Getty Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills drops back to pass in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 02, 2022.
After an ugly first half in which nothing seemed to go right for the Buffalo Bills against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, October 2, the team came back with a vengeance to eke out a hard-fought 23-20 win.
While quarterback Josh Allen only completed 52.8% of his passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and one rushing score, he led the team 77 yards down the field on the final drive, working the time clock perfectly in order to get kicker Tyler Bass in position.
Bass drilled a 21-yard field goal to clinch the win, breaking the Bills’ seven-game losing streak of getting defeated in one-score games. During his on-field interview, Allen addressed how the team moved beyond their dreadful start.
“I mean, our guys stuck together and our defense played a phenomenal game against one of the most dynamic players to ever play the game of football in Lamar (Jackson),” Allen said. “I think we were down 20-3 at one point. Going into halftime, we were just telling ourselves, getting that score just before the half… Let’s be us. We were hurting ourselves early on. We put our heads down. We just worked. Dorsey did a great job in that last drive. Our guys showed some grit.”
“I’m looking forward to our battles for a long time. He’s a special player.”
Josh Allen had nothing but love for Lamar Jackson after Sunday’s game.
Allen, who led the team in rushing with 70 yards, also gave a personal shout-out to running back Devin Singletary. “I can’t rave enough about who he is and what he does for this team. He’s doing everything right,” Allen said, per News 4 Buffalo‘s Heather Prusak. The dude, all he knows is work that’s why his name is Motor.”
Singletary, who had a fumble in the first half, finished with 11 carries for 49 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, as reported by New York Upstate.
Sean McDermott Credited the Defense for Keeping the Game Competitive
Von Miller counter clubs with his outside hand & pull/sheds the off-balanced blocker with his inside hand & gets the sack. Effort will never betray you! #passrush #billsmafia
Allen threw an interception during his first possession of the game, and with several dropped passes, it seemed the offense just couldn’t get into a rhythm. While a four-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah McKenzie late in the second quarter shifted the momentum, Bills head coach Sean McDermott credited the defense for keeping the game competitive.
Linebacker Matt Milano recorded 13 tackles (10 solo), Von Miller got a sack, and Bills’ All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer collected two critical interceptions in the fourth quarter along with six tackles. The defense as a whole stepped up and kept the Ravens offense from scoring any points in the entire second half.
“In the first half we were a little sloppy with the football, two turnovers, I thought the defense was holding us in there,” McDermott said, per News 4 Buffalo‘s Prusak. “Just executing at a higher level [in the 2nd half] and doing what we do and that was fun watching us settle in there.”
The Bills’ comeback mark is the first time the team has rallied from a 17-point deficit since their victory over the New England Patriots in 2011, per the Bills’ official website.
The Bills Were Down to Just 3 Receivers By the End of the Game
Making Allen’s work a little more challenging against the Ravens, the fact that he lost both slot receivers, Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie, before the fourth quarter started. During the second quarter, Crowder was carted off the field with an ankle injury. After the game, he was seen in crutches and walking boot, per The Athletic‘s Joe Buscaglia.
As for McKenzie, he suffered a concussion and was ruled out from returning to play. With backup receiver Jake Kumeore inactive due to a high ankle sprain suffered last week against the Dolphins, the Bills only had three receivers active: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and rookie Khalil Shakir.
Bills rookie WR Khalil Shakir’s first career reception is a big one for Buffalo 👀
With both McKenzie and Crowder out, Shakir immediately showed great poise after his number was called. The Bills’ fifth-round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft caught his first-ever career catch for 14 yards and first down.