With both the draft and the schedule release now firmly in the rearview mirror, all roads lead to the start of the 2025 NFL season. There have been some blockbuster headlines written in recent weeks, with the future of Aaron Rodgers, Tee Higgins’ contract extension, and Shedeur Sanders’ embarrassing draft plight all garnering plenty of attention. All of that has combined to ensure that anticipation for the new campaign is larger than ever, so much so that all eyes are already on September and the kickoff game.
The reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles will raise the curtain. They will welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Lincoln Financial Field for the 2025 kickoff game in their first contest since destroying the history-seeking Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LIX.
And online betting sites make them a heavy favorite to begin their Lombardi defense with a victory. The popular Bovada site has installed the Birds as a 6.5-point betting favorite to beat their rivals on the opening day. Not only that, but they also make them a +650 favorite to successfully go back-to-back and win two straight Super Bowls. However, which teams simply have to follow in their footsteps and reach the Big Game if their season is to be considered a success?
Buffalo Bills
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride has never rung truer than it does with the Buffalo Bills. Last season, they claimed a fifth straight AFC East crown, while superstar quarterback Josh Allen secured the MVP award for the first time ever. But despite a blockbuster campaign, the Highmark outfit ran into a familiar fate in the postseason: the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes and Co. successfully managed to eliminate the Bills from the playoffs for the fourth time in five years last term, claiming the AFC Championship in the process. The defeat was made all the more painful considering the fact that Allen had the ball in his hands with a couple of minutes remaining and had the opportunity to lead his team down the field to secure the win. Instead, he went three and out, and it was KC who progressed to their third straight Big Game.
Bills can’t convert on 4th and 5 😱
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) January 27, 2025
Luckily for some, the Arrowhead side missed out on a history-making three-peat. Many reveled in their pain, enjoying the fact that the Chiefs dynasty never secured its spot as the greatest of all time. But for the Bills, just one Super Bowl appearance seems too much to ask.
Not since their heartbreaking run of four straight losses in the early 1990s have the Bills been part of the NFL’s final act. They’ve had moments where destiny seemed within reach, only to be denied year after year. The sting is amplified by one recurring nemesis that seems to block their path every time the stakes are at their highest.
During the Allen era, the Bills and Chiefs have built a thrilling rivalry, with Kansas City repeatedly coming out on top. The 2022 divisional round overtime classic haunted Buffalo fans; the memory of watching Allen deliver a perfect game only to helplessly see Patrick Mahomes dismantle their defense in the final seconds won’t fade anytime soon.
Buffalo’s problem isn’t talent. The roster is bursting at the seams with playmakers on both sides of the ball. Their defense has consistently ranked among the league’s elite, supplementing an offense that can be downright magical when their former University of Wyoming superstar is at his best. And yet, the frustration is unavoidable. They’ve climbed the mountain so many times only to find the summit out of reach.
Heading into 2025, the Bills are out of excuses. Another divisional title or gritty playoff push won’t cut it. Their championship window is wide open, but how much longer will that be true? The clock is ticking, and for Buffalo’s sake, Allen and company need to turn promise into history.
Baltimore Ravens
For years, the Baltimore Ravens have revolved around the singular brilliance of Lamar Jackson. A quarterback whose combination of speed, creativity, and arm talent is otherworldly, the former Louisville Cardinal has twice won the league MVP award, and he came within a whisker of making it three last season before being pipped by the aforementioned Allen. But even with his gravity-defying highlight reel plays, the Ravens continue to stumble when it matters most.
There’s no ignoring Jackson’s postseason record. At a paltry 3-5, his playoff performances have been a sore spot on an otherwise glittering career. As such, Baltimore’s collective struggles in January have been impossible to ignore.
Last season seemed like it might finally be their moment of redemption. Enter Derrick Henry, a preseason acquisition that sent shockwaves through the league. The bruising running back brought a new dimension to Baltimore’s offense, pairing perfectly with Jackson’s dynamic skill set and opening up endless possibilities for the team’s ground game. It took plenty of pressure off their quarterback to make something out of nothing snap after snap, and the results spoke for themselves.
Henry bulldozed through opposing defenses, and the Ravens steamrolled their way to the playoffs. Yet their postseason campaign ended in bitter disappointment yet again. Despite all the firepower, they couldn’t deliver when the pressure reached its boiling point. Following two uncharacteristic turnovers from their usually unflappable QB1, Baltimore was beaten by the Bills on a snow-drenched night at Highmark, leaving their championship hopes in tatters once more.
With Jackson now fully in his prime and surrounded by a supporting cast that’s never been this good, 2025 has to be the year the Ravens break through. The addition of Henry elevated them to the ranks of elite contenders, but that’s meaningless if they continue to falter under the playoff lights. Baltimore’s potential is enormous, but patience wears thin. They can’t afford to waste another year sitting in the shadow of others.
Main photo credit: © Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
