Ravens 2025 playoff schedule: Game days, start times, opponents and more

The Baltimore Ravens comfortably beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last week to advance to the AFC Divisional Round. There was mild concern about Lamar Jackson's rocky track record against Pittsburgh, but those worries were ill-founded. Jackson looked the part of an MVP frontrunner and put the Ravens ahead 21-0 before Pittsburgh knew what hit 'em.

In reality, despite their stiff competition in the standings and a split regular season series, the Steelers weren't a huge threat to Baltimore. The Steelers lost five straight to end the season. That offense was deteriorating long before the Ravens buried the coffin on Saturday.

The path gets far more challenging now. As the No. 3 seed, Baltimore will head out on the road for the next round — and presumably for the AFC Championship Game, should the Ravens advance. With snow blanketing the northeast and two historically talented quarterbacks standing in his path, Lamar Jackson will face an uphill battle to prove his mettle on the postseason stage.

Here is what's what for Baltimore as the NFL Playoffs advance.

Who will the Ravens play next?

Baltimore will venture north for a showdown with the Buffalo Bills in the frigid tundra of upstate New York. The temperature is expected to drop below 20 once the game starts on Sunday, with a chance for snow showers. So, we can expect some proper postseason football.

The Ravens won the only regular season matchup between these teams, 35-10, all the way back in late September. That result does not carry much weight — so much has changed in the intervening months — but one stat does stand out. Derrick Henry ran for 199 yards in that game, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. He put himself in the MVP conversation for a moment there.

If Sunday's weather gets bad, this game could very well be won on the ground. Baltimore is an elite running team. Henry is great at winning between the tackles, while Lamar's elusiveness in the pocket and speed to the outside makes him especially dangerous in hazardous conditions. He can keep the defense on its collective back heel.

Buffalo has a middle-of-the-pack run defense. Baltimore has the top-ranked run defense in the NFL. James Cook was electric in the Bills' first-round win over Denver, but the Ravens are a different beast. Josh Allen is another prodigious runner at the QB position — his physicality and improv skills are practically engineered to thrive in Buffalo's frigid conditions — but the Ravens might have the matchup edge here.

In the end, just watching two MVP frontrunners with deeply intertwined career arcs is a treat. Both Jackson and Allen are playing for their postseason legacies. These are the games that get talked about decades down the road. Your television should be turned on.

Ravens playoff schedule: Dates, times for every round

Baltimore won't get a break from here on out. If the Ravens squeak past Buffalo, the most likely matchup in the AFC Championship Game is Kansas City. We saw the Chiefs dismantle Baltimore's offense in the 2024 playoffs. That is a tough draw, for obvious reasons, and it would require Jackson breaking his trend of untimely postseason duds. The Super Bowl, should Baltimore get there, is sure to feature a quality NFC opponent.

With an MVP candidate under center, the NFL's most dominant running back, and a whirlwind defense in tow, Baltimore has what it takes to make a deep run. There's a difference between having what it takes and actually doing it, though. Let's see if the Ravens can out the necessary stops.