Bills host Ravens in season opener, rematching Buffalo’s AFC playoff win over Baltimore

Bills host Ravens in season opener, rematching Buffalo’s AFC playoff win over Baltimore.

Bills host Ravens in playoff rematch to open season

Baltimore (13-6) at Buffalo (15-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC
Line: Ravens by 1.5 (BetMGM)
Series: Ravens lead 7-6

Last meeting: Bills edged Ravens 27-25 in last season’s AFC divisional playoff.

Team breakdowns

Ravens offense: No. 1 overall, No. 1 rushing, No. 7 passing, No. 3 scoring
Ravens defense: No. 10 overall, No. 1 vs run, No. 31 vs pass, No. 9 scoring
Bills offense: No. 10 overall, No. 9 rushing, No. 9 passing, No. 2 scoring
Bills defense: No. 17 overall, No. 12 vs run, No. 24 vs pass, No. 11 scoring
Turnover margin: Ravens +6, Bills +24

Players to watch

Ravens: Rookie kicker Tyler Loop, who nailed a 61-yarder in preseason, makes his debut after Justin Tucker’s release. Conditions in Buffalo could be a test.
Bills: QB Josh Allen, coming off MVP season, faces a defense he’s struggled against in the regular season (2 TDs, 1 INT in 4 games). He’s 2-0 vs Baltimore in the playoffs.

Key matchup

Derrick Henry vs Bills front seven.
Henry gashed Buffalo for 199 yards in Week 4 last season but was limited in the playoff loss. Buffalo’s thin defensive line will lean heavily on starters Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones with depth questions behind them.

Injuries

Ravens: TE Isaiah Likely (foot) and FB Patrick Ricard (calf) missed time. CB Jaire Alexander (knee) limited.
Bills: CB Tre’Davious White (groin) uncertain. WR Khalil Shakir (ankle) back, but WR Keon Coleman (groin) questionable. K Tyler Bass (hip/groin) reappears on injury report.

Notes

Bills are 4-1 at home vs Ravens, including 2 playoff wins.
Lamar Jackson set career highs last year: 4,172 yards, 41 TDs, 119.6 rating.
Derrick Henry needs 1 rushing TD to pass Jim Brown for 6th all-time.
Bills went 10-0 at home last season, tying franchise record.
This is Buffalo’s final opener at Highmark Stadium before moving to their new venue in 2026.