Draft:Bills–Ravens rivalry

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Bills–Ravens rivalry
Buffalo Bills
Baltimore Ravens
LocationBuffalo, Baltimore
First meetingOctober 31, 1999
Bills 13, Ravens 10[1]
Latest meetingSeptember 7, 2025
Bills 41, Ravens 40 [1]
Next meetingTBD
StadiumsBills: Highmark Stadium
Ravens: M&T Bank Stadium
Statistics
Meetings total14[1]
All-time seriesTie: 7–7[1]
Regular season seriesRavens: 7–5[1]
Postseason resultsBills: 2–0[1]
Largest victoryBills: 17–3 (2020)
Ravens: Ravens: 47–3 (2018)
Most points scoredBills: 41 (2025)
Ravens: 47 (2018)[1]
Longest win streakBills: 2 (2020–2022, 2024–present)
Ravens: 3 (2016–2019)[1]
Current win streakBills: 2
(2024–present)[1]
Post-season history[1]
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
220km
137miles
Ravens
Bills
Locations of the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.


The Bills–Ravens rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens.

As the Bills play in the AFC East and the Ravens in the AFC North, the two teams do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium during which their divisions are paired up, sometimes more often if the two teams finish in the same place in their respective divisions or meet in the playoffs.[2][3][4] Though the two franchises are in different divisions within the American Football Conference and did not start playing each other until the late 1990s, their rivalry is noted for competitiveness in the playoffs, especially in the early 2020s, as both teams have contended for the AFC title. The rivalry has also been notable for the emergence of Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who were both taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.[5][6]

As of 2025, the overall series between the two teams is tied, 7–7. The two teams have met twice in the playoffs, with the Bills winning both games.[1]

History

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1999–2017: Early years

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The two teams first played each other in 1999, but the rivalry was not as competitive during this time period.[7] The Bills would endure a 17-year playoff drought during this period, while the Ravens would be competitive, winning Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants, in addition to winning Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers.[8][9]

The rivalry began to intensify at the end of the 2017 NFL season, despite the two teams not meeting in the regular season.[10] In Week 17, the Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins, 22–16,[11] with their playoff chances on the line. In Baltimore, the Cincinnati Bengals stunned the Ravens, as Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds remaining, holding on to win, 31–27.[12] As a result, Buffalo earned the number 6 seed in the AFC playoffs that season and broke their playoff drought, thanks to the Bills holding the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Ravens.[13][14] This moment has been seen as a franchise-changing moment for the Bills and their fortunes.[15]

2018–present: Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson

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Josh Allen (top) and Lamar Jackson (bottom) are the main figures in the rivalry in the 2020s. Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.

To this date, every game since the 2018 season between the two teams has featured quarterback Josh Allen of the Bills, and quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, who are the current main figures of the rivalry. Both quarterbacks have been noted for their mobile styles of play, their abilities to extend plays with their legs, and their overall performances on the field.[16] Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. The Bills selected Allen with the 7th overall pick, trading up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the selection, while the Ravens selected Jackson with the 32nd pick, the final selection of the first round after a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. [17][18][19]

Both quarterbacks would start their rookie seasons on the bench, as the Bills named Nathan Peterman as their starter, while the Ravens would continue with Joe Flacco, who had held the starting quarterback job since the 2008 season.[20] To begin this era, the Bills and Ravens met in Week 1 of the 2018 season, where Baltimore routed the Bills by a score of 47–3. Both Allen and Jackson would replace Peterman and Flacco respectively, during the third quarter with the game already decided.[21] After this game, the Bills would bench Peterman in favor of Allen as the starter for the remainder of the season,[22] while the Ravens benched Flacco for Jackson in December of that year.[23]

Allen and Jackson met head-to-head as the respective teams starting quarterbacks for the first time in Week 14 of the 2019 season. In a tight defensive contest, the Ravens would prevail, 24–17, as Lamar Jackson would throw 3 passing touchdowns in the win. Baltimore prevented late Bills comeback, as Buffalo's final drive would stall out at Baltimore's 18-yard line, when Josh Allen's pass was batted down by Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters with over a minute left in the fourth quarter.[24][25]

