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Leading up to the showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, there was a lot of news surrounding the health of Lamar Jackson. He had been dealing with a high ankle sprain, which kept him out for three games, but he was back in action in Week 8. At least for one play.
Jackson was injured on the first snap of the game when his hand hit Greg Rousseau's while attempting a pass to Zay Flowers. Jackson was quickly taken to the locker room, and Tyler Huntley took over under center. Huntley couldn't finish the first half either, as he suffered a toe injury. Baltimore turned to undrafted rookie free agent Joe Fagnano, who was the emergency third quarterback.
Despite being down to their third quarterback, the Ravens hung with the Bills much longer than expected. Eventually, the Bills pulled out in front, winning 36-10. Considering they were coming off a bye week, it was a rather sloppy performance from Buffalo, as they had far too many penalties and left points on the board.
Still, they're 6-1 and looking ahead to their big showdown with the Minnesota Vikings next week. Before we turn our attention to that game, let's look back at their latest win with the biggest takeaways from Week 8.
The Bills have one of the top offenses in the NFL, and part of that is due to Joe Brady's aggressiveness. That was on display on Sunday as he attempted four fourth-down conversions in the first quarter.
His first was a fourth-and-goal, which ended in a touchdown run from Josh Allen. They failed to convert on a fourth-and-four in the second quarter, but made up for it on fourth-and-one from the 11 on the next drive. Allen pitched the ball to James Cook, who extended the ball and converted the first down, although they needed the assistance of replay.
Brady and the Bills should have been able to score another touchdown there, but a questionable third-down run led to a loss of yards, forcing them to settle for a field goal from Tyler Bass. His final fourth-down attempt in the first half was a short pass to Ty Johnson, which moved the ball to the Baltimore 18 at the two-minute warning.
Even with the Ravens going to their third quarterback by the second quarter, this game was closer than it should have been for much of the first half. That wasn't necessarily due to the Ravens, but more so to the continued sloppy play from Buffalo.
There was a first-half interception from Josh Allen, which went off the hands of backup tight end Jackson Hawes. Shortly after the two-minute warning, there was another turnover; this time, DJ Moore fumbled it away after catching a pass at the Baltimore 20. That ended an impressive six-play, 61-yard drive and took points off the board for the home team.
An interception allowed Buffalo to score right before the half, giving them a 16-7 lead, but this game should have been a blowout going into the break.
After recording six sacks over the first three games of the season, Greg Rousseau was getting plenty of attention as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Since then, he's been quiet. That changed against the Ravens, as Rousseau impacted the game on the opening play.
While no one wants to see an opponent injured, it was a good play from Rousseau to get a hand in the way and force an incomplete pass from Jackson. He continued to create pressure and picked up his seventh sack of the season. In all, Buffalo had four sacks on the day, including the first of Landon Jackson's career.
Penalties have been a concern throughout the season, and that was the case once again in Week 8. Buffalo was flagged 10 times for 87 yards, giving the Ravens far too many free yards in the process.
They take on one of the elite defenses in Week 9 in the Minnesota Vikings. It will be a tough contest on the road and the Bills are going to have a tough time coming out with a win if they don't clean up the discipline issues.
Congratulations are in order for Josh Allen, who hit DJ Moore for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, which was the 259th of his career. That moved him ahead of Jim Kelly for the most in franchise history.
Josh Allen becomes the Bills all-time leader in TD passes (259) with Jim Kelly in attendance 👏
— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
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He threw another one to Dalton Kincaid shortly afterward, putting the game away in the process.