On Sunday night, NFL fans were hoping to see a tightly contested game between two of the top teams in the AFC and two of the best QBs in the game. The Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen led both teams into the tilt looking to make a statement.
Instead, we got a one-sided ass-kicking that looked eerily similar to Gogeta fighting Janemba. The Ravens beat the Bills 35-10 on the back of a run game that went for 271 yards on the ground. Derrick Henry had 199 of those, looking less like a 30-year-old running back and more like a vengeful titan wrecking shop in some new colors. What I learned from this game, however, is that Baltimore might’ve found the formula to sustained success this year, and yes, it’s through running that damn ball.
This season, the Baltimore Ravens are first in the NFL in percentage of snaps in 12 personnel, fourth in 21 personnel and second in 22 personnel rate. Comparatively, they’re 31st in 11 personnel rate. They want to play with all the beef on the field, and it makes sense given their personnel. When you have 300-pound Patrick Ricard as your fullback, the 247-pound Henry, and two very good tight ends, you want to condense sets and formations and bully opponents. The Ravens are very good at bullyball, leading the NFL in rushing yards per game. However, it’s the unique threat that QB Lamar Jackson and Henry pose together that makes them one of the most feared backfield pairings in NFL history.
Let’s look at the first offensive play of the game, an 87-yard lightning bolt from Henry. When in doubt, run crunch (trap/wham). But what makes this such a good run is the blocking up front. A much maligned unit, RG Daniel Faalele had his best game of the season and RT Roger Rosengarten played well. You get a good block by WR Nelson Agholor at the second level, and Henry is off to the races. Look at the block on Ed Oliver by Ricard here, that’s pure football.
Let’s watch Ricard and Henry go to work here, this time in the I-formation. The Ravens are running a toss play. Look at the heads up play by left tackle Ronnie Stanley to pick up the blitzing linebacker. Ricard, out in space, gets a 2 for 1 special on the other linebacker and safety, and Henry out in space is a problem for everyone in the league.
This play is actually a miscommunication by the Ravens, that ends up in devastation for the Bills. Sounds like an early 2000’s pop-punk song, but here we are. Faalele (380 pounds) and Ricard (300 pounds) both pull on this I-formation play, and poor Dawuane Smoot is the target of their aggression. Faalele and Ricard turn Smoot into a speed bump, or a pancake for those more inclined. Henry actually peels this back and almost scores if he didn’t trip over a teammate.
On Lamar’s TD run, the Ravens get into a full house pistol formation, and run a counter Read option. Both the guard and tackle will pull, and Lamar reads the end they’re leaving unblocked. What’s cool about this play is how the Ravens protect Jackson and give him basically an untouched run. Both tight ends end up blocking for Jackson, with one leaving the backside end unblocked and the other coming across in split flow. The edge defender takes the run bait, and Jackson is gone.
With the run game looking as dominant as ever, the Ravens can force teams into base, heavier personnel. Then, they use their versatile tight ends in the passing game to completely fool opponents. Baltimore is in 22 personnel, and Ricard shifts into the I-formation. Everything about this screams run, but the Ravens pull the rug out of the Bills’ defense. Baltimore runs a sail concept, with TE Isaiah Likely running the out route and WR Zay Flowers clearing space. Jackson layers this pass with such nice touch and pace that the linebacker can’t even get under it.
One of the touchdowns the Ravens scored was a really sick one—offensive coordinator Todd Monken was in his bag on Sunday. Baltimore in 22 personnel again, but motion Ricard quickly to the right. Everything about this play is telling the Bills it’s a run, but Henry leaks out of the backfield and Lamar does a rollout, hitting Henry for the touchdown. Look at how the motion influences the eyes of the linebackers. A super cool playcall.
When Baltimore was in 11 personnel, they were able to use motion to leverage their runs and still remain explosive. The Bills will move people in and out of the box to retain their numbers when in nickel, so the Ravens used a lot of return motion to create better angles and favorable numbers in the box. This one was pretty cool, pulling the left guard and center. Zay Flowers goes in return motion, and you can see the Bills respond to that by bumping over. However, with all the receivers to the right and the TE being the only receiver to the left, the Bills lose their nickel defender. The second linebacker has to bump over, and there the numbers game is won.
You get big guys blocking little guys, and Henry makes a six-yard gain.
Here, you see the threat of Henry and Jackson in the same backfield. After being hit over the head with the Henry frying pan, the Ravens run read option but with a tight end in split flow coming across. The Bills are so locked into Henry, and that’s where the Ravens can get you.
Jackson is off to the races with a lead blocker ahead of him, and another big run is unlocked.
In the passing game, this touchdown was a really good example of knowing your opponent and weaknesses. The Bills play a lot of quarters coverage, and a common coverage adjustment in quarters against 3×1 coverage is called Trix. The safety to the side with only one receiver, instead of playing his deep 1⁄4 of the field, will turn his eyes and body to the three receiver side. Where that can be beaten is to the one receiver side, with a matchup on the backside linebacker and running back. Because the corner has to take the receiver to that side and the safety is looking at the third receiver, the linebacker is left one on one with a faster man. The Ravens know this, and motion Flowers to the far side of the field. This creates a 3×1, but now the linebacker has RB Justice Hill in a one on one situation. I know who I’m taking.
The Ravens started off the season 0-2, but have rattled off two big wins on the backs of their dynamic superstars in the backfield and some mean, physical running up front. With Jackson and Henry at the helm of this dynamic rushing attack, all of Baltimore’s hopes are still in front of them. A date with the rival Bengals and their coordinator Lou Anarumo awaits, but with this offense playing the way they are, the bullyball should be more than enough.