The Bills and Ravens met in the playoffs for the first time in the 2020 AFC Divisional Round at Bills Stadium. In a windy game that saw three missed field goals (two by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and one by Bills kicker Tyler Bass),[26] the Bills won 17–3, to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1993 season. In the game, Lamar Jackson threw the first end-zone interception of his career to Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, who proceeded to take it 101 yards for a touchdown. Jackson suffered a concussion on the Ravens' next series, and was relieved by backup quarterback Tyler Huntley.[27][28]

The two teams met in Week 4 of the 2022 season in Baltimore. On a rainy day, the Ravens climbed to a 20–3 lead early in the second quarter, with 10 of those points coming off Buffalo turnovers.[29] However, the Bills would successfully pull off a comeback with 20 points of their own. The Bills defense also shut out Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense in the second half. Late in the fourth quarter, Jackson was picked off by Bills safety Jordan Poyer in the end zone, setting up the Bills' game-winning drive, on a 21-yard field goal by Bills kicker Tyler Bass as time expired on the fourth quarter, 23–20. This game raised controversy about Ravens head coach John Harbaugh's decision to go for it on fourth down instead of trying for a go-ahead field goal. This was Buffalo's first win by one score since the 2020 season.[30]

The Bills and Ravens met for their next meeting in Week 4 of the 2024 season, on Sunday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens would blow out the Bills, 35–10, as the Buffalo defense had been missing several key pieces due to injury. Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for 199 yards on 24 carries, (including an 87-yard touchdown run on the Ravens' first play from scrimmage) while Lamar Jackson threw for two passing touchdowns in the blowout victory.[31][32]

The two teams met in the postseason for the second time in the last five years in the 2024 AFC Divisional Round. Six days before the game at a press-conference on January 13, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, alongside the rest of the press-conference, laughed when a reporter called Buffalo a "city of losers" in reference to a clip he made on his radio show. This caused tension between the Ravens and the Buffalo fans, who booed the Ravens as they took the field.[33] On a cold and snowy night at Highmark Stadium, this game was tightly contested in comparison to their meeting during the regular season. Both teams traded touchdowns on their opening drives, before Jackson was intercepted by Bills safety Taylor Rapp on the Ravens' next possession. However, the Bills could not take advantage of the turnover and punted the ball away. The Bills took the lead later in the second on a Josh Allen run, and expanded the lead to 21–10 at the end of the first half. Baltimore would not go out quietly, however, as Justin Tucker kicked a field goal to cut the lead to 21–13, and would score a Derrick Henry touchdown on their next drive, to cut the Bills' lead down to 21–19 after a failed two-point attempt. In the fourth quarter, the Bills expanded their lead on a field goal by Tyler Bass. On the Ravens' next possession, Jackson completed a pass to tight end Mark Andrews. However, Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard forced a fumble that he recovered at the Buffalo 44-yard line. Buffalo's offense then responded with a 5-minute drive that ended in a 21-yard field goal by Bass to extend the Bills' lead to 27–19. The Ravens would quickly drive the ball 88 yards on just eight plays from their own 12-yard line, as Jackson threw a touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely to cut the deficit to two. On the two-point conversion attempt, Jackson threw the ball to Andrews, who was open. However, Andrews dropped the ball near the pylon, resulting in an incompletion. Baltimore then attempted an onside kick with 1:33 remaining, which was recovered by Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. The Bills then proceeded to hold on for the win, kneeling the ball out to end the game after the Ravens burned their final timeout. [34][35]

