The Buffalo Bills held on to beat the Baltimore Ravens at home 27-25 to advance to the team’s second AFC Championship Game since the start of the 2020 season. The game was decided on a two-point conversion attempt that was dropped by longtime Ravens tight end Mark Andrews with 1:33 to go in the fourth quarter, securing the win for the Bills.
The biggest difference though was the fact that this was the first game of the year in which Baltimore turned the ball over three times.
The Ravens were able to weather the snow and the raucous crowd early on with an eight-play, 73-yard scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the game. That series featured two thrid-down conversions by the Ravens.
The Bills answered back with their own touchdown drive that shaved 5:57 off the clock. Running back James Cook helped set that TD up with five carries for 21 yards. Josh Allen converted a fourth down on that drive with his legs and also completed a 34-yard pass to lead receiver Khalil Shakir.
On his fifth pass attempt, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson overthrew his receiver by a wide margin for an interception. That was Jackson’s first interception since Week 16 and only his third INT over his last 13 games.
Let’s go, T. Rapp‼️
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/MsJegQaqwS
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 20, 2025
The controversy surrounding NFL referees reared its ugly head yet again when an incorrectly called holding penalty on Buffalo’s Pro Bowl offensive lineman Dion Dawkins turned an eight-yard gain into a ten-yard loss. That eventually caused the Bills’ drive to stall out.
On the next Baltimore series, Lamar Jackson lost his sixth fumble of the year, which was recovered by Buffalo and returned 39 yards to the Ravens’ 24 yard line. This marked Baltimore’s first game all season with two giveaways. The Bills took advantage of the turnover with a touchdown run by quarterback Josh Allen, his sixth career postseason rushing TD, to go ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.
Lamar Jackson bounced back from the turnovers with a 41-yard bomb to wide receiver Rashod Bateman to advance the ball to Buffalo’s two. However, the Bills’ defense held on to force a field goal and a 14-10 lead after a one-yard loss, a five-yard sack, and an incompletion.
Buffalo once again reached the red zone before the break thanks to a 16-yard run by rookie tailback Ray Davis and an 18-yard defensive pass interference penalty on a 3rd and 5. Facing another third down, Josh Allen carried the ball four yards into the end zone for his second rushing TD of the day and a 21-10 halftime lead. This was Allen’s second career postseason game with two or more rushing touchdowns.
The MVP chants are going strong in Buffalo 🗣️ @JoshAllenQB
📺: #BALvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/Ccg5MJJ5Ys— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
The Ravens finally started leaning more heavily on the rushing attack in the second half. Running backs Justice Hill and Derrick Henry combined for 21 yards on Baltimore’s first drive of the third quarter, which resulted in a field goal to cut the score to 21-13.
Derrick Henry came alive in the second half. After being held to 21 rushing yards in the first two quarters of the game, King Henry barreled over Buffalo’s defense for 58 rushing yards and a touchdown to make it a 21-19 game in the third quarter. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson’s two-point attempt pass was batted down, so Baltimore still trailed to start the fourth. The Ravens finished the third with 89 rushing yards despite being limited to 73 ground yards in the first half.
Beyond running the ball, Josh Allen didn’t look like himself in this game. The MVP candidate only had 16 completions for 127 passing yards. 14 of those yards came on Buffalo’s third drive of the second half which resulted in a 51-yard field goal to put the Bills ahead 24-19.
One of the biggest moments of the game came in the fourth quarter when Mark Andrews fumbled a 16-yard pass, which was recovered by Buffalo near midfield, killing a series that could have potentially given Baltimore the lead. That was Andrews’ first lost fumble in six years.
MARK ANDREWS FUMBLES. BILLS RECOVERpic.twitter.com/kj7YRTjmoz
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 20, 2025
Following the turnover, Buffalo ran nine plays and picked up 47 yards to set up a 3rd and goal from the two yard line, but the Ravens held Josh Allen to a gain of zero yards for a 4th and goal. Instead of risking it and going for the touchdown, the Bills kicked a 21-yard field goal to take an eight-point lead 27-19 with 3:29 left in the fourth quarter.
Baltimore took over at their own 12 with a chance to tie the game. Lamar Jackson completed a cross-body pass to wide receiver Tylan Wallace for 27 yards to bring the game to the two-minute warning. With 1:33 on the clock, Jackson threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely. But Mark Andrews dropped what would have been a game-tying pass, giving Buffalo the win.
With that victory, the Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday in the AFC Championship Game at 6:30 p.m. ET.
