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The Buffalo Bills’ defense had a disastrous first half against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.
Despite losses to key starters on the second level, the Buffalo Bills defense has managed to remain afloat for much of the 2024 season. The figurative ship began to sink in the first half of the team’s Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens, as the AFC North side discovered flaws in the center of the field and repeatedly targeted them, often with success.
Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard were sidelined for Buffalo’s Sunday Night Football clash, as they’ve all been for most (or, in the case of Milano, all) of the campaign to this point; Cam Lewis, Dorian Williams, and Baylon Spector, respectively, had filled in relatively well throughout the first portion of this season, but they got off to a rocky start in Week 4, with Baltimore running back Derrick Henry breaking off an 84-yard run.
Related: Bills WR Khalil Shakir sets NFL record in first quarter vs. Ravens.
Throughout the first half, the Ravens tested Buffalo’s defensive second level with play-action and screen passes, and the unit was mostly unprepared. Tackling was an issue, as Baltimore was frequently successful on screen passes, the most severe example being a second-quarter third-and-14 screen to running back Justice Hill, which the 26-year-old converted into a first down.
The inner second level—most notably Williams and Spector—performed poorly in coverage, with Ravens pass-catchers frequently falling behind them. The most famous example of this was likely Isaiah Likely’s second-quarter reception when he crept by the backers and went wide open to reel in a 26-yard catch; tight end Mark Andrews got behind them on the very next play, but he couldn’t haul in Lamar Jackson’s ball.
The Ravens also devised an admittedly appropriate red-zone play in which they put Hill one-on-one with Williams; the running back executed a great juke and got wide open, hauling in a touchdown throw to put Baltimore up three touchdowns.
The Ravens made a concentrated attempt to attack Buffalo’s depleted second level with Henry and their fast passing scheme, and the tactic paid off in the first half. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year concluded the first half with 109 running yards on nine touches, scoring from both the ground and the air. Jackson finished 11 of 13 for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and the Baltimore offense averaged 10.4 yards per play while gaining an amazing 281 yards and converting on all three third-down opportunities.
In other words, it’s something Buffalo will want to forget.
It was certainly unrealistic to expect the Bills’ depth defenders to keep the unit running at a near-elite level without Johnson, Milano, and Bernard, but the team’s first-half collapse was disappointing. The team did show some life after the first half when Williams forced a Jackson fumble, which Spector recovered. Perhaps the unit will improve in the second half; if not, Johnson and Bernard are set to return in the coming weeks.
Baltimore leads Buffalo 21-3 at halftime.
