Bills defense shines as Ravens lose quarterbacks, win 36-10

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Baltimore Ravens 36-10 on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, largely on the strength of their defense. Baltimore lost starting quarterback Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury on the opening play and backup Tyler Huntley to a toe injury in the second quarter, forcing the team to rely on third-string quarterback Joe Fagnano for the remainder of the game.

Bill's linebacker Terrel Bernard said, "> I don't want to take away from what the defense did. They’ve got playmakers on their offense, so I feel like we did a good job. Jim called a great game, we had some things we knew we needed to get cleaned up, and I feel like we did that this week. We communicated well, we did our jobs, and we played four quarters of good football. So I'm excited for the guys."

Bills head coach Joe Brady noted that the defense held the crippled Ravens to 10 points, 10 first downs and 144 total yards, forcing three turnovers and recording six drives without a first down. He added, "> I'm not talking about the production, I'm not talking about the takeaways and sacks. I'm talking about the style that they played, the way that they flew around. I think the silent tape is going to speak loudly tomorrow in terms of the way that they played for one another, the way they ran around, the communication."

A key factor was an increased blitz rate, with Buffalo rushing the quarterback on 66.7% of Ravens dropbacks, more than double their season average. The pressure resulted in four sacks, including a hit by Cole Bishop that forced a fumble recovered by rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Bishop said, "> It's nice for us to be able to pull our weight. I feel like we’ve got to continue to do that. Everybody was just doing their job."

Defensive lineman Greg Rousseau recorded six pressures and a sack, while linebacker Bradley Chubb commented on the blitz strategy, "> You got a quarterback who wasn't really expecting to play, or whatever the case is. You kind of got to send the house at him and make him think a little bit more."

With safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suspended and nickel corner Dee Alford injured, backups Damar Hamlin and Te’Cory Couch stepped in and performed effectively. Couch, promoted from the practice squad, said, "> Whatever coach Jim calls, I just execute at my best ability. It's always about winning my one-on-one matchup."

Rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun earned his first career interception after a ball was tipped by Bishop, describing the moment as “euphoric.”

On offense, wide receiver D.J. Moore returned after missing time, catching four passes for 82 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a knee injury. He said, "> Meant everything. Got the jitters out when I first stepped on the field, and then I was nervous at first, but I was like, ‘All right, this is the game that I love,’ and was good."

Quarterback Josh Allen praised Moore’s impact, stating, "> The big post is an unbelievable catch. That's the type of spark that he gives us, where we don't have to go on these long sustained drives. He gives us that downfield presence, the run after the catch stuff, and obviously we got to clean up the ball security. He's an absolute stud and the more we can get him the ball, the better we are."

The Bills also dealt with an injury to right tackle Spencer Brown, inserting Tylan Grable, who allowed only one pressure in 14 pass-blocking snaps. Brady said, "> For him to go in there and I feel confident, that's why we trust him. He's outstanding."