Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills: Answering your burning questions
It’s the divisional round of the NFL postseason and I’ve got answers to burning questions the Baltimore Ravens’ Flock submitted on Twitter:
@GreatnessCalls asks: What’s your preferred coverage for the Baltimore Ravens on Stefon Diggs. Double with Jimmy and help over the top? Or Marlon Humphrey on an island. Who is our X-Factor defense/offense lines?
Answer: Great questions Eric, thank you. Okay, Don Martindale must switch things up in this game. While I trust Marlon Humphrey as much as any man in the NFL, he can’t be left alone the whole game against a great wide receiver. Diggs is going to make some plays and the Ravens have to be ready for that. The key is much like it was against A.J. Brown. Humphrey has to limit him. He has to slow him down, not completely shut him down.
Martindale is a defensive coordinator who believes in man to man coverage. He loves it. I personally don’t see a lot of single-high safety looks in this game though. Stopping the Bills, in general, is very much a bend but don’t break thing. The key is to make the Bills earn it with long drives, and for Martindale to send the right blitz at the right time to force a turnover. He thinks he can do it, I think it can happen too.
If I was calling the game I would flip from a cover two shell with man to man, cover three, and Tampa two coverage as the main components of coverage. I’d also disguise my cover three looks by switching up who has the deep middle third. I’d save a play where Marlon Humphrey blitzes and Smith covers the deep outside third for when I really wanted it.
I’d use Jimmy Smith, Anthony Averett, Anthony Levine Sr., and even Chuck Clark as extra help for Diggs, built into the coverage schemes and things would roll towards either Diggs or the side that Allen inevitably rolls out to in the play. The whole thing for this game is to keep it in front of the defense, make them have to hit big plays to win or to play mistake-free football on long drives.
Humphrey will have to win someone on one coverage battles. They’ll put Jimmy Smith over there to help him and they may even have Tyus Bowser or Matt Judon help underneath to make a true no-fly-zone around Diggs. It’s going to take a bit of everything. One method isn’t going to work. Before the Bills get used to one thing, Martindale has to go to the next.
On the defensive line, the X-Factor is Calais Campbell. The Ravens are playing a primarily pass-first offense. He needs to make an impact as a pass rusher, as he did early in the season. The x-factor for the offensive line is Orlando Brown Jr. as the pass protection is pivotal.