Josh Allen rallies Bills for 16
points in last 4 minutes to stun Ravens 41-40 in prime-time thriller
[September 08, 2025]
By JOHN WAWROW
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen had a message to the few
thousands fans — and perhaps the entire NFL, for that matter — who
left the stadium early to beat the traffic on Sunday night.
Maybe they should’ve stuck around.
“Our team didn’t quit,” Allen said, his voice almost hoarse after
rallying the Bills from a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes
to a thrilling season-opening 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
“I think there’s people who left the stadium. That’s OK. We’ll be
fine. But have some faith next time.”
Allen refused to let up in scoring two touchdowns and throwing
another — with Keon Coleman catching a tipped pass in the end zone —
in a frantic fourth quarter alone. The NFL’s reigning MVP then
capped the win by overseeing a nine-play, 66-yard drive over the
final 86 seconds in setting up Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal as
time expired.
“Josh, he’s always been like that though. He wants the ball in key
moments of the game,” coach Sean McDermott said. “That’s what the
great ones, that’s their mindset. That’s what they want, that's what
they do. And he’s never out of it in his mind.”
Allen finished going 33 of 46 for 394 yards and two touchdowns and
earned his 77th win, tying Joe Ferguson for second on the Bills
list.
The Bills' defense bent but didn’t break in an outing it was being
trampled by Derrick Henry, who finished with 169 yards rushing and
scored twice. Meantime, Lamar Jackson combined for three touchdowns,
including two passing, in steering an offense that scored on seven
of its first eight possessions.
Henry, however, contributed to the loss by losing a fumble with 3:06
left, which opened the door for Buffalo’s comeback.
Allen scored on a 1-yard run two minutes later in cutting the lead
to 40-38. And the Bills then got the ball back after the defense
forced a three-and-out on what became Baltimore’s final possession.
“The biggest thing I saw when we got down early, no one blinked,”
Prater said. The 41-year-old made his Bills debut, replacing Tyler
Bass, who’s on injured reserve with hip and groin issues.
Buffalo overcame a fourth-quarter 15-point deficit for just the
third time in team history. Baltimore became the first team in NFL
history to lose when scoring 40 or more points and rushing for 235
yards or more.
“You just got to finish the game,” Jackson said. “It’s not over
until there is zero, zero, zero on the clock. And we found that out
tonight.”
Henry blamed himself for the fumble, which was forced by Ed Oliver
and recovered by Terrel Bernard at Baltimore’s 30.
“I told my teammates after the game, put the loss on me. I own it
like a man,” Henry said. “Got lackadaisical and they made a play.
... If I take care of the ball, I feel like it would be a different
situation.”
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Buffalo Bills kicker Matt Prater (15) watches his game-winning field
goal against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of an NFL
football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (AP
Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The game appeared over when Henry scored on a
46-yard run to put Baltimore ahead 40-25 with 11:42 remaining.
This prime-time matchup lived up to the preseason hype as a rematch
of Buffalo’s 27-25 win over Baltimore the divisional round of last
season’s AFC playoffs.
Buffalo finished with 497 yards of offense. The teams combined for
929.
The fans even got involved, with Jackson shoving back at a man in
the end zone while celebrating DeAndre Hopkins’ 29-yard touchdown
catch late in the third quarter. The man struck Hopkins in the
helmet, and attempted to do so to Jackson, who responded by shoving
the man back into his seat.
“I seen him slap D-Hop, then he slapped me, and he was talking and I
just forgot where I was for a little bit,” Jackson said, noting he
should have let security officials handle the fans. “I just let my
emotions get the best of me there. I’ll handle it better next time.”
The fan was ejected by stadium security.
The atmosphere was electric on a night the Bills marked their 53rd
and final home opener at Highmark Stadium, affectionally called “The
Ralph.” Next season, the team is set to move into a $2.1 billion
facility being constructed across the street.
Allen oversaw last-minute scoring drives to close each half, with
Prater hitting a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the second
quarter.
Ravens rookie Tyler Loop made two field goals in his debut but
missed an extra point that proved costly. Loop was a sixth-round
draft pick and replaced Justin Tucker, who was released in the
offseason after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by
massage therapists.
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers had seven catches for a career-high 143
yards and a touchdown.
Henry passed Jim Brown to move into sixth on the career rushing TD
list with 108. And he matched Brown’s record by posting his 13th
game with at least 150 yards rushing and two scores.
Up next
Ravens: Host AFC North rival Cleveland next Sunday.
Bills: At the AFC East rival New York Jets next Sunday.
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