Both teams met in a rematch of the previous season's playoff game in Week 1 of the 2025 season on Sunday Night Football at Highmark Stadium. While the Bills would start out the game with a touchdown, the Ravens answered back with rushing touchdowns by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson to take the lead. The first half ended with three field goals, two by Matt Prater of the Bills, and one by Tyler Loop of the Ravens. Heading into the second half, the game would turn into a shootout for both offenses. The Ravens added three touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns by Zay Flowers and DeAndre Hopkins, while Henry added another rushing touchdown to elevate the Ravens' lead to 40–25. For the Bills, Josh Allen and running back James Cook added rushing touchdowns for the Bills in the second half, but failed to convert on a pair of two-point conversion attempts. With the Bills trailing by 15 points with just 3:56 left in the fourth quarter, Buffalo began its comeback. Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass to Keon Coleman on a 4th-down play that was deflected off the hands of another receiver, making the score, 40–32. On the Ravens' next possession, Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver forced a fumble on Henry, setting up another drive for Allen, who ran for a touchdown to cut the Baltimore lead to 40–38 after a two-point conversion failed. The Bills defense then forced the Ravens to go 3-and-out. After receiving the punt, the Buffalo offense charged downfield one last time with two passes from Allen to wide receivers Josh Palmer and Coleman, respectively, setting up a game-winning 32-yard field goal from Matt Prater to defeat Baltimore, 41–40. The Bills' win was their first when trailing by 15 points or more in the fourth quarter since 1967, as they scored their final 16 unanswered points in the final four minutes of the game.[36][37]

Season–by–season results

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Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens Season-by-Season Results[1]
1990s – 2010s (Ravens, 6–3)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
1999 Bills 13–10 PSINet Stadium Bills 1–0 First meeting in the series. Bills score a game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Doug Flutie with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter.
2004 Ravens 20–6 M&T Bank Stadium Tied 1–1
2006 Ravens 19–7 M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 2–1
2007 Bills 19–14 Ralph Wilson Stadium Tie 2–2
2010 Ravens 37–34 (OT) M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 3–2 Ravens placekicker Billy Cundiff kicked a 38-yard field goal in overtime to win the game for Baltimore.
2013 Bills 23–20 Ralph Wilson Stadium Tie 3–3
2016 Ravens 13–7 M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 4–3
2018 Ravens 47–3 M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 5–3 Largest margin of victory in the series for the Ravens. First career games for Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, although they do not start the game. Allen would be inserted during the 3rd quarter in relief of starter Nathan Peterman. Jackson would also come in relief of starter Joe Flacco.
2019 Ravens 24–17 New Era Field Ravens 6–3 First official meeting between Allen and Jackson as starting quarterbacks.
2020s (Bills, 4–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
2020 playoffs Bills 17–3 Bills Stadium Ravens 6–4 AFC Divisional Round. Late in the third quarter, Bills cornerback Taron Johnson intercepts Lamar Jackson's pass, returning it 101 yards for a touchdown, tying the NFL postseason record for an interception return.
2022 Bills 23–20 M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 6–5 Bills overcome 20–3 deficit to win the game. Bills kicker Tyler Bass kicked a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter. Bills' first road win in Baltimore since 1999.
2024 Ravens 35–10 M&T Bank Stadium Ravens 7–5
2024 playoffs Bills 27–25 Highmark Stadium Ravens 7–6 AFC Divisional Round. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews drops the game-tying two-point conversion with 1:33 left.
2025 Bills 41–40 Highmark Stadium Tied 7–7 Bills overcome 15-point deficit in the final 3:56 of the fourth quarter. Bills kicker Matt Prater kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to complete the comeback.
Summary of Results
Season Season series at Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens Notes
Regular season Ravens 7–5 Bills 3–1 Ravens 6–2
Postseason Bills 2–0 Bills 2–0 No games AFC Divisional: 2020, 2024
Regular and postseason Tie 7–7 Bills 5–1 Ravens 6–2

