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Wow! What an ending to a massive football weekend.
The Bills held on to defeat the Ravens 27-25 in a cold, snowy affair to head to their first AFC Championship Game since the 2020 season.
Josh Allen went right to Lamar. Respect 🤝 #BALvsBUF pic.twitter.com/iBrg5PIsqH
— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
They will face a familiar opponent – Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at a rowdy Arrowhead Stadium next weekend with a trip to Super Bowl LIX on the line.
The Ravens need this onside kick to have a chance – and they don’t get it.
Rasul Douglas falls on the onside kick!
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/mUfMRPLBXY— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Buffalo has it at the Baltimore 47 and all they need to do is get one first down and this game is over.
Score: Ravens 25, Bills 27
The Ravens come out of the two-minute warning with one timeout left.
Jackson drops back to pass and checks it down to running back Justice Hill, who takes the ball upfield and gets out of bounds to stop the clock after a four-yard gain.
On second down, Jackson goes back to Mark Andrews, who grabs the ball and is shoved out at the Buffalo 24-yard line after a 19-yard gain. The Ravens are now within striking distance with 1:44 to play.
Jackson dances in the backfield, waiting for a receiver, waiting … waiting … waiting … and he finds Isaiah Likely in the end zone for a touchdown!
TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TUNE IN ON CBS pic.twitter.com/Y1uxzOELvp
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 20, 2025
It’s a 24-yard score that brings the Ravens within two and they need to convert this to tie – and they don’t! Andrews drops the ball as he falls out of bounds and the Ravens season might have just trickled away through the hands of one of the best tight ends in football.
THE BALL WAS DROPPED – Jim Nantz pic.twitter.com/K1PK2tXryz
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 20, 2025
There are just 93 seconds to play in this one.
Score: Ravens 25, Bills 27
At the two-minute warning, the Ravens are moving down the field and 47 yards and a two-point conversion separates this game from overtime.
The drive starts with Jackson going deep and overthrowing his tight end, Isaiah Likely. Bills defender Taron Johnson is injured and play stops for an extended period, allowing the Ravens to gather themselves.
Jackson scrambles and takes the ball eight yards, setting up third-and-two from the Baltimore 23. Jackson finds Justice Hill for a short pass, enough to pick up the first down. On the next play, he finds Rashod Bateman for another short pass and the wideout is slow to get up after an awkward tackle. He walks off the field under his own power.
The snow is starting to pick up, blowing sideways across the Highmark Stadium turf. Jackson takes his time on the second down snap, and makes a dangerous pass across his body to Tylan Wallace – and it pays off! Wallace catches the ball and goes across midfield to the Buffalo 47.
Lamar scrambles and finds Tylan Wallace for the FIRST DOWN 🐦⬛
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/lCBx4wGD4O— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Play stops for the two-minute warning. An exciting finish coming in Buffalo.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 27
Here we go – under three-and-a-half minutes to go and Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens need a touchdown and a two-point conversion to send this game into overtime.
They get the ball on the 33-yard line – but a holding penalty sets them back to the 12.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 27
The Bills are faced with a huge decision on the Ravens two-yard line.
Kick a field goal and go up eight or go for it and potentially put the game away?
Head coach Sean McDermott and the Bills elected to kick. Tyler Bass was true and the lead is now eight.
.@BuffaloBills make it an 8-point game with 3:29 to play 👀
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/udruxTWeeX— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Buffalo played it safe but now Lamar Jackson and the Ravens still have some hope left with a big offensive drive coming up here with a little over three minutes to go.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 27
It’s cliché, but football truly is a game with a narrow margin for error.
Right now, it’s the Ravens who are making the critical errors.
The three turnovers combined with 33 yards in penalties – including a costly illegal hands to the face call on this drive – have kept the Ravens from dominating this game on the scoreboard as they are on the stat sheet. The Ravens have 328 yards to the Bills’ 239 (with 6:14 to go in the game). They’re outrushing and outpassing the Bills’ offense – but those big mistakes have proven costly.
The Bills now have a chance to make this one a two-score game after the latest crucial error from Mark Andrews – who lost his first fumble since 2019 on that last Ravens drive.
Jordan Phillips celebrating with Terrel Bernard after Bernard forced the turnover 😂 @BuffaloBills | #BALvsBUF pic.twitter.com/ER2ErVZsHb
— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 24
The snow starts up again as the Ravens take the field, trailing by five.
The first play is a Lamar Jackson pass to Steven Sims to the left side, letting the wide receiver get into space to pick up four yards. Running back Derrick Henry takes the direct snap on second down and pushes for five yards, setting up a third-and-one.
The big running back plows into the middle of the Buffalo defensive line and it’s not clear if he got the first down – he doesn’t! It’s fourth-and-one from the Baltimore 39-yard line and the Ravens are going for it! Tight end Mark Andrews goes under center and takes the ball forward for two yards, picking up what might prove to be a crucial fourth down conversion.
