimore Ravens head to Buffalo, New York to square off with the Bills, there’s a good chance we see this kind of history decide how the game unfolds.

Per the weather forecast, we may be looking at a snowy game in the upper regions of New York. When it comes to snow, it’s more important than ever to be able to run the football. The ball gets more difficult to throw and catch, so moving the ball in any way possible is the best course of action. One of these teams can do that better than anyone else.

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To the surprise of no one, Baltimore finished the 2020 season with the number one rushing offense, topping 3,000-yards in consecutive seasons and averaging 191.9 YPG. Lamar Jackson led the way with 1,005-yards with running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both eclipsing 700-yards of their own. The Ravens ran all over the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wildcard round on Sunday, posting 236-yards and gliding their way to their first post-season victory since the 2014 season. It was precisely the recipe for success that I’ve described thus far.

On the defensive side of the football, Baltimore clamped down the Titans run game to just 51-yards. All the more impressive is they did this against 2,000-yard runner Derrick Henry. You don’t do that by accident and the Ravens set the tone for the game by doing this. For the Bills, this means trouble.

Buffalo put up a respectable 96-yards on the ground against a stout Indianapolis Colts defense, but the unit averaged just over 100 YPG in the regular season with its leading rusher, Devin Singletary, recording less than 700-yards. The Bills will need to do better at running the football moving forward if they plan to win a Super Bowl.

This presents the scenario that favors the Ravens. Where Baltimore can run the football better than any other team, Buffalo isn’t nearly as good. To the Bills credit, Josh Allen had an MVP caliber season as a passer and has three terrific options to throw the ball to. Allen will be the deciding factor in how this game will unfold, but if Buffalo can’t run the football the team is in trouble.

The Bills’ run defense isn’t exactly top-tier, either, surrendering 119.6 YPG. The Ravens will be able to take full advantage of this and control the game. If Baltimore wins the time of possession battle, it’ll be able to keep the defense fresh and bite down on an explosive Buffalo offense. This will be the biggest key to the game. The Ravens will need to run the football and keep the opportunities limited for the Bills. If history has shown us anything, it’s that this is exactly what Baltimore will be able to do.

The Baltimore Ravens are built for this kind of football. The cold weather will change how the flow of this game goes and it favors the Ravens. The Buffalo Bills may be the better of the two teams, but right now things are looking good for Baltimore to pull off the upset.