Bills Central

5 things you need to know about Bills vs. Ravens in Week 1

The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens collide for the third time in less than a calendar year. Will Sean McDermott’s club deny John Harbaugh playoff revenge?
Russell Baxter|
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen points to something he sees in the Ravens line up during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen points to something he sees in the Ravens line up during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Buffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & Standings

The Baltimore Ravens have won back-to-back AFC North titles. The Buffalo Bills have captured the AFC East five straight years.

John Harbaugh’s club has been a playoff participant six of the past seven seasons. Sean McDermott’s squad owns the second-longest postseason streak in the league at six in a row.

It’s a clash of AFC mega-powers on Sunday night at Orchard Park.

MORE: Bills predicted to stumble out of gate against 'best team in the NFL'

History

The Cleveland Browns/turned Baltimore Ravens first took the field in 1996, so there’s not what you would call a storied history between the franchises. In terms of head coaches Harbaugh and McDermott, there have been six meetings between the clubs. Including the postseason, the teams have split those half-dozen encounters, with the Bills prevailing in both playoff clashes.

In 2024, the Ravens handed the Bills their first loss of the season, rolling to a 35-10 Sunday night win at Baltimore in Week 4. In the AFC Divisional Playoffs at Orchard Park, McDermott’s club held on for 27-25 victory.

What’s in a Number(s)?

Ravens: In their last six encounters with McDermott’s squad, including divisional playoff clashes in 2020 and ’24, Baltimore has had its way with Buffalo’s run defense. It corresponds with quarterback Lamar Jackson arrival in 2018 and has increased with the arrival of Derrick Henry this past season. In the teams' last half-dozen meetings, the Ravens have averaged an imposing 165.7 yards per game on the ground.

Bills: It’s still hard to fathom that a team could be so effective in terms of ball security and yet not capture the big prize. In 2024, the Bills played a total of 20 games (including playoffs) and turned over the pigskin only eight times (all by Allen). All told, McDermott’s club led the NFL in turnover differential during the regular season (plus-24). Buffalo did not turn over the ball in either contest vs. the Ravens in 2024.

James Cook vs. Ravens
Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs the ball against Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington (29) | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Keep an Eye On…

Ravens: Ageless linebacker Kyle Van Noy has emerged as a pass-rushing force in his two seasons with Harbaugh’s club. The two-time Super Bowl champion, with the Patriots, totaled a career-high nine sacks with the Ravens in 2023, then topped that mark this past season with 12.5 quarterback traps—earning his first Pro Bowl invitation in the process. The Bills allowed the fewest sacks in the league (14) in 2024.

RELATED: How to watch Bills vs Ravens, NFL Week 1: Start time, live stream, TV channel

Bills: Running back James Cook was one of three players in the league in 2024, along with Henry, who tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. He’s coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns, and over that span he’s amassed a combined 2,834 yards from scrimmage and 24 total touchdowns in 33 regular-season contests. In this past season’s playoff clash, Cook had 67 of Buffalo’s 147 yards on the ground.

Josh Allen pressured
Dec 26, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws the ball past New England Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

—  Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI  —

More Buffalo Bills News:

Published
Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.

Home/News