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Lamar Jackson must fix a key weakness for the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
Beating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is about more than revenge for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. It’s also a chance to prove they can beat a legitimate threat to their chances of gaining supremacy in the AFC and proving they’re finally ready to do more come playoff time.
The proof will come from a familiar source: Jackson’s arm. He must prove he can overcome a key weakness in the passing game, one the Ravens are better equipped to help him fix, while the Bills are surprisingly vulnerable.
In short, Jackson has to do a better job of throwing outside the numbers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, September 7. He’s sliced and diced Buffalo’s defense in the middle of the field, completing “20-of-23 passes for 262 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions when throwing inside the numbers. Forcing him outside could be key—his passer rating dropped from 153.7 inside the numbers to just 79.0 when throwing outside,” according to Andrew Shaver and others at Pro Football Focus.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will be determined not to let Jackson win inside again. Yet, this is about more than just one game and beating the team that handed the Ravens a devastating 27-25 defeat in last season’s Divisional Playoffs.
Baltimore’s QB1 must take the next step in his maturation and show he’s a complete passer. It’s how these Ravens actually make the most of their legitimate Super Bowl window.
Fortunately, Jackson has some weapons capable of feasting on the depleted Bills in Buffalo.
Lamar Jackson Has the Weapons to Fix Key Weakness
The Ravens signing five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins gave Jackson a proven playmaker on the perimeter. Hopkins is 32 and obviously not as dynamic as during his peak years, but he’s a savvy and physical wide receiver who knows how to work the boundary and can still make contested catches.
While Hopkins has been trying to prove he hasn’t lost a step, the Ravens can count on genuine field-stretching speed from Rashod Bateman. The perennial breakout candidate who’s made franchise history in recent years is already tipped for a big night against the Bills.
As ESPN’s Eric Moody put it, “While QB Lamar Jackson will continue to run the passing game through Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews, Bateman is projected for the third-most targets. (DeAndre Hopkins, who showed signs of decline with the Chiefs last season, is his biggest competition as the tertiary option.) In a matchup against the Bills with one of the highest point totals, Bateman has a strong chance to shine.”
Jackson will need better communication with Bateman after the pair not being on the same page led to a critical interception during last season’s painful postseason setback.
The confusion was explained by Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports, who showed Bateman “went to the corner route, and Lamar expected him to go more vertical. His second INT this season in which Bateman shortened his route when Lamar expected him to keep running.”
Turning an improved Bateman and rejuvenated Hopkins loose will be a greater temptation for Jackson because of the issues the Bills are facing in their defensive backfield.
Bills CB Concerns Gives Ravens the Advantage
Jackson and his receivers have been boosted by the uncertainty the Bills are dealing with at cornerback. It involves starters Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White dealing with groin injuries. White did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, while Benford is moving in a positive direction, fully participating in Thursday’s practice. White’s availability is a serious question mark, and if he can’t go, the role will go to Ja’Marcus Ingram — who has played a backup role for the Bills before — or sixth-round pick rookie Dorian Strong. Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said that Strong’s ‘improvement over the past two weeks has been unbelievable,’” per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.
Exploiting a banged-up cornerback rotation will be crucial for Jackson. Especially when the Bills are likely to compensate by clogging the middle of the field and forcing throws to the sideline.
Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken need a new plan with a vital inside receiver likely to miss out. Any adjusted strategy should involve a heavy amount of targets outside the hashmarks for Hopkins and Bateman.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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