The Buffalo Bills beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in their final divisional round game on Sunday thanks to a dropped 2-point conversion attempt.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews attempted a 2-point attempt to tie the game with 1:33 left, but was unable to haul in a pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson. Buffalo recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the win.
2 point conversion is not good 😳
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Streaming @NFLPlus And Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/s1DAo0tdm1— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
The win puts Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game for the second time in five seasons and sets it up for a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs next weekend. This is an opponent that quarterback Josh Allen and coach Sean McDermott have yet to win in the playoffs.
Allen improved to 7-5 in the postseason with wins over Baltimore and fellow MVP candidate Jackson. Allen completed 16 of 22 pass attempts for 127 yards and rushed for two scores (his lowest passing yards of the season in a game in which he attempted a pass). Rookie running back Ray Davis added a rushing touchdown as the Bills totaled 147 yards on the ground behind a league-leading rushing defense (80.1 yards per game allowed in the regular season).
The Bills forced three turnovers, including an interception and two fumbles. Buffalo’s secondary took a hit when Taylor Rapp was carted to the locker room with a hip injury in the second quarter and did not return.
The Bills will face the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game next Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET on CBS). In three of the last four seasons, Kansas City has eliminated Buffalo from the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game in 2020 and the AFC Divisional Round in 2021 and 2023. During the 2024 regular season, Buffalo was the only team to defeat the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes starting at quarterback, winning 30-21 at home in Week 11.
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Opportunistic defense offers implications
In a game headlined by the co-favorite quarterback for MVP, Buffalo’s defense stole the show by coming up with some key stops and takeaways.
Despite the terrible finish, Buffalo’s defense dominated Jackson and Derrick Henry all night long. Baltimore’s most effective weapon during the third quarter was backup tailback Justice Hill, who finished with six carries for 50 yards. Jackson threw an interception to Rapp in the first quarter and forced a fumble in the second after being blocked by safety Damar Hamlin. Von Miller scooped up the loose ball and ran 39 yards to the Ravens’ 24-yard line. The Bills scored a TD four plays later.
Confused situation and bill recovery 😮
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Streaming @NFLPlus And Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/gZTp8XSn3T— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Later, with the Ravens down five points and on a late march, Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard recovered a fumble, a pivotal play, by peanut punching the ball away from Andrews for a 16-yard gain. This was Andrews’ first loss since 2019. Buffalo turned that takeaway into a field goal and took an eight-point lead with 3:29 left.
Terrel Bernard forces this.
Terrel Bernard restored it.@BuffaloBills ball!📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Streaming @NFLPlus And Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/mAjj3dp0Ms— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
Linebacker Matt Milano delivered three quarterback hits, led receiver Rashod Bateman to a field goal on a third-down play and deflected Jackson’s pass on a two-point conversion attempt to tight end Isaiah Likely late in the third quarter. . Edge rushers Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa made three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. — Tim Graham, Bills senior writer
Buffalo’s ground game looms large.
The Bills’ offense certainly didn’t have their best day, but they held up their part of the deal when the opportunistic Bills’ defense gave them some chances. The Bills have placed an emphasis on the run game, surprisingly so considering how strong the Ravens’ defense has been against the run all season. The Bills found success early in the game with the trio of James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Davis. The Ravens put up a better fight to start the second half, but the Bills held on until the fourth quarter, setting up Tyler Bass’ pivotal field goal to help put the score at 8.
The Bills have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL this year and they trusted the Ravens’ defense too much this time around with the game in hand and they responded well. And to put the exclamation point on the day, Johnson came down for a 17-yard gain to close the game, sending the Bills to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2020 season. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
A date with the chiefs awaits.
The Bills had some nerves late in the game, but eventually booked their ticket to the AFC Championship game for the first time since the 2020 season. The Bills finished the year with a perfect record at home and now have a chance to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since the early 1990s. And of course, because they are, the Bills will face the Chiefs, the same team that has stood in their way in multiple playoff appearances.
The last time the Bills played in the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs denied them at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bills are a much different team now and have clearly learned their lessons from the playoffs and beyond. They now have the opportunity to beat the final boss at the end of the video game, finally advancing further than the Chiefs to the playoff round for the first time since McDermott became head coach. — Buscaglia
Essential reading
(Photo: Timothy T Ludwig / Getty Images)