Mark Andrews 4th and short sneak 😤
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/Wca1LzWcfR— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
After Justice Hill is dropped behind the line on first down, Jackson takes a shotgun snap and finds Andrews wide open but – oh my! Terrel Bernard strips the ball and recovers it at the Buffalo 44-yard line!
Terrel Bernard forces it.
Terrel Bernard recovers it.@BuffaloBills ball!
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/mAjj3dp0Ms— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
An absolute massive turnover – huge play by the Bills’ defense!
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 24
The Buffalo offense has been slowed effectively since coming out of halftime.
After the Ravens defense pitched a shutout in the third quarter, the Bills finally added to their thin lead.
Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass persevered through some not so ideal kicking conditions to successfully nail a 51-yard field goal to make it a five point game with just over 12 minutes to play.
The game is still in reach for the Ravens as they get the ball back.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 24
This is the heavyweight battle we all anticipated.
Heading into the fourth quarter, just a failed two-point conversion separates the two teams as the Baltimore Ravens made a statement in that third quarter.
Two lengthy drives – nine plays for 35 yards that ended in a field goal and seven plays for 80 yards that ended in a touchdown – have drawn the Ravens close. At the same time, their defense has locked down Josh Allen and the Bills offense, holding the vaunted quarterback and his charges to just 38 yards in that quarter.
All to play for in the fourth quarter in this highly anticipated game of the weekend.
The winner gets an unenviable prize: A trip to Arrowhead Stadium to play the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 21
Some insight from CNN’s Coy Wire on why the ground game is picking up for Baltimore:
The Ravens are deploying more pulling linemen, forcing Bills defenders to change gap responsibilities after ball is snapped. Bills not executing run fits. Lots of mental errors on that drive.
Coy Wire
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 21
Those tough runs from Derrick Henry that didn’t get much yardage in the first half are turning into big gains here in the second.
Jackson and the Ravens get the ball at their own 20-yard line and the first play is a handoff to Derrick Henry, who’s starting to find some more space out there. He goes for six yards off the left tackle and then another three through the middle of the defense to set up third and short. And with just a yard to go, Henry suddenly bursts through the middle of the Bills’ defense for 17 yards, bringing the ball toward midfield – he was so close to taking that all the way.
Jackson finds tight end Mark Andrews for 12 yards and then Justice Hill shoots out of the backfield and picks up another 22 yards. In the blink of an eye, the Ravens are once again threatening and are inside the Bills’ red zone.
Henry takes the ball on first down and goes off tackle to the left, carrying the ball 15 yards down to the Bills’ five-yard line. It seems like the Bills’ plan to contain the former Alabama standout is falling apart here in the third quarter – Henry’s gone for 58 yards in the third quarter, more than doubling his total from the first half.
On first and goal, it’s right back to Henry for five yards and a touchdown – and the Ravens will go for two to try and tie this game.
DERRICK HENRY CAPS OFF THE DRIVE WITH A TD 👑
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/zKyTvH4drW— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Jackson is in the shotgun and Henry motions out wide. Jackson looks for Isaiah Likely and the ball is tipped by linebacker Matt Milano and falls to the turf incomplete. The Ravens still trail by two, but they’re moving the ball on the ground finally.
Score: Ravens 19, Bills 21
Two drives, two punts for the Bills offense to start the second half.
The culprit?
The Ravens defense.
Following a first half plight for the unit, they have found a way to crack the code of Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense.
Kyle Van Noy makes the stop and Baltimore’s DC Zach Orr LOVES it 💪 @Ravens
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/F5RGstSd76— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Baltimore are still in this despite Lamar Jackson’s struggles and will look to even things up in Orchard Park on this ensuing drive.
Score: Ravens 13, Bills 21
A big moment to start the second half here for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
They get the ball at their own 36-yard line after a big punt from Buffalo’s Sam Martin and a solid return from the Ravens’ Steven Sims.
Jackson opens the drive by missing badly on a throw to Nelson Agholor and the home fans take the noise up another notch. On second down, Jackson finds tight end Mark Andrews for five yards and then again on third down, picking up nine yards and a first down.
With the ball at midfield, Jackson hands off to his running back – Justice Hill, not Derrick Henry – and Hill finds 11 yards up the middle of the Buffalo defense. Henry’s back in the game on the next play and takes the handoff for 12 yards, his best run of the night so far. It’s dangerous for the Bills to let him get hot.
Hill gets a pitch on first down from the Buffalo 27-yard line and loses two yards, setting up second-and-long. The Bills’ defense read that play perfectly and their aggressive linebackers were in the backfield before Hill could do anything. Jackson’s second-down pass to Andrews is off target and now the Ravens face a key third down in Buffalo territory.
That third down gets a bit harder on a delay of game penalty that costs the Ravens five yards, making it third-and-17 – on the edge of field goal territory in this kind of cold weather. The Highmark Stadium fans are deafening as Jackson drops back to pass and he finds Rashod Bateman for five yards, and Bateman is absolutely leveled by linebacker Matt Milano.
