The wait is officially over. Buffalo's 2025 season is here. What a game to kick off the Bills' season – Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
The teams have plenty of history between each other. Their most recent matchup was in the Divisional Round of the playoffs with the Bills coming out on top. As these two get ready for a re-match, here are five storylines to get you prepped for Sunday.
1. A matchup between the league's last two MVPs
Sunday night's game is a must-watch for NFL fans thanks to so many reasons. Yes, it's just Week 1 but this game could factor into the No. 1 seed when it's all said and done. You also have a re-match of the Divisional Round game, which the Bills won by two points. And the two leaders in rushing touchdowns from last year in James Cook and Derrick Henry have all eyes on them to see if they'll top the 16 from 2024.
This game also features two of the most stacked rosters facing off against each other in an early measuring-stick game. A big part of what makes each roster so good are their quarterbacks – Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. It's a duel between the league's last two MVPs with Jackson winning it in 2023 and Allen taking home the cake in 2024. Watching these two on the same stage never gets old because of their deep knowledge of the game, arm talent and rushing ability.
The two enter their eighth NFL season with a similar cast of characters and a few new playmakers – wide receiver Joshua Palmer was signed by Buffalo and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was signed by Baltimore during the offseason. The two have been ultra productive at leading their teams to victories since 2017 – Allen has 260 total touchdowns in seven seasons (1st), while Jackson has 199 (6th).
Allen (85) and Jackson (74) rank first and second in offensive touchdowns over the last two seasons and were the only quarterbacks with at least 40 total touchdowns and fewer than 10 giveaways in 2024. They also light it up in the primetime window. Allen (102.1) and Jackson (108.7) have the two best passer ratings in primetime since 2022. Allen is 13-4 in those matchups, while Jackson is 11-1. We'll see if one earns another MVP title in 2025.
2. A similar offseason mindset
The Bills and Ravens had similar approaches this offseason – keep the offense mostly intact and add to the defensive side of the ball. Buffalo and Baltimore drafted six defensive players in the 2025 draft with each teams' first two picks (Bills – CB Maxwell Hairston and DT T.J. Sanders, Ravens – S Malaki Starks, DE Mike Green) being on the defensive side of the ball.
During free agency, the Ravens focused on their secondary by adding cornerback Jaire Alexander and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. The Bills went defensive line heavy, picking up players like defensive end Joey Bosa, defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
Both teams also signed wide receivers who will have roles on offense – Baltimore added wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Buffalo signed wide receiver Joshua Palmer. Each team ranked top three averaging more than 30 points per game in 2024, so both offenses will run back elements of what made them so successful. One of those elements is riding with the run game. Running backs James Cook and Derrick Henry tied for the league's most rushing touchdowns last year (16) and both received extensions during the offseason. Both teams will also run back their starting offensive line from last season.
Another one of Baltimore's most important signings was extending safety Kyle Hamilton, who they drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft, in a mega four-year deal. Similarly, Buffalo focused on extending a slew of their picks from the 2022 draft class – wide receiver Khalil Shakir, running back James Cook, cornerback Christian Benford and linebacker Terrel Bernard.
3. Where the Bills and Ravens ranked in 2024
The Bills and the Ravens were neck and neck last year in more ways than one. The Ravens beat the Bills in the regular season, and the Bills beat the Ravens in the playoffs. Buffalo finished with 13 wins; Baltimore finished with 12. If you dive into their statistics, they were close in plenty of categories.
Yes, every year is a new year but there weren't crazy changes to either offense. And they'll likely keep the main thing the main thing with the leagues last two MVP quarterbacks at the helm. Here's how they stacked up against each other in 2024.
Offense
Points per game: Bills (30.9 – 2nd), Ravens (30.5 – 3rd)
Total yards per game: Bills (359.1 – 10th), Ravens (424.9 – 1st)
Red zone efficiency: Bills (71.6% - 2nd), Ravens (74.2% - 1st)
Turnovers: Bills (8 – least), Ravens (11 – 3rd least)
Defense
Points per game allowed: Bills (21.6 – T-11th), Ravens (21.2 – 9th)
Total yards per game allowed: Bills (341.5 – 17th), Ravens (324.2 – 10th)
Takeaways: Bills (32 – 3rd), Ravens (17 – T-19th)
4. Not so secret weapons aiming to run it back in 2025
One element that separated the Bills and Ravens from plenty teams last season was their ability to run the ball. Running backs James Cook and Derrick Henry proved to be cheat codes on offense as the two tied with 16 rushing touchdowns each – the most in the league.
Henry finished his season with a whopping 1,921 rushing yards (2nd in the NFL), while Cook posted 1,009. Good things happened with the ball in their hands as Henry averaged 5.9 yards per carry (1st among RB, min. 200 attempts) and Cook averaged 4.9 (5th among RB). The Bills had a rush percentage of 47.9% last season (5th most) and the Ravens ran the ball 52.5% of the time (2nd). Both teams had a top 10 success rate when running the football – Bills (50.1% - 7th), Ravens (52.2% - 2nd).
One of the big questions for 2025 will be if each RB can produce similar numbers and if their teams will rely on them similarly to 2024. Both Cook and Henry received extensions this offseason, so it's assumed the teams will trust them to help carry their offenses.
5. The final home opener in Highmark Stadium
There will be a lot of lasts this year as the Bills kick off their final season in Highmark Stadium before moving into the new Highmark Stadium in 2025. Sunday marks the last home opener for Buffalo in a stadium they've played in since it opened in 1973.
As the Bills begin their farewell campaign, Buffalo will wear a farewell season patch on their jerseys for Sunday's opener and the final game of the season. The Bills will also have several activations in the stadium throughout the season to highlight eras to remember, as well as special performances to make it a season to remember. Sunday's halftime show will feature an exciting drone show, which is the perfect way to begin the season.
Buffalo's captains for the last season at Highmark Stadium are quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Terrel Bernard. It's Allen's seventh season earning the 'C' and Bernard's second.
Going all the way back to the first season in Highmark Stadium, in 1973, the Bills finished 9-5 under the guise of head coach Lou Saban and quarterback Joe Ferguson. In Week 1, Buffalo beat the Patriots 31-13 in Rich Stadium. Believe it or not, the Bills have played more than 400 total games in the current stadium.
