Ravens' Overall Performance Receives Decent Grade Despite Late Collapse

The Baltimore Ravens met one of the most disastrous ends of any Week 1 loser, but to assume that all 60 in-game minutes went as badly as the final four would be disingenuous.

The Ravens' offense, looking early on like they were overwhelming the Buffalo Bills' defense with their near-limitless scoring options, stalled out right as the home team started surging. Josh Allen led his team in rattling off 16 unanswered points in their last several possessions to steal the come-from-behind 41-40 win, while Lamar Jackson's side has to head home having already collected one of their regularly-embarrassing defeats.

The performance left an unpleasantly familiar taste in every Baltimore fan's mouth, but the Ravens weren't killed for their overall performance. 40 points is a lot to accumulate, and despite their stagnant close, they did show numerous flashes of the top-shelf contender they were billed as.

CBS Sports' John Breech could have taken the given the dramatic route and given the Bills and Ravens drastically different grades, instead choosing to give them each of the teams respectable marks in B territory. The Bills may have won the agenda war in sending the Ravens tumbling to another tight loss that came down to the last few possessions, but anyone who missed the close would have walked away with both sides' outputs.

For three quarters, the Ravens played a nearly perfect game, but things fell apart fast in the fourth quarter," Breech elaborated. "Derrick Henry rushed for an impressive 169 yards and two touchdowns, but he coughed up the ball late in the fourth quarter to give Buffalo life. Lamar Jackson was unstoppable for most of the game, but he got cramps late in the fourth quarter, which might explain why the Ravens were held to just 28 total yards on their final three possessions combined after."

Baltimore Ravens Running Back Derrick Henry — Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) carries the ball against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

"The Ravens offensive meltdown happened at the same time as their defensive meltdown and that led to Baltimore getting outgained 264-87 in the fourth quarter. That's how you blow a 40-25 lead with four minutes left to play. The Ravens have to figure out how to close out games or this could be another season that ends in disappointment."

The Bills' B+ grade is slightly higher than the Ravens' finish, an obvious advantage to provide when looking at who won and who lost, but their ability to control the game and out-play their rivals on enemy soil throughout the vast majority of game time shouldn't be disregarded. As much work as they have to do in proving that they can hang in the biggest moments, their formula continues showing its upside.

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