The Buffalo Bills kicked off the playoffs with a statement 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the wild-card round.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen completed 20-for-26 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 135.4 QB rating. He also registered eight carries for 46 yards. Next up, Allen and Co. prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round.
The Ravens-Bills showdown pins the league’s two leading MVP candidates against one another, as Allen’s biggest competition for the award is Lamar Jackson. Back in week 4, Baltimore crushed Buffalo 35-10 at M&T Stadium, the most lopsided loss of the Bills’ entire season.
Days before their rematch, the Bills announced they signed former Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown to the practice squad, a move that turned some heads.
While numerous fans accused Buffalo of trying to steal intel from the Ravens, Brown hasn’t been with the franchise since 2023. The 26-year-old quarterback first signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
GettyFormer Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown at Raymond James Stadium on August 26, 2023.
The Oregon alum spent most of his rookie season on the practice until backup Tyler Huntley suffered an injury in Week 14. During his NFL debut, he completed 3-of-5 passes for 16 yards, helping the Ravens win 16-14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He made his lone start in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 19-of-44 passes for 286 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and one fumble. Following his release in September 2023, Brown signed a reserve/futures contract with Las Vegas Raider in January 2024 but was waived during preseason.
Brown is not a complete stranger to Buffalo. He spent five days with the team in August 2024 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad in October 2024.
The Bills Signed QB Anthony Brown To Help the Defense Prepare for Lamar Jackson
GettyFormer Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown at M&T Bank Stadium on August 12, 2023.
Brown does not pose a threat to Allen’s backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Bills head coach Sean McDermott explained to reporters on Wednesday, January 15 that brought Brown in to help prepare for the dual-threat that is Jackson.
“The full answer is if you just put a mobile person back there when you’re planning on working on scrambles, or the quarterback run game, the defensive players know, ‘Oh, this is one of those plays.’ – If you just have to sub out one of the normal quarterbacks for a mobile player like that.
“And so in order to hide that, what Anthony brings to the table is both. He can throw it, he can run it. So there’s a little bit more of a true, honest look down in and down out. Whether he’s handing it dropping. back or doing something some of the things conceptually that Lamar does.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Is Focused on the Ravens’ Defense
Much of the chatter surrounding the Ravens-Bills showdown is the MVP race between Allen and Jackson. However, the Bills star remains focused on the Ravens’ defense and moving on to the AFC Championship game.
The Bills are 9-0 at home this season and Allen would like to keep the perfect record when they host Jackson and Co. on Sunday, January 19.
“We’ve got a really, really good Baltimore Ravens team coming here. They put the thumping on us during the year and we know that,” Allen said after defeating the Broncos, per The Athletic. “We know that, and we understand that. So it’s the most important game just because it’s the next one.”
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Bills Announce Major QB Move Before Ravens Playoff Game