Justin Tucker has a 47-yard field goal attempt and splits the uprights. The Ravens are within eight.
Score: Ravens 13, Bills 21
The Ravens defense came out of the gates with a bit of urgency after a dismal display in the first half.
HUGE STOP! @WigginNathaniel
Tune in on CBS! pic.twitter.com/tEbROY9iaI
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 20, 2025
Baltimore forced a quick three-and-out as the Ravens get the ball back with the hopes of stopping the bleeding.
Score: Ravens 10, Bills 21
The temperature was below 20 degrees at kickoff and a light snow was falling at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, as the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens locked horns in one of the most anticipated divisional round games in recent memory.
With a pair of leading MVP candidates going head-to-head at quarterback and a date with the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the two teams.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens got the first possession Sunday and showed why they’re one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.
Running plays from the thunder-and-lightning combination of running back Derrick Henry and Jackson softened up the Buffalo defense, and opened the door for passes downfield.
Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely for a big play, 39 yards down to the Buffalo 23. A few plays later, Jackson found a wide-open Rashod Bateman for the 11-yard touchdown.
Next, it was the Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s turn, and he responded in kind.
Allen targeted an open Khalil Shakir 34 yards down the field on third down and later rushed for seven yards on a fourth down try to keep the drive alive before running back Ray Davis eventually punched it in to tie the game up at 7-7.
If there has been one consistent knock on two-time league MVP Jackson, it’s been that he doesn’t always play his best football on the biggest stage.
Jackson gave his critics more ammunition in the first half with a pair of costly mistakes.
After the Bills TD, Jackson aimed for wide receiver Rashod Bateman on a deep pass but sailed the ball far over his receiver’s head and into the arms of safety Taylor Rapp, though Buffalo failed to convert the turnover into points.
On the Ravens’ next possession, Jackson was sacked by Bills safety Damar Hamlin and fumbled the football. Buffalo linebacker Von Miller scooped the ball up and ran it down to the Baltimore 24-yard line.
The Bills took advantage this time, as Allen powered in a one-yard touchdown run.
Baltimore righted the ship on their next possession with a nine-play drive. But the Ravens’ offense stalled out inside the Buffalo 10-yard line as Baltimore settled for three points on a 26-yard field goal from Justin Tucker.
Buffalo put a chokehold on the game with another scoring drive on their next possession.
The Bills asserted their ground game dominance on a nine-play, 70-yard drive that ended with another Allen TD, this time on a four-yard keeper just before the half ended.
It’s 21-10 Buffalo at the intermission – the largest halftime deficit for the Ravens all season, according to CBS – with the Bills set to get the ball first to start the third quarter.
We’re back underway in Orchard Park and the Ravens defense faces a stiff test right away.
The Bills are currently up by 11 and have been making Lamar Jackson look uncomfortable most of the night. If they get another touchdown on the board here, it’s going to be tough sledding in this second half for the Ravens.
The Bills return the ball out to their 25-yard line and Josh Allen is taking the field.
Former Bill and current CNNer Coy Wire is thrilled with what he’s seeing so far.
Here’s how he sees things:
“Before this game, if we would’ve asked how to beat the Ravens, we’d have said make ‘em one-dimensional. Bills have ‘em right where they want them. Especially if they score on the opening drive of the second half, the Ravens are gonna have to abort going to Derrick Henry even more and try to air it out.”
All in all, that’s about as bad as it could have gone for Baltimore in the first half.
Lamar Jackson is 6 of 10 for 123 yards and has run for 31 more. But his two turnovers – a bad interception and a fumble – have cost his team field position and set up Bills’ points, not to mention igniting a frozen Highmark Stadium crowd.
All-Pro running back Derrick Henry has been mostly held in check with just 21 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen is outplaying his main competition for the MVP. He’s 5 of 7 for 69 yards and has five rushes for 15 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens have simply not been able to get their ground game going outside of Jackson’s scrambles, a marked difference from the Week 4 showdown between these two teams.
Score: Ravens 10, Buffalo 21
And it’s halftime in Orchard Park.
The Bills and Josh Allen are rampant right now and the Ravens have turned the ball over twice, key mistakes that have led to points for the Bills.
It’s 21-10 Buffalo at halftime.
Its the largest halftime deficit for the Ravens all season, according to CBS.
There was a nice moment in the first half featuring a Bills fan, Charlene Mallory, receiving Super Bowl LIX tickets from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
For over 20 years, Charlene Mallory has been a volunteer at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, a local nonprofit that serves thousands of people a day on Buffalo’s East Side. Charlene spends each day serving others.
As a huge @BuffaloBills fan, Commissioner Roger Goodell thanked her… pic.twitter.com/cRxZgVd9nA
— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Score: Ravens 10, Bills 21
