The Baltimore Ravens opened their season with a 40-41 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Baltimore suffered a late-game collapse after blowing a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, in a stunning Sunday night finish.
Josh Allen got the better of Lamar Jackson, dropping Lamar’s record against the Bills to (3-4). The Ravens blew an early chance to pick up a big-time statement win in a highly competitive AFC.
For the Ravens, this isn’t just a bad start to the season; it’s a crucial loss that will help determine the AFC playoff standings at the end of the season. Baltimore now looks to avoid going 0-2 for the second straight year.
AFC North
One reason this game was so crucial for Baltimore is that they play in an ultra-competitive AFC North, where they have a team like the Bengals which boasts a top-five offense in the game; led by MVP contender Joe Burrow paired with the elite offensive weapons in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who form the best one-two punch at wide receiver.
It’s also not wise to overlook the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers, who rank third in NFL history for the most consecutive seasons without a losing record, with 18. The Steelers consistently deliver exciting matchups against the Ravens and remain a formidable opponent with their elite defense, which has a reputation of causing chaos for quarterbacks.
Even the Cleveland Browns, who are currently rebuilding and are led by former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, have 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The Browns have shown they can beat anyone on any given Sunday, like last year, when they beat Baltimore at home in Week 8 with a 29-24 win.
In a division this competitive, the Ravens will need every win they can get to compete in the AFC. Dropping their first conference matchup means they are going into another critical game in Week 2 game against the Browns. They now already start the season a game behind both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, both of whom started their season off with a win.
Baltimore’s tough stretch continues — they will play four more playoff teams from last year in the next five games. Dropping Week 1 only makes the road that much more urgent.
Strength of Schedule
The Ravens face the ninth toughest schedule in 2025, based on 2024 win percentage.
After taking on the Bills and Browns through the first two weeks, in Week 3 they have a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions, who are led by Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions finished first in the NFC last season with a 15-2 record. They then move on to Arrowhead to play Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who are 3-0 against Lamar Jackson at home.
Finally, the Ravens go up against last year’s AFC South winners, the Houston Texans, in Week 5, before playing Mathew Stafford and the Rams in Week 6 to close out the tough start of the season. The Rams have one of the best WR duos with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and one of the most well-balanced teams in the NFL.
Now that they’ve already started off the season 0-1, their margin for error is razor-thin. Last week’s loss may come back to haunt them when January comes around, with Buffalo now owning the crucial tiebreaker over them.
The Ravens are now forced to play catch-up. Their room for error to snag the No. 1 seed in the AFC again has shrunk dramatically. For Baltimore, a team with championship aspirations, they’re already battling uphill.
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