Epic Comeback

It may go down as one of the best games of the 2025 NFL season. And it happened in Week 1.

A season-opening matchup between Super Bowl favorites lived up to expectations Sunday after the Buffalo Bills overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Baltimore Ravens behind Josh Allen, the reigning league Most Valuable Player, and a costly fourth-quarter turnover.

The Ravens had spent much of the second half spoiling the last season-opening game at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium before the Bills move into a new stadium next season. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP who finished second in last year’s voting, running back Derrick Henry and receiver Zay Flowers took turns gashing Buffalo’s defense for yards and points to lead 40-25 in the final minute of the third quarter.

Jackson finished with three total touchdowns, Henry scored two, and Flowers caught seven passes for 143 yards. As the fourth quarter began, the Ravens led 34-19, and cameras caught some Bills fans leaving the stadium.

After a stumble by reigning AFC champion Kansas City two days earlier, Baltimore was in line to leave the game as the AFC’s strongest team. Teams that scored 40 or more points and rushed for 235 or more yards, both thresholds the Ravens cleared Sunday, had gone 277-0 in NFL history prior to Sunday.

But now that record stands at 277-1, after Buffalo scored 22 fourth-quarter points to complete its comeback. It was the franchise’s first win after trailing by 15-plus points in the final quarter since 1967.

A fumble by Henry with 3:10 to play, as the Ravens led 40-32 and were trying to run out the clock, was the catalyst for the comeback.

Buffalo would score less than two minutes later to pull within 40-38, though it failed to score a two-point conversion that would have tied. After forcing Baltimore to punt on the next possession, the Bills drove the field to set up Matt Prater’s 32-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired.

According to the NFL, Buffalo’s win probability dipped as low as 1.1 percent with 8:37 left in the fourth quarter, making their comeback the league’s 13th-most-improbable of the last decade.

Allen passed for 394 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns, as well. It was the seventh game of his eight-year career with multiple passing and rushing touchdowns, the most all-time in NFL history, according to NFL research.

“Our team didn’t quit,” Allen said in a postgame interview with NBC. “I think there’s people that left the stadium. That’s OK, we’ll be fine but have some faith next time.”

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