Ravens’ previous road record in the play-offs gives them hope of beating the Bills
Baltimore Ravens will bid to keep their Super Bowl hopes on track when they visit Buffalo Bills in the NFL play-offs this weekend.
The Ravens are the marginal favourites to win the game according to Betway’s latest NFL betting markets, but that could be easier said than done.
The Bills posted an 8-0 record on their own patch during the regular season and will fancy their chances of progressing to the AFC Championship showdown.
They will be gunning for revenge after losing 35-10 in Baltimore earlier this season, and home advantage could give them a crucial edge against the Ravens.
The inclement weather conditions could favour the Bills, while a hostile home crowd will be eager to make like difficult for the visiting team.
However, the Ravens will draw inspiration from their previous record on the road in the play-offs, which is weighted in a surprising direction.
The Ravens are 11-8 away from home in the play-offs. By contrast, their 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend was only the fifth play-off win at home in ten outings.
They have won eight post-season games during head coach John Harbaugh’s 17 seasons in charge – a remarkable record when considering the role home advantage can play in play-off games.
Harbaugh is unfazed by the prospect of facing the Bills in Buffalo and has urged his players to embrace the challenge they face at the Highmark Stadium.
“You have to operate under duress,” Harbaugh said. “The duress of the opponent, it’s also the duress of the environment, and it’s really the noise as much as anything, especially for the offense.
“But that’s a two-way street. We have it at our stadium — our defence has to operate that way, too. Both groups have to deal with communication, with noise.”
The Ravens’ path to the 2024 Super Bowl potentially bears similarities to the teams who clinched the NFL title in 2000 and 2012.
They each had just one play-off game at home, and overcame challenges which many pundits believed would be insurmountable during their run to the Super Bowl.
The double overtime victory in Denver followed by a road win in New England in the 2012 play-offs were among the standout results claimed by the Ravens.
Buffalo presents a different challenge from those two tests, with the bitter cold weather and rowdy home support creating a unique environment for visiting teams.
The Bills gave up just seven points against the Broncos last weekend, and Harbaugh admits that his team will need to be on top form to secure a positive result.
He believes his players must stay focused throughout the 60 minutes, but has no doubt about their ability to adopt the right mindset against the Bills.
“It’s been a big point of emphasis for us – patience,” Harbaugh added. “In this sense, you can’t win a game in one play. You can’t win a game in one series or one drive or one quarter or even one half.
“You have to do it one play at a time for a whole game, and you have to be patient and understand that there’s going to be momentum swings – there’s going to be good plays and they’re going to make plays.
“It’s how you respond, and what you make of the next opportunity, really. And understanding that so you don’t lose yourself in the emotion and the momentum of the game is really important.
“That’s been a big emphasis, and I believe our guys have done a really good job of that and are very much aware of that right now.”
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