It wasn’t too long ago that the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens would be considered a battle between to power defenses. Last season ended in disappointment for both teams. Week one the two face off on Baltimore’s stomping grounds. Who comes out on top?

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Advantage Buffalo:
The Baltimore Ravens were a team that struggled last season. With injuries to key playmakers, the Ravens seemed like a shell of their former shelves. Even a healthy Ravens team will still struggle against the league’s leading rushing attack. Buffalo will look to continue more of the same this season. A healthy LeSean McCoy early in the season will get Buffalo firing on all cylinders. On top of that, Tyrod Taylor will be back in full effect for the Bills, with no lingering injuries. If the Bills are lucky, the two Ryans, Rob, and Rex, can get the defense back on top.

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Advantage Baltimore:
Baltimore is a bit healthier than it was last year. Getting a few playmakers back will help the offense along. Losing a few hurt them along the way, but they should have enough to keep it close. With most of the Ravens losses coming by a touchdown or less, Baltimore doesn’t have to make up a ton of ground to swing the game in their favor. New addition Mike Wallace should add another wrinkle to an offense that struggled to find a rhythm. Baltimore also added a few playmakers on defense as well, filling some much need holes.

Prediction:
Baltimore will return to old form this year. The only question is, how quickly? It’s hard to bet against the Ravens as they were never too far behind in games last season. They could easily have an 8-8 or better record this year. Too bad for them, they’re facing a Bills team that returned too many playmakers. With Tyrod Taylor, Lesean McCoy, and Watkins are all being healthy.

From there, Buffalo doubled down on defense this offseason. If the Denver Broncos reminded teams of anything, it’s defense wins championships. Buffalo doesn’t want to see offensive production flushed down the drain so bulking up on defense was key. Look for Buffalo to win 20-17.