Could the Buffalo Bills’ most recent acquisition be an attempt to get ready for Lamar Jackson, the star of the Baltimore Ravens?

Because he can beat opposing defenses in so many various ways, Lamar Jackson, the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, may be the hardest player in the NFL to game prepare for.

The Buffalo Bills are obviously doing everything they can to get ready for Jackson’s special skill set ahead of Sunday’s Divisional Round game.

Anthony Brown, a former quarterback with the Ravens, joined the Bills’ practice squad on Wednesday. Not only is this move noteworthy in and of itself, but it also has implications for Buffalo’s strategy.

Practice squad exchange ✇️

Anthony Brown, the quarterback, was added to the practice squad.

DT Eli Ankou was dropped from the practice squad.

— January 15, 2025, Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR)
Like Jackson, Brown is a quarterback who can run and pass, but he is plainly not nearly as good at either. Given Brown’s style of play and familiarity with the Ravens playbook, it is highly probable that the Bills are using scout squad guys to simulate an opponent star in practice before a major game.

In 2022, Brown, an undrafted free agent from Oregon, signed with the Ravens and did see some action during the regular season. After Tyler Huntley sustained a concussion (Jackson was already sidelined by injury), he made his regular-season debut in Week 14 of the 2022 season, completing three of five passes for 16 yards and taking a sack against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 26-year-old then began. He had a difficult day, completing only 19 of 44 passes for 286 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble. The next week, Huntley made a comeback to start the Ravens’ 24-17 loss to the Bengals in the Wild Card Round.

Additionally, Brown played the majority of the Bills’ preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers during his brief stint with the team before being cut.

Although that’s an intriguing strategy, Buffalo is under just as much pressure as Baltimore, so it couldn’t hurt to do a little more training before Sunday’s eagerly awaited matchup.

In their Divisional Round rematch with the Ravens, the Bills move from being the favorite to the underdog.

Nobody enjoys being the underdog as much as Bill’s Mafia. The actual game is being viewed as a virtual coin flip amid a week of NFL MVP and fandom discourse that is more toxic than imaginable. Examples include a Baltimore beat reporter recalling a time when he called Buffalo a “city of losers” (and worse to a Bills fan), and phony quotes from Matt Milano’s bulletin board that are circulating.

What are the chances?
When FanDuel Sportsbook lines were first issued, the Buffalo Bills were -1.5 point favorites; however, the Baltimore Ravens are currently labeled as the -1.5-point favorites. According to Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) betting model, as of publication, the Ravens were the subject of 52% of wagers and 60% of incoming wagers.

The Bills have never been listed as home underdogs in a postseason game since the Super Bowl era. In 1967, Buffalo (then 3.5-point underdogs) lost 31-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs, who were captained by Hank Strahm. That was the only other time Buffalo was a home dog in the AFL.

The 1993 “The Comeback” game against the Houston Oilers, in which Buffalo was a 2-point favorite, was the closest the Bills had come since the Lombardi Trophy was created. Additionally, the Bills were a 2.5-point favorite in both the previous playoff game against the Ravens and the one from this past postseason (against the Chiefs).

For the third time this season, Buffalo was unbeaten at home throughout the regular season.

It’s clear that a lot has changed since this teams’ Week 4 ESPN Monday Night Football matchup. At the time, Buffalo was a slim 2.5-point underdog. The public and bookmakers appear to agree that the Ravens are the superior team, at least on paper, when you take into consideration the customary three points awarded for home field advantage.

The Bills gain from having nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, linebackers Matt Milano and Terrell Bernard, and other players available this time around, while the 35-10 loss in Baltimore undoubtedly plays a part. Buffalo’s offensive is also much more self-aware now than it was during the season’s opening month.

Home underdogs’ playoff history in the NFL

Home underdogs in the playoffs have a 24-12-1 record against the spread since the year 2000. According to Stathead, this will just be the fourth time since 2000 that a club has been the road favorite in the Divisional Round.

The San Francisco 49ers’ January 2014 victory over the Carolina Panthers remains the only road team win, with road teams posting a 1-2 record against the spread and straight up.

Since 2018, the Bills have gone 5-5 as home underdogs and 20-17-3 as underdogs overall during the Josh Allen era. However, they haven’t been underdogs at home since the 2020 season finale against the Miami Dolphins, when Miami was fighting for a playoff spot, and Buffalo fielded mostly reserve players. With Allen leading the team, it’s clear this scenario hasn’t occurred since 2020.

Historically, the Ravens have covered the spread in all three of their road playoff games as favorites, the most recent being against Tennessee during the 2021 postseason.

Josh Allen holds a career underdog record of 19-14-2, while Lamar Jackson stands at 44-41-1 as a favorite. How likely do you think the Bills will suffer a loss this Sunday?