Familiar faces highlight Bills-Ravens highly anticipated Week 1 rematch

Though eight months removed from their AFC Divisional Round classic, the stars will look similar in Sunday night's season opener at Highmark Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) drops a pass on a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

It was 33 Sundays ago on a snow-covered field that the Buffalo Bills dramatically ended the Baltimore Ravens' season at Highmark Stadium. Though some details have been tweaked since, the principal players will look very familiar when the teams open the 2025 season September 7 in the same venue.

Mostly, it'll be a matchup between the NFL's last two MVPs in Buffalo's Josh Allen (2024) and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (2023). Hey, the league isn't showcasing this one on Sunday Night Football by accident.

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Though the previous meeting was for a berth in the AFC Championship Game and this will have much more modest stakes of starting a 17-game journey 1-0, there are similarities. The quarterbacks, the head coaches (Buffalo's Sean McDermott and Baltimore's John Harbaugh) and the tight ends trying to forget excruciating drops (Buffalo's Dalton Kincaid and Baltimore's Mark Andrews) are all back.

In the AFC Divisional playoff game on Jan. 19, the Bills jumped to a 21-10 lead lead behind two Allen rushing touchdowns. But Jackson rallied the Ravens within 27-25 with a touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely with 1:33 remaining. On the potential game-tying two-point conversion, Jackson's perfect pass slipped through Andrews' hands at the goal line. The following week in the AFC Championship Game, Kincaid dropped Allen's pass which would've put the Bills in position to tie or beat the Kansas City Chiefs.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott shake hands in 2018 | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The temperature that night was 19 degrees. Forecast for Sunday night's 8:20 kickoff is in the 50s.

In addition to Andrews' gift, the Bills were fortunate to win after getting three Ravens' turnovers and allowing 416 yards of offense. Along with Jackson, star running back Derrick Henry is back for Baltimore, which added three-time All-Pro receiver De'Andre Hopkins in free agency. Likely will miss the opener after undergoing foot surgery. The biggest change to the Ravens will be at kicker, where veteran Justin Tucker is gone (released and suspended by the league for 10 games for violating its personal conduct policy), replaced by Tyler Loop.

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Defensively the Ravens will have two new starters in the secondary: former Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander at cornerback and Georgia rookie first-round draft choice Malaki Starks at safety. He takes the place of Ar'Darius Washington, who suffered a torn Achilles in May.

The Bills are essentially running it back with the group, though with the addition of edge rusher Joey Bosa, the return of safety Jordan Poyer and with free-agent receiver Joshua Palmer taking the role held last season by Mack Hollins.

Then: the Bills were favored by 1. Now: They are favored by 1.5.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen against the Ravens in the 2024 playoff game. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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