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.

Facing one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and one of the top running backs, the Bills defense rose to the challenge with three takeaways and a key red zone stop in Buffalo’s 27-25 victory in the AFC Divisional Round.