3 KEY MATCHUPS TO FOLLOW

1. Buffalo's linebackers vs. Lamar Jackson

A Bills linebacker or safety figure to spy on Jackson a good deal in this game in an effort to keep him contained. Easier said than done, but Buffalo has two of the most athletic backers in the league in Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano.

2. Dion Dawkins vs. Matt Judon

The Baltimore linebacker has capably filled the void of the team's top pass rusher left behind by Terrell Suggs. Judon has seven sacks on the season. Dawkins has held his own against quality pass rushers of late like Dallas' Robert Quinn.

3. Jordan Poyer vs. Mark Andrews

Poyer won't be covering the Ravens leading pass catcher the whole game, but he'll have his share of coverage assignments against Baltimore's top tight end. Andrews is a deadly red zone threat and the team's leading receiver in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

2 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Supreme balance on offense

The Ravens have the only offense in the league that averages more than 200 yards rushing (207.8) and 200 yards passing (212.9). They're currently on pace to become the first team in league history to average 200 yards on the ground and through the air in the same season.

In fact, Baltimore's rushing attack is on pace to set a new league record for most rushing yards in a 16-game season. The Ravens are on pace for 3,325 rushing years this year.

Wide gap in point differential

All of Baltimore's success on offense has led to a ton of touchdowns. They have scored 49 through the first 12 games, which has helped them lead the league in points per game at 33.8.

Coupled with their defense that ranks fifth in the league in points allowed, the Ravens have outscored their opponents by almost a 2:1 margin by a count of 406 points for to 219 points against.

Their defense has allowed just 43 points in their last four games, which includes wins of Houston, the L.A. Rams and San Francisco. During their eight-game winning streak their defense has 15 takeaways and scored five touchdowns.

1 THING THAT COULD DECIDE THE GAME

Limiting chunk plays

Buffalo is known as a top down defense. They rarely give up big plays. Through the first 12 games they've surrendered just 35 plays of 20 yards or more, good for fourth-fewest in the NFL. If they can minimize chunk plays and force Baltimore to string together 10 and 12-play scoring drives, they may be able to force the Ravens to make a couple of mistakes or settle for some field goals and keep the score from getting up around their season average.

UNDERCURRENTS

--Baltimore's read-option scheme makes heavy use of their three tight ends, Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst. With two of them often lining up in the backfield, the blocking schemes often fool the eyes of defenders along with the deft handiwork of Jackson with the ball on the read option mesh point.

--The Ravens are a heavy motion team on offense. Per ESPN, heading into their game last week, Baltimore had used pre-snap motion on 34 percent of their plays this season. It's far and away the most frequent use of motion in the league. No other team used pre-snap motion more than 20 percent of the time.

--Baltimore also frequently goes for it on fourth down. This season they lead the league in fourth down conversion rate at 75 percent (15-20) on the season. That has kept their punt Sam Koch on the sidelines for most games. Koch has made just 24 punts on the season. If the Ravens maintain their current pace, 32 punts would be the fewest in NFL history for a 16-game season.

--The Ravens' acquisition of CB Marcus Peters has proven to be an astute one. Since arriving in Baltimore, Peters has three interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns.

--Lamar Jackson (977 rushing yards) is closing in on some notable league records. He's currently 63 yards away from setting the record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback set by Michael Vick in 2006 (1,039).

--Baltimore's eight-game winning streak is especially impressive because of the teams they've beaten over that stretch. Six of the teams have a winning record, and a combined mark of 52-20 (Hou, LAR, NE, Pit, Sea, SF). The other two wins came against Cincinnati.