Ravens-Bills matchup is all about 'revenge' for Baltimore's star defender

The NFL schedules were officially released this week, so now each team knows what their 2025 season looks like. 

Naturally, there are several interesting matchups and storylines in Week 1 to kick things off. One of those will be a rematch between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. 

Baltimore dominated Buffalo in Week 4 of the 2024 regular season, winning 35-10. However, the teams met again in the divisional round of the playoffs and the Bills came out on top in that one, winning 27-25. 

That game was a heartbreaker for the Ravens, as tight end Mark Andrews dropped what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion. As a result, the Ravens fell short in the postseason once again, and entered this offseason with a bad taste in their mouths. 

Star linebacker Roquan Smith is one of the Ravens who has not forgotten the feeling of losing to the Bills. After the schedule was revealed, Smith declared his excitement to start the season against the Bills. 

"Yeah, just how I like it," he told NFL Network. "Revenge is best served as a cold dish, you know. So, it will be nice to get up to Buffalo and get a little payback for those guys from the end of the year."

In that playoff game against the Bills, Smith finished second on the team with eight tackles. However, even though the Ravens held Josh Allen to just 127 passing yards, it wasn't enough to eek out a win. 

"Honestly, man, those guys won the game fair and square last year, you know that," he added. "Misery sets in all offseason and you use that as motivation throughout the offseason.

"So, just knowing that we have everything it takes to be the best team in the NFL. You have to show that game in and game out and it's going to start up there in Buffalo."

It's just a Week 1 game, but it's not an exaggeration to say this matchup could have season-long implications. The Bills and Ravens are expected to be among the best teams in the AFC again, and having the tie-breaker could end up being a big deal. 

After starting with the Bills, it won't get much easier for the Ravens. The team has games against the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and Houston Texans in the first five weeks of the season. 

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