For the Baltimore Ravens, the 2025 campaign starts where the 2024 season ended bitterly: Buffalo.
Ravens players aren't brushing off the significance of facing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night to open the season.
"That team sent us home out of the playoffs, so I don't think it's just going into a normal game per se," Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley said, via the team’s official website. "We were very unhappy with the result last time we were there. A lot of us will give anything to leave there with a dub."
The Bills beat the Ravens, 27-25, in last season's AFC Divisional Round despite being outgained 416-273 yards. Buffalo became the first team to win a playoff game while gaining under 300 total yards and allowing 400 or more total yards since the 2015 Carolina Panthers (Divisional Round versus Seattle).
The self-inflicted wounds burned Baltimore in the playoffs. Lamar Jackson had two giveaways (an interception and a fumble), and the defense was a sieve on the ground, allowing 147 yards rushing. The game ended with a Mark Andrews drop on a potential game-tying two-point try.
"It's not a good feeling," defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike said of watching the film. "There's things that we did good, things that we did bad, but the bad overrides the good. We really want to tighten the bolts on that.
"It will be great motivation. That's the last game we played. To go back there and play the same team that we lost to, that we believe we should've won, self-inflicted mistakes. Everybody's pumped up. You want to get that bad taste out of your mouth."
Sunday night's showdown could be a preview of a January rematch as both clubs attempt to get over the postseason hump. The Bills (84) and Ravens (81) each have 80-plus wins over the last seven seasons, including playoffs, joining the 1999-2005 Colts (80) as the only teams in NFL history with 80-plus wins in a seven-season span without reaching a Super Bowl.
