Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens are set to rekindle their friendship tonight, with an all-eyes-on-us date courtesy of Sunday Night Football on NBC. Carrie Underwood will even be there to introduce the power couple. It’s bound to be a pressure-packed evening, despite the fact that it’s only Week 1.
But which team is under more pressure to win tonight, the Bills or Ravens? Which city’s team stands to gain the most, and whose fan base will be left searching for answers about lost opportunity on the national stage?
Buffalo enters 2025 shouldering lofty expectations from Bills Mafia and analysts nationwide. Another loss in the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs kept the Bills from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 seasons. Quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning NFL MVP, winning after a hotly contested battle against two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. For Allen, all that’s left to do is to find himself part of the winning equation over the Chiefs in the playoffs. Well, that and winning an AFC Championship game, then playing in and hopefully winning a Super Bowl. There are of course a few remaining personal accolades for Allen to claim, but many will take some time and none outshine his quest to win it all.
Baltimore’s 2024 season came to an end courtesy of the Bills and a rowdy Bills Mafia crowd at Highmark Stadium. For their efforts, the Ravens were granted a déjà vu-enducing rematch in Orchard Park, NY to being their quest at postseason redemption. It’s cruel fate in ways, but plenty view Baltimore as the most complete NFL team this season. The Ravens has given Buffalo fits in the regular season, but they’ve yet to show the world they can knock off the sports best teams in the biggest moments.
The Bills’ AFC East foes all lost in Week 1, which means Buffalo could be in first place alone with a victory tonight. The Ravens need to keep pace with the rest of the AFC North, where the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers picked up wins to each start the season 1-0.
In truth, and despite vastly different systems, the Bills and Ravens are kindred spirits, endlessly chasing equally talented teams that are just a little better than them when the most important games are being decided. As for pressure, who’s under more of it on Sunday Night Football, Buffalo or Baltimore?
