Containing Josh Allen will determine if the Baltimore Ravens’ season continues beyond this weekend, so the franchise should listen to all-time great Ed Reed about how to stop one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Reed never faced Buffalo Bills star Allen, but the legendary safety dealt with many elite signal-callers during a Hall of Fame career mostly spent with the Ravens. The 46-year-old appeared on the Up & Adams Show and explained to Kay Adams how he would attack Allen at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, January 19.
As Reed put it, practicing against dual-threat QB Lamar Jackson each week gives the Ravens ideal preparation for corralling mobile Allen. Reed also believes pressure and contact are the keys to unsettling Allen: “We would come at Josh Allen. Josh Allen would have to make throws, he would have to complete the football, show he can complete the football after he’s getting hit all day. And it’s proven that he can’t.”
How would HOF safety Ed Reed and the 2013 SB #Ravens STOP Josh Allen from running?? 😤
Reed: “We would come at Josh Allen… show me he can complete the football after he’s getting hit all day… and it’s proven that he can’t.”
That last statement is beyond bold after Allen has enjoyed a career-best campaign. Getting to and dropping the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder is easier said than done, but the Ravens have already proved this season they can make Allen feel the pain.
Ravens Can Make Ed Reed Plan Work
Keeping the pressure on Allen is a realistic aim for the Ravens, based on their significant defensive improvement in recent weeks. The unit has been transformed since head coach John Harbaugh named new starting safeties back in November, but the pass rush has also gone up a level.
A group led by veteran edge-rusher Kyle Van Noy, who’s played at a Pro-Bowl level, is dominating up front. Van Noy is receiving ample support from former first-round draft pick Odafe Oweh, who’s finally living up to his potential.
The bookend outside pass-rushers were also the highest-graded Ravens during Week 4’s 35-10 win over Allen and the Bills, per PFF BAL Ravens.
The highest-graded Ravens in Week 4 vs the Bills:
🥇 Kyle Van Noy – 93.9
🥈 Odafe Oweh – 89.1
🥉 Lamar Jackson – 88.8
🏅 Patrick Ricard – 83.0
🏅 Derrick Henry – 81.5
(min. 25 snaps)
Oweh and Van Noy combined for three sacks in that game, but interior pressure also rattled Allen. Fortunately, wrecking protection from the inside is still a Ravens strength after defensive tackles Nnamdi Madubuike and Michael Pierce accounted for a trio of sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild-Card round.
Yet, it’s another interior lineman who likely still figures in Allen’s nightmares.
Josh Allen Needs to Be Made Uncomfortable in the Playoffs
Third-year nose tackle Travis Jones laid this vicious hit that left its mark, both physically and emotionally, on No. 17, per Arye Pulli of The Sports Place.
Bills QB Josh Allen went down immediately on the field after this hit. Seemed to be in a lot of pain.
Jones creating similar havoc through the middle will be key to making sure Allen is uncomfortable all day. Having Jones, Pierce and Madubuike push the inside of the pocket, while Van Noy and Oweh collapse the edges, can keep Allen in the pocket and subject the three-time Pro Bowler to numerous hits.
There’s still a risk the 28-year-old will break contain and throw on the run. Making plays off-script is one of his core strengths, just as it is for Jackson, but the Ravens must do all they can to disrupt Allen’s timing and accuracy.
The more hits Allen takes, the less likely he is to outperform MVP rival Jackson and thwart Baltimore’s Super Bowl hopes.
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Ed Reed Tells Ravens How to Stop Bills QB Josh Allen