We are another day closer to Sunday where fans will have the pleasure and excitement to see the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens go to battle. This Sunday Night Football AFC clash is a game that football fans in general won’t want to miss. Josh Allen versus Lamar Jackson, the battle of two MVP front runners from last season.
The Bills took down the Ravens in the playoffs last season, so Baltimore is looking to come into Orchard Park seeking revenge and proving to the NFL that they are the team to beat. They have a good amount of star power on both sides of the ball, so the Bills better bring their A-game.
Buffalo’s defense will have some new faces when they take the field on Sunday, but they will be going up against a lot of familiar faces across from them. The obvious top duo the Ravens have is Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, then you have players like Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and DeAndre Hopkins who will be looking to help Jackson out in the passing attack.
Bills defense may get massive break in Week 1 with latest injury update
However, there is one Ravens offensive player that is a solid contributor that most likely will miss this highly anticipated contest. According to Ian Rapoport, rising tight end Isaiah Likely is not expected to suit up for Week 1 due to a “broken bone in his foot” that he is still recovering from this past summer.
#Ravens TE Isaiah Likely, who is recovering nicely from a broken bone in his foot, is not expected to play in the team’s opener against the #Bills, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2025
Likely underwent surgery in late July and is healing as expected. He should be ready early in the season. pic.twitter.com/dwVF3wKij3
Not having Likely could very well hurt Baltimore’s passing game, and that’s great news for the Bills. Likely emerged as one of the young top tight ends last season with 477 yards and 6 touchdowns. Despite being behind Mark Andrews, he can still be a great weapon for Jackson.
While he isn’t the biggest weapon for Jackson, it does limit the Ravens a bit in terms of the middle of the field. This should make like a bit easier for guys like Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano, who have the ability to cover tight ends. Andrews should be the main priority and if one of them can stick with Andrews, that will allow the other to help out somewhere else.