For the Ravens, Week 1 became another nightmare in Buffalo.
They led 40-25 midway through the fourth quarter, and by eight points with just over three minutes to play. Yet, they let a potential victory slip away, as Baltimore's defense surrendered 394 passing yards to Josh Allen, and a crucial fourth-quarter fumble by Derrick Henry helped lead to the Ravens' demise.
Instead of getting revenge against the Bills, the Ravens got a punch in the gut. Buffalo scored 16 unanswered points to defeat Baltimore, 41-40, on a 32-yard field goal by Matt Prater as time expired.
This pill is a tough loss for the Ravens to swallow, but this loss doesn't end their season. It's just the start of it. They need to regroup and prepare for their home opener against the Cleveland Browns and ex-Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.
"Difficult loss, very disappointing," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "We're disappointed, but we'll be fine. We'll go back to work."
Here are five takeaways from the Ravens' loss:
Beating the Bills in Buffalo remains a problem the Ravens haven't solved.
The Bills were undefeated at home in 2024, and this victory by the Ravens extended Allen's home winning streak to 12 straight games. Even when an opponent plays well in Buffalo, the Bills usually find a way to keep the game close enough for Allen to lead some late-game heroics.
The Ravens outplayed Buffalo and led most of the game, but they left the door open, and the Bills stormed through it. With Baltimore still ahead by eight points, Henry fumbled with just over three minutes left to play, and that was the big break the Bills needed.
The Bills have won five straight AFC East titles and may roll to another, with the Jets, Patriots, and Dolphins all losing in Week 1. The Ravens don't want to make another trip to Buffalo in the playoffs, but they may have to.
Baltimore's defense has work to do.
The Ravens have five former first-round picks in their secondary, but Allen picked them apart. Last year's MVP played a great game and he's always difficult to contain. But the Bills had receivers running free in Baltimore's secondary and Allen was only sacked once.
Give Allen open receivers and time to throw, and he is going to make plays. Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins made a key pass breakup on a potential two-point conversion late in the game that temporarily kept the Ravens in front. But the Ravens' defense didn't have a takeaway and allowed too many big plays. To win a championship, those things must be fixed, and the defense must play better overall.
Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman had a huge night (eight catches, 112 yards), but he wasn't the only Buffalo player getting open. Allen completed passes to nine different targets, and the Ravens simply didn't have enough answers. Baltimore talked about having a dominant defense this season, but this performance was far from that in many areas.
Henry remains a powerful hammer who can dominate.
Henry (18 carries, 169 yards, two touchdowns) had a great game until Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver stripped the ball away to force the key turnover.
If you're waiting for Henry to slow down this season, forget it. Henry is on his way to Canton one day, and at age 31, he's got plenty of yards to gain first. He set the offensive tone for Baltimore in this game by rushing for 101 yards on his first seven carries, including a 30-yard touchdown run that victimized Bills safety Cole Bishop.
On his way to paydirt, Henry gave his patented stiff arm to Bishop, who hit the ground like he had run into a brick wall.
Henry continues his climb up the Mount Rushmore of running backs. He could become the oldest player to win the rushing title this season, and nobody will be surprised if it happens.
Henry will be sick about his fourth-quarter fumble, but he's going to inflict much more pain on opponents.
"I told my teammates after the game to put the loss on me. I own it like a man," Henry said.
DeAndre Hopkins still has magic hands and the offense is going to be hard to stop.
Hopkins had two catches for 35 yards, but the most memorable was his one-handed 29-yard touchdown grab that had to be seen to be believed.
Hopkins was acquired in the offseason to make clutch plays, and this was a perfect example. Zay Flowers (seven catches, 143 yards) was Lamar Jackson's main target, but Hopkins rose to the occasion when called upon.
The Ravens put on an offensive show in Week 1 that was wasted in a loss, as they put up 40 points on Buffalo without tight end Isaiah Likely (foot). Baltimore is going to be a difficult team to defend all season, and Hopkins only adds to the explosiveness.
Extra Points:
- Rookie kicker Tyler Loop had a strong debut, making both field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder. He also made 4 of 5 extra point attempts. Loop said he rushed his approach to the ball on his costly extra point miss.
- Kyle Hamilton went to the locker room briefly with a hand injury but returned to action and said after the game that he was "fine." Hamilton also told reporters he nearly blocked the game-winning field goal.
- Jackson completed 14 of 19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 70 yards on six carries and one touchdown. He had a remarkable scramble for 19 yards for a first down and, in a typical game, would've made enough plays to win. However, the Ravens went three-and-out on their final possession, giving Allen enough time to set up the game-winning field goal.
- The Ravens will face a Browns team at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday that also lost a close game in Week 1, 17-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
