The Baltimore Ravens will unveil their new-look offense in the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 9. The Bills were able to leap-frog into the playoffs last season when the Ravens lost to Cincinnati in the regular-season finale. Baltimore is on a mission to end its own playoff drought.
Here are five things to watch:
The Bills were solid in the secondary last season and did not allow many big plays. However, there are some questions surrounding that unit heading into the opener. Both Vontae Davis and Phillip Gaines are still vying for the starting job at cornerback. Neither has been overly impressive in the preseason. Look for John Brown to line up on that side of the field and test either of those players. Flacco is ready to take some shots downfield. The Ravens will be in attack mode.
Quarterback Nathan Peterman was named the the starter over rookie Josh Allen this week. Peterman, a fifth-round pick in 2017, completed 33 of 41 passes for 431 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the preseason. He is 1-1 as a starter and has thrown two touchdowns and five Interceptions (38.4 passer rating).
The Ravens plan to keep him under constant pressure. Tim Williams will look to carry over his success in the preseason to the opener. He will have the green light to attack. The Ravens secondary led the NFL with 22 interceptions last season.
That group is poised to create turnovers against Peterman.
The Ravens have a stout run defense, especially with Brandon Williams in the lineup. That group will face their first challenge against LeSean McCoy, who is dealing with some off-field issues. McCoy is being sued by his ex-girlfriend in connection with a home invasion where she was assaulted and robbed of jewelry.
However, he said this week that he fully focused on facing the Ravens. McCoy was fourth in the league with 1,138 rushing yards last season. He should get plenty of opportunities Sunday. If the Ravens shut him down, that should clear a path to victory.
The Ravens running game was a bit under the radar throughout the preseason. However, that group will play a huge role in the offense again. Alex Collins had limited carries in the preseason, but that was by design. Coach John Harbaugh wanted him fully fresh for the opener.
Look for Collins to have a big game as he continues to establish himself as one of the top running backs in the AFC.
Finally, the national media will turn its attention to how the Ravens use rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was listed as the primary backup to Flacco on the depth chart this week. Jackson said earlier this week that he is ready to contribute any way he can.
That opportunity might arise Sunday, especially in the red zone.
