The Baltimore Ravens are the league's hottest team. They picked up their eighth straight win on Sunday when Justin Tucker nailed a game-winning field goal against the San Francisco 49ers. Their schedule is not easing up as they prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 14.

Buffalo picked up a statement win in Dallas over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. This will be a game full of run plays. These are two of the top five rushing teams in the league. The Ravens will need to do what they do best to win this game.

Here are the two major X-Factors for Baltimore in this one.

2. Mark Ingram

Ingram has been an incredible addition to the Ravens' offense. Baltimore leads the NFL in rushing yards per game by a large margin at 207.8 per game. Both Ingram and Lamar Jackson are going to be 1,000-yard rushers this season. Jackson is leading the MVP race right now because of his legs. He is not an elite passer and that is why the Ravens do not throw the ball as often.

What Jackson does do at an elite level is run the football. He is extremely elusive and shifty in the open field, but he cannot do it all himself.

Ingram has been a bulldog this season. He has 837 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. Ingram averages five yards per carry. The Ravens know that they have a reliable three-down back to hand the ball to and they do it a lot. The Bills are a team that has trouble stopping the run, so Ingram is one of the most important players for the Ravens on Sunday.

1. Linebacking Core

The Bills are a confident team. They have won three in a row to get to 9-3 and are in solid possession of the first Wild Card spot in the AFC. Buffalo is also eyeing the AFC East lead, just one game behind the New England Patriots. They also have a dual-threat quarterback with a group of strong running backs. Josh Allen is the opposite of Jackson. Allen is a big, bruising runner who likes to initiate contact.

Devin Singletary and Frank Gore keep it balanced in the backfield. The Bills are fifth in the league in rushing at 137.9 yards per game. For the Ravens, their linebackers will need to come up and stuff the run. Matthew Judon and Josh Bynes have had strong seasons and will play a huge role in this game. Baltimore is known historically for their linebackers. They will have to show the Bills why on Sunday.