And there was another thing that gnawed at the defense’s collective craw. The Ravens protected the football better that any team all season. The Bills were the best at taking it away. The challenge was obvious. “That was our motto all week: Let’s see who’s better,” Phillips said.

Buffalo likes to line up in its nickel personnel on defense, which should give Baltimore an advantage in the run game with Derrick Henry.

The Bills' defensive players used questions about how they would perform against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and the rest of the Baltimore offense to help fuel Sunday's win.