Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Bills quarterback Josh Allen battled all season for NFL Most Valuable Player honors. Now they’ll square off for a spot in the AFC championship game.

The third-seeded Ravens will hit the road next weekend to face second-seeded Buffalo at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in a divisional-round matchup. The game time and broadcast information are expected to be announced Sunday night.

The Bills, who advanced Sunday with a 31-7 win over the seventh-seeded Denver Broncos in the wild-card round, suffered their worst loss all season in Baltimore in Week 4, 35-10. Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed 24 times for 199 yards (8.3 per carry) and a touchdown, while Jackson had 210 yards of total offense and three scores. Buffalo was missing five starters on defense, including standout inside linebacker Matt Milano and cornerback Taron Johnson.

Allen finished 16-for-29 for 180 yards, took three sacks, lost a fumble and finished with a QBR of 32.7, his second lowest all season. The Ravens also held the Bills’ dynamic rushing attack to 81 yards (3.5 per carry).

Buffalo is undefeated at home this season and has outscored its opponents by a combined 157 points. The Ravens last won a road playoff game in 2020, when they beat the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round. A week later, they lost to the Bills in Western New York, 17-3. On a cold, blustery night, Jackson went 14-for-24 for 162 yards and an interception and left the game at the end of the third quarter with a concussion.

Here’s what you need to know about the Bills ahead of the Ravens’ rematch. All stats reflect regular-season totals.

Offense

Key players: QB Josh Allen, RB James Cook, WR Khalil Shakir, WR Amari Cooper, LT Dion Dawkins

Stats: No. 2 in FTN’s opponent-adjusted efficiency entering playoffs (second in passing, fourth in rushing), No. 10 in total offense (359.1 yards per game), No. 2 in scoring offense (30.9 points per game)

Strength: Red-zone efficiency. The Ravens converted 74.2% of their drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line into touchdowns, the league’s highest rate, according to TruMedia. Just behind them was Buffalo (71.6%). Allen wasn’t especially accurate inside the red zone (52.5%), but 20 of his 32 completions went for touchdowns, and he threw just one interception. Behind a powerful offensive line, the Bills also rushed for an NFL-high 27 red-zone scores. Allen accounted for 11 of them, including six from just a yard out.

Weakness: Receiver talent. The Bills don’t have any big-time separators. According to ESPN’s receiver tracking metrics, wide receiver Mack Hollins had the Bills’ highest “Open Score” in 2024 — and he ranked No. 39 overall among 111 qualifying wide receivers. Shakir, their leading receiver (821 yards), was No. 70, while Keon Coleman and Cooper ranked Nos. 83 and 90, respectively. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox ranked Nos. 15 and 21, respectively, among 43 qualifying tight ends. Allen and Buffalo made it work. In obvious passing situations — third and fourth downs with at least 5 yards to go — the Bills ranked No. 1 in the NFL in expected points added per play, according to TruMedia.

Defense

Key players: DE Greg Rousseau, DL Ed Oliver, LB Matt Milano, CB Christian Benford, CB Taron Johnson

Stats: No. 11 in FTN’s opponent-adjusted efficiency entering playoffs (14th in passing, eighth in rushing), No. 17 in total defense (341.5 yards per game), No. 11 in scoring defense (21.6 points per game)

Strength: Takeaways. The Bills ranked 21st in the NFL in yards per play allowed and 24th in success rate — but 14th in EPA per play. Turnovers helped paper over weaknesses. Buffalo had 32 takeaways (16 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries), third most in the NFL. The Bills went 9-1 when they forced at least two turnovers and 3-4 when they forced one turnover or none. Contributions came from all over the roster; nine defenders had at least one interception, and 13 defenders had at least one fumble recovery.

Weakness: Explosive runs. Opponents rushed for at least 12 yards on 9.7% of their carries in 2024, the NFL’s seventh-worst rate. In Week 4, the Ravens ripped off four explosive runs that accounted for 169 of their 271 rushing yards, highlighted by Henry’s 87-yard touchdown. Buffalo’s defense prefers to play with lighter bodies on the field; no one lined up in nickel personnel (five defensive backs) or dime personnel (six) more often (95.3% of all plays). That can leave it vulnerable to heavy-personnel run games like the Ravens’.