Connect with us

Sports

Ravens view Bills as perfect chance to prove they belong

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Dallas CowboysSep 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Buffalo is one of five 3-0 teams in the NFL, while the Baltimore Ravens are hungry to prove they are still on par with teams like the Bills in the AFC.

When the teams meet on Sunday night in Baltimore, the Ravens will have at least one thing going for them: They are hosting their second annual “Darkness Falls” game, a college-style stadium blackout that has Lamar Jackson pumped.

“Hearing the ‘Flock,’ just seeing all black throughout the crowd, it’s like you can’t escape,” the quarterback said with a grin. “It’s something about it, man, I can’t really describe it. Like the dark side.”

The Ravens (1-2) didn’t need home cooking to defeat the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, though they let a 22-point lead dwindle in the fourth quarter before winning 28-25. Baltimore has been outscored 32-7 in the fourth quarter of its past two games.

Derrick Henry racked up 151 of the Ravens’ 274 rushing yards vs. the Cowboys and scored the third and fourth touchdowns of his debut season in Baltimore. Jackson ran for 87 yards and a score, and Justice Hill added 33 yards on five carries.

“They are kind of a good 1-2 punch,” coach John Harbaugh said of Henry and Hill. “They play off each other really well. They run the same plays, too, but they also run different plays at times. I just think it’s a good change of pace for the defense.”

The Ravens continue to tweak their defense, adding pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue to their practice squad earlier this week. Ngakoue has totaled 69 career sacks for six teams, including nine games for Baltimore in 2020. Baltimore’s Kyle Van Noy is tied for third in the league with four sacks.

As for the Bills, there has been little to nitpick this year.

After creaming the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10 on Monday night, the Bills have a plus-64 scoring differential, tops in the league. Their turnover differential is plus-5 — only Green Bay’s is better — and they rank in the top 10 in total defense (286.7 yards allowed per game), passing defense (168.3) and scoring defense (16 points per game).

Josh Allen leads an offense that is scoring 37.3 points per game, another league high. He picked apart the Jaguars for four passing touchdowns before halftime on Monday night.

Allen won AFC Offensive Player of the Week, one week after running back James Cook won the honor for his three-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo’s Gregory Rousseau won AFC Defensive Player of the Week for a three-sack game in Week 1.

“It’s a shame our O-line can’t win Offensive Player of the Week,” Allen quipped, “because they play their tails off. And even going back to Week 2, James was able to win that because of what our O-line’s doing.”

Damar Hamlin grabbed his first career interception in the Jacksonville blowout. It was an emotional moment for Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals less than 20 months ago.

“We keep it simple and everybody’s keeping the team first,” Hamlin said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “Buffalo is a special place to be.”

The Bills have ruled out linebacker Terrel Bernard (pec) and cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) for Sunday, and rookie offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) will be out for multiple weeks. Cornerback Kaiir Elam (neck) was limited in Wednesday’s walkthrough.

The Ravens are dealing with a banged-up offensive line. Center Tyler Linderbaum (knee), left guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle) and right tackle Patrick Mekari (neck) missed Wednesday’s practice after they played every snap of the Dallas game. Nose tackle Michael Pierce (shoulder) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) also sat out Wednesday, while linebacker Roquan Smith (ankle) was limited.

The Bills have won two straight meetings with the Ravens, including a victory in the divisional round of the 2020-21 playoffs.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Mets rack up 19 hits, 14 runs in demolition of Braves

Jul 27, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Francisco Lindor hit two homers and drove in six runs as the New York Mets battered the visiting Atlanta Braves 14-3 on Monday.

Tyrone Taylor went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and Marcus Semien also had three hits and a homer for the Mets, who have won consecutive games for the first time since July 8-9.

Lindor, A.J. Ewing and Bo Bichette each added three of New York’s season-high-tying 19 hits.

Mets starter Zac Thornton (2-1) tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one.

Braves starter Martin Perez gave up three runs on eight hits in five innings. He fanned four and walked one.

Connor Thomas (0-1) was blasted for 11 runs on 10 hits across 2 2/3 innings, walking five and striking out two. Ozzie Albies homered, singled and drove in three for Atlanta, which had won four of its previous five games.

