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The Buffalo Bills have had some playoff heartbreaks. They were due for a break.
The Baltimore Ravens scored a touchdown with 1:33 to go and had a 2-point conversion set up perfectly for the tie. But tight end Mark Andrews had a stunning drop on a pass that hit him in the hands, it fell incomplete and the Bills moved on to the AFC championship game with a 27-25 win on Sunday night.
It wasn’t some great defensive play that won the game for the Bills. It was just a stroke of luck that Andrews, one of the NFL’s best tight ends, dropped a pass he almost always catches. And Buffalo won’t turn down a lucky break.
The Bills are getting another shot at the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are 0-3 against Kansas City in the playoffs this decade. They lost in the AFC championship game at the end of the 2020 season. They had the infamous “13 seconds” loss in a divisional-round classic three seasons ago and had some bad flashbacks when kicker Tyler Bass missed wide right in a loss to Kansas City last season.
On a day when Josh Allen had a relatively quiet game by his standards, passing for just 127 yards and not having a massive impact on the ground either, the Bills stepped up around him to meet the challenge of a very good Ravens team. The defense made big plays. The running backs controlled the game on the ground. The Bills had a good all-around performance.
And then they got one massive break that the Ravens will think about all offseason.
Bills have a big 1st half
One of the Ravens’ problems in past playoff disappointments was untimely turnovers. That popped up again right away against the Bills.
In the first quarter Jackson threw an odd interception that Bills safety Taylor Rapp was waiting on, after Rashod Bateman either slowed down on his route or Jackson rushed the throw. Either way, it was the type of interception Jackson almost never threw in the regular season. He had just four all season.
Then in the second quarter there was an even bigger mistake. With the Ravens driving, there was a mishandled snap. Jackson was about to get tackled for a loss by Damar Hamlin when he lost the ball. Von Miller picked up the ball and returned it 39 yards. That set up an Allen touchdown on a quarterback sneak and the Bills led 14-7.
Baltimore had just 11 turnovers in the regular season, third-fewest in the NFL. The Ravens didn’t turn it over in the wild-card round. Then in the first 19 minutes of game action Sunday night the Ravens turned it over twice.
Give the Bills credit. Their defend found ways to fluster Jackson and also to mostly keep the Ravens out of the end zone. The Ravens scored 10 points in the first half, and given how explosive their offense is, that wasn’t a bad outcome for Buffalo.
The first half went as well as the Bills could have hoped. A touchdown in the final minute of the first half put Buffalo ahead 21-10 going into halftime, and they were set to get the ball first in the second half. .
Buffalo couldn’t have scripted it much better. But the Ravens weren’t just going to go away easily.
Bills let Ravens get back in it
The Bills’ offense stalled in the third quarter. A couple of punts led to a Ravens field goal and then a Derrick Henry touchdown. The 2-point conversion after Henry’s touchdown was batted down, but the Ravens had cut Buffalo’s lead to 21-19. A comfortable lead was far from comfortable any longer.
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The Bills have been good running the ball, but there started to be questions over why their MVP quarterback wasn’t a bigger focal point. Allen didn’t even have more than 100 yards passing until the fourth quarter. It seemed like that was keeping the game close.
But the Bills’ defense came up with a huge momentum-turning play. Andrews caught a pass over the middle for a first down, with the Ravens trailing 24-19, but linebacker Terrel Bernard punched it out for a fumble. The Bills recovered. It was only the second lost fumble of Andrews’ career, and the first since 2019.
Buffalo had a clock-chewing drive after that, and Allen was a big part of it, keeping the chains moving through some short passes and a big quarterback sneak on third down. Allen was stopped on third-and-goal but the Bills got a field goal to push their lead to 27-19.
That meant Jackson still had a chance with 3:23 left, needing a touchdown and 2-point conversion to tie it. Jackson started the drive with a big pass rolling to his right, hitting Tylan Wallace for 27 yards to get the Ravens past midfield at the two-minute warning. Then Jackson hit a long pass to Andrews that got the Ravens to Buffalo’s 24-yard line. The Bills dropped into coverage on the play after that, and Jackson stood in the pocket waiting for something to come open, and he hit Isaiah Likely for a touchdown with 1:33 left.
That set up a 2-point conversion for the tie. Jackson rolled out and had Andrews, but Andrews dropped it. That’s a heartbreak for the Ravens. The Bills are used to that feeling.
The Bills had a huge challenge against the Ravens Sunday night, and found a way to advance. The Chiefs have been the final boss they can’t get past on their way to the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 31 years. Maybe fortune is finally on their side.
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End 3rd quarter: Bills 21, Ravens 19
Buffalo has a little momentum on offense heading into the 4th quarter with a couple of first downs on their current drive after doing very little on offense in the 3rd quarter. A Quarter that was controlled by the Baltimore run game with 89 yards on the ground just in that quarter, and outscoring the Bills 9-0 to get the game back to a one-score affair.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens hands the ball off to Justice Hill #43 against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) -
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End of first half: Bills 21, Ravens 10
Buffalo keeping Baltimore from getting in the end zone on a goal-to-go situation and the two turnovers are the difference. Baltimore hasn’t punted, and has moved the ball, even on the two drives that ended in turnovers. The Bills are in GREAT shape though with an 11-point lead and receiving the second half kickoff.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) -
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End of 1st quarter: Ravens 7, Bills 7
No harm, no foul on the Lamar Jackson interception for the Ravens, but the two offenses opened with brilliant touchdown drives. Weather — some snow flurries — hasn’t been a factor yet. Buffalo ran the ball well on its first drive, and the Ravens hit a couple of runs by Derrick Henry and Justice Hill to end the first quarter.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) -
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