After Sunday Night Football during Week 1, there is already a clear frontrunner for the NFL game of the year. The Buffalo Bills bested the Baltimore Ravens 41-40 in a high-scoring affair that won't be forgotten for a long time.
Both teams had moments of brilliance, but the Bills were able to complete an epic fourth-quarter comeback. In the process, the Bills showcased Super Bowl potential, but they were also dominated by the Ravens for much of the game, proving that Baltimore is a championship-caliber team, too.
These teams haven't been able to get past the dynasty that is the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason, but this is the year that may finally change. A Ravens-Bills rematch very well could be on the horizon, and the AFC Championship Game would be a perfect time for it.
Ravens vs. Bills was a game for the ages
The Ravens scored early and often in their Week 1 matchup against the Bills. The Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry running threat pairing looked somehow even better than it did last year. Jackson is, of course, arguably the best rushing quarterback of all time. Henry, meanwhile, has a 2,000-yard rushing season to his name, and he was just 79 yards short of hitting that mark again last year in his first season with the Ravens.
The two combined for 239 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in Week 1. Zay Flowers had a great game at receiver, too, as he caught seven passes for 143 yards and a score. Even DeAndre Hopkins had a blast to the past with what was a one-handed snag for a touchdown that will go on his career highlight tape.
Things didn't start clicking as much until late for the Bills. They were down 40-25 with less than five minutes to go. Matt Prater, who signed with the team just days before, ended up kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The odds-defying victory resulted in Buffalo becoming the first team out of the last 718 teams to be down that much with that little time and still walk away victorious.
Reigning MVP Josh Allen made an early claim for recapturing the NFL's most prestigious individual award. He had 394 passing yards and four total touchdowns. These two teams were often predicted to win the Super Bowl coming into this year, and this game confirmed those beliefs, even for the Ravens after suffering a loss.
Baltimore was playing on Buffalo's home field, yet they were dominant for most of the game. The Bills collected a signature win and earned some valuable late-game experience. Buffalo vs. Baltimore has all the makings of an iconic rivalry. Before this Week 1 matchup, the Bills beat the Ravens in another close battle, 27-25, in the AFC Divisional Round.
Can the Ravens and/or Bills get past the Chiefs?
The Chiefs have made the Super Bowl in five of the last six seasons. The lone year during that stretch in which they didn't win the AFC Championship Game was against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both the Ravens and the Bills have been championship-caliber teams for nearly all of that stretch, but they have continuously fallen short against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Either team now seems poised to finally break through and beat the Chiefs. Kansas City lost in Week 1 in an underwhelming performance against the Los Angeles Chargers. Of course, the Eagles blew the Chiefs out in Super Bowl 59, too.
There has been a cost to winning, as the Chiefs' success has led to them losing a lot of their best players. Xavier Worthy already suffered an injury, too, which won't help the team's case with Rashee Rice out because of a suspension, either. The Chiefs' recent loss came in rare fashion, as they almost never lose one-score games. The 27-21 defeat proved that they are human, though.
The Bills and Ravens, meanwhile, are deeper than they've ever been before. Both teams can't hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but one of them seems destined to.