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "All Matchups, Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens". Pro Football Reference.
  2. ^ Davis, Scott (2018-04-19). "The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  3. ^ "NFL gives East teams a break traveling West". ESPN.com. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  4. ^ Trapasso, Chris. "How Is the NFL Schedule Created?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  5. ^ Miller, Ryan (September 7, 2025). "Bills vs. Ravens history: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson renew rivalry in primetime". democratandchronicle.com. Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  6. ^ Graham, Tim (January 12, 2025). "'What everyone's been waiting for': Bills finally can focus on Ravens revenge". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  7. ^ Benjamin, Cody (January 1, 2018). "Bills' playoff berth snaps longest postseason drought in pro American sports". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  8. ^ "Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants - January 28th, 2001". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  9. ^ "Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers - February 3rd, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  10. ^ "Bills Historical 2017 Schedule". buffalobills.com. Buffalo Bills. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  11. ^ "Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins - December 31st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  12. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens - December 31st, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  13. ^ Rodak, Mike (December 31, 2017). "Bills end drought, secure wild-card spot after Bengals beat Ravens". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  14. ^ "Tiebreakers worked for Titans and Bills, not for Ravens and Chargers". NBCSports.com. NBC Sports. January 1, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  15. ^ Young, Andy (January 14, 2023). "Looking back: 5 years since the end of Bills playoff drought, rise of Bills Mafia". Spectrumlocalnews.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  16. ^ Fedotin, Jeff (January 25, 2024). "Facing Josh Allen Helped The Chiefs Prepare For Ravens' Lamar Jackson". Forbes. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  17. ^ Mink, Ryan (January 12, 2021). "Lamar Jackson And Josh Allen Have Big-Time Respect for Each Other". Baltimoreravens.com. Baltimore Ravens. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  18. ^ Hensley, Jamison (January 18, 2025). "How Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen have proved draft doubters wrong". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  19. ^ McKenna, Henry (January 19, 2025). "Why the MVP race between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson is such a tough choice". FOX Sports. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  20. ^ Rodak, Mike (September 3, 2018). "Bills name Nathan Peterman starting quarterback over rookie Josh Allen". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  21. ^ "Ravens Get Defensive In 47-3 Rout Of Inept Bills". CBSNews.com. CBS Baltimore. September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  22. ^ Bergman, Jeremy (September 12, 2018). "Bills rookie Josh Allen named starting QB vs. Chargers". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  23. ^ "Flacco loses job as Ravens starting QB; Jackson takes over". businessinsider.com. Insider Inc. Associated Press. December 12, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  24. ^ Lavoie, Dan (December 8, 2019). "Buffalo Bills 17, Baltimore Ravens 24: Rapid recap and notes". Buffalo Rumblings. Vox Media. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  25. ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills - December 8th, 2019". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  26. ^ "Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker suffers through first-half double doink". ESPN.com. ESPN. January 16, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  27. ^ Reiss, Mike (January 16, 2021). "Taron Johnson's incredible 101-yard interception return pads Buffalo Bills' lead". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  28. ^ Hensley, Jamison (January 16, 2021). "Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson suffers concussion in loss to Buffalo Bills". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  29. ^ Maiorana, Sal (October 2, 2022). "Bills shake off miscues, roar back with 20 unanswered points to stun Ravens". democratandchronicle.com. Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  30. ^ Bumbaca, Chris. "Bills come back to beat Ravens, whose fourth-quarter TD try backfires". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  31. ^ Charles, Michael (January 19, 2025). "Ravens vs. Bills - Week 4, 2024". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  32. ^ "Ravens stifle Bills behind dominant Derrick Henry, stout defense: Key takeaways". The New York Times. September 29, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  33. ^ Pugh, Chris (20 January 2025). "How the Bills responded to a Baltimore radio host calling Buffalo the 'City of Losers'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  34. ^ Rosenstein, Greg (January 19, 2025). "Josh Allen, Bills defeat Ravens 27-25 to advance to AFC championship: Highlights". NBCNews.com. NBC News. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  35. ^ Maiorana, Sal (January 20, 2025). "Bills advance to AFC championship after stopping Ravens on 2-point conversion: Highlights". democratandchronicle.com. Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  36. ^ Wojton, Nick. "Bills make NFL history in 41-40 comeback win vs. the Ravens". Bills Wire. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  37. ^ "Wild NFL Week 1 stats: Bills snap this 717-game losing streak by NFL teams with shocking win over Ravens". CBSSports.com. September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 27, 2025.