Ravens Fall in a Nailbiter to the Bills to Open 2025 0-1

The Baltimore Ravens came into Sunday’s game with high hopes but left with a frustrating loss to the Buffalo Bills that exposed some serious cracks. From the start, Buffalo’s offense kept the pressure on, and Baltimore’s special teams struggled to contain big plays, giving the Bills crucial momentum. The Ravens showed some early fight, but as the game wore on, their effort waned—especially in the fourth quarter when they noticeably took their foot off the gas, allowing Buffalo to mount a relentless comeback.

That lapse in intensity proved costly, as the Bills capitalized on every opportunity to chip away at the lead and eventually overtake Baltimore. The loss is a tough wake-up call for the Ravens, who now face the urgent need to tighten up all phases of their game—offense, defense, and especially special teams—if they want to avoid more late-game collapses this season.

Offense

The road to 2,000 yards begins, and Derrick Henry exceeded his game minimum rushing yards this game, with 169 yards. To cap it off, he added two rushing touchdowns to start off his season. What a way to begin the journey to 2,000. While Henry had a one-in-a-million fumble, his performance in this game should not be overlooked.

Zay Flowers had a game as well with 143 yards receiving and one touchdown. Flowers looked like he hadn't lost a step since his injury back in 2024. But the real eye-opener was DeAndre Hopkins, looking like Father Time has not caught up with him yet. 1-handed highlight grab in the endzone that will definitely be on the ESPN Top 10 this week. Let's not forget two-time (and three-time, if we are being blunt) MVP Lamar Jackson, who put on an MVP performance against the Bills with 70 yards rushing, 209 yards passing, and three total touchdowns. A performance that will always be overshadowed by the fact that they still lost this game. The main reason for the loss will come later.

Defense

To chalk up the defense's overall performance, they struggled. There were moments where they held the line, but the pass rush needs to be examined. There were only a couple of times Josh Allen was under pressure, but overall, he was cool and calm in the pocket. For a quarterback like Josh Allen, pressuring him is the only way to get him uncomfortable. Get him to make mistakes, and the defense will be able to win the game. Jaire Alexander was also disappointing, allowing 83 yards in coverage. However, I will say that after almost a month of no practice, it can be chalked up to rust for this game. One highlight I will note is that Malaki Starks nearly had his first career interception off a deflected pass. Although it was almost, it shows a promising career for the young star, and I expect to see many more opportunities for him to secure that first interception.

My Final Thoughts

There are two reasons we lost this game: John Harbaugh and Daniel Faalale. Let's start with Harbaugh. 17 games of blown leads in the 4th quarter when leading by two scores. 17. The most by a coach since 1991. The next highest? 9. This is downright insane, and no accountability for it. Harbaugh's conservatism has been the reason the Ravens have not returned to the Super Bowl. Any loss by the Ravens has always been because of the Ravens. Harbaugh's status as coach will be in question if the Ravens do not make it to the Super Bowl this season. As for Daniel Faalale, it's pretty simple. Cut him. He is a liability on the offensive line, looking lost and confused at right guard. If Lamar Jackson or Derrick Henry get hurt, it will be because of him. For this offensive line to be complete, the Ravens need to cut him ASAP. Now, the Ravens look to the home opener against Myles Garrett and Joe Flacco, and we will see if any adjustments are made.

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