Albies drove in the game’s first run with an RBI single in the top of the first.

New York answered in the bottom of the first, as Ewing led off with a single and Lindor tripled to even the score.

In the third, Ewing and Lindor paced the New York offensive attack again. Ewing singled and stole second before Lindor launched a homer to left-center, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead.

After Matt Olson’s walk opening the fourth, Albies connected on a 407-foot home run — his 18th of the season — to tie the game 3-3.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Perez allowed singles by Bichette and Luis Robert Jr. before walking Francisco Alvarez to load the bases. Through heavy rain, Perez struck out Jared Young to escape the jam.

Thomas relieved Perez in the sixth and immediately allowed Taylor’s single and Semien’s two-run homer to give the Mets a 5-3 lead. The long ball was Semien’s 12th.

Thomas remained in for the seventh, walking Alvarez before Young’s single and Taylor’s ninth home run of the year broke the game open, giving the Mets an 8-3 advantage.

Thomas then walked Semien, allowed Luis Torrens’ double and issued a one-out walk to Lindor, loading the bases. Bichette’s sacrifice fly made it 9-3 and stamped a four-run New York frame.

Torrens drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to give the Mets a 10-3 advantage. Ewing followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the margin. The beating continued for Thomas as Lindor launched his eighth homer of the year before Atlanta shortstop Jorge Mateo entered in relief. Bichette singled before Mateo struck out Robert to end the inning.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Brandon Lowe’s heroics help Pirates down Diamondback in 10

Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) receives a water bath after hitting an RBI single to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in ten innings at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe (5) receives a water bath after hitting an RBI single to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in ten innings at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Brandon Lowe’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Billy Cook and propelled the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

The Pirates’ victory drew them even with the Diamondbacks for the final National League Wild Card spot, and dealt Arizona its third loss in a row.

Lowe’s game-winner off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) was his third hit of the game and he finished with two RBIs after lining a ball off Diamondbacks’ first baseman Ildemaro Vargas.

Endy Rodriguez, who was activated from the 10-day injured list with a left glute strain, singled to right to open the 10th and put runners on the corners with no outs.

Jake Mangum grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Billy Cook was caught in a rundown between third and home. But Cook bought enough time and made it back to third just as Rodriguez did, resulting in one out, but ensuring the Pirates still had a runner at third.

Max Kepler had three hits, drove in the Diamondbacks’ two runs, and had a chance to give Arizona the lead in the top of the 10th. But with runners on second and third with two outs, Kepler lined out to center against reliever Mason Montgomery (4-3), who also struck out Gabriel Moreno two batters prior after Arizona had put runners on second and third with one out.

Bryan Reynolds knotted the game at 2 in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out RBI double to score Lowe, who doubled on the prior at-bat. The clutch hit came moments after Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected by third base umpire Ben May after arguing a check swing call during Reynolds’ at-bat.

The teams were locked in a scoreless stalemate until Kepler’s two-run double with the bases loaded gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth.

Mangum scored Pittsburgh’s first run on a single by Lowe to cut Arizona’s lead to 2-1.

Pittsburgh’s hot-hitting rookie Esmerlyn Valdez was hit by a 91.4 mph fastball from Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly on his left hand and left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Valdez has 14 home runs in his first 38 career at-bats.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Vikings agree to deal with veteran LB/S Jamal Adams

Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium.Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Jamal Adams against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium.

Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/safety Jamal Adams is headed to his sixth NFL team after agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.

The 30-year-old veteran confirmed his decision with a post on X that said “Year 10 #skol”.

Adams spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, amassing 45 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 17 games (four starts) as a linebacker.

Adams also previously played for the New York Jets (2017-19), Seattle Seahawks (2020-23), Tennessee Titans (2024) and Detroit Lions (2024). Adams earned his Pro Bowl appearances as a safety from 2018-20.

It remains to be seen which position the versatile Adams will play for the Vikings. However, his addition comes as safety Harrison Smith mulls retirement.

Overall during his pro career, Adams has tallied 546 tackles, 22.5 sacks, four interceptions, 36 passes defended, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Adams is joining a stingy Vikings defense that ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed per game last season (282.6).

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading