I’m very excited about Sunday’s Ravens vs. Bills game, just like most football fans whose favorite club isn’t one of the NFL’s top eight. For a chance to face the first-ballot Hall of Famer attempting a three-peat, I’m interested to see which future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback can defeat another future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback.
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Elite playoff quarterbacks
However, there are other top quarterbacks in the playoffs vying for their first ring besides Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. For Jared Goff, who, as you may recall, started a Super Bowl for the Rams before they traded him for Matthew Stafford, a ring would be validating. Goff isn’t considered one of the top signal-callers in the game, even though he was selected first overall in 2016.
Next are Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud, the latter of whom is attempting to make up for 58 years of Super Bowl history by being the first rookie quarterback to lead his club to the championship game.
The rise of Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts comes next. Hurts was not selected in the first round like the other quarterbacks, therefore there was less expectation that he would become the team’s long-term face. But he proved himself to be just that two seasons ago, nearly winning a Super Bowl against the Chiefs and placing second in the MVP voting.
His standout wide receiver, AJ Brown, implied last month that Hurts was limiting Philadelphia’s ceiling as a passer. Nevertheless, the 2024 campaign provided Hurts and the team with a chance to recover. Many are choosing the Eagles to represent the NFC in New Orleans even though they do not have the crucial bye.
The challenge ahead
But first things first: The Rams are not an easy opponent, largely because of their eventual Hall of Fame quarterback. However, Stafford is not under any pressure going into this one. The bad news is that. The good news is that history from the twenty-first century confirms that this is the fifth time a veteran has hurt. Since 2001, 28 quarterbacks have advanced to the Super Bowl between their second and sixth seasons. Between their seventh and fourteenth seasons, that is more than twice as many quarterbacks who make it to the big game.
From head to toe, Philadelphia’s roster is arguably the finest in the playoffs. Hurts must be more than just a passenger if they want to reach the Super Dome, even though they have the lineage to do so. He might eventually visit Canton as well if he achieves that and considers the stats he has achieved during his first six years in the league.
Rams vs. Eagles preview, odds, prediction
Spread: BetMGM Eagles -6 (-110)
DraftKings: Over/Under:Over 43.5 (-108)
Forecast: Eagles 28–21
Rams vs. Eagles prop bets
DraftKings: Kyren Williams onder 90.5 running + receiving yards (-110)
Over 249.5 pass yards (+175) for Matt Stafford, according to BetMGM
Caesars: A.J. Brown over 69.5 receiving yards (-103)
DraftKings reports that Jalen hurts more than 1.5 touchdown passes (+130).
Ravens vs. Bills preview, odds, and prediction
Against a Steelers squad that appeared to believe their season ended around Thanksgiving, the Ravens were unaffected by Zay Flowers’ absence. Nonetheless, Baltimore might gain by having everyone on the field because the Bills offense is probably going to score in the high 20s (at the very least). Derrick Henry, on the other hand, should anticipate greater opposition from the Bills defense than he did against Pittsburgh the previous week.
Given that Flowers is either sidelined or wearing street clothes, it is logical to expect that Sean McDermott will put containing the Ravens running back first, even if Henry had a huge breakout performance against Buffalo in their Week Four thumping.
Spread: bet365’s Bills +1.5 (-106)
DraftKings: Over/Under: Over 51.5 (-105)
Forecast: Bills 31–27
Ravens vs. Bills prop bets
Under 96.5 rushing yards (-106) is Derrick Henry. Caesars
DraftKings: James Cook over 74.5 rushing + receiving yards (-110)
BetRivers: Dalton Kincaid over 32.5 receiving yards (-112)
BetMGM’s Josh Allen touchdown (+110)