The NFL schedule is out, and while most fans are circling marquee matchups or holiday games, one Ravens star has zeroed in on something more personal. For him, Week 1 isn’t just a season opener — it’s about revenge. Baltimore kicks off the 2025 season on Sunday Night Football in Buffalo, a high-stakes rematch of last year’s Divisional Round thriller. And like most of the Ravens, the $100 million star made it clear that he hasn’t completely moved on.
While the Ravens made splashy moves in free agency and the draft to bolster their Super Bowl chances, one of their defensive leaders made sure fans know that Buffalo’s narrow playoff win isn’t just in the rearview mirror — it’s in the crosshairs.
Ravens Plot ‘Payback’ After Crushing AFC Divisional Round Exit vs. Bills
When NFL Network host Rich Eisen asked Roquan Smith which game jumped out on the Ravens’ newly released schedule, his initial answer was simple: “The first game of the year. That’s how you start the season off, and that’s going to set the tone for the entire season.
Then came the real message.
“Revenge is best served as a cold dish, so that’ll be nice to get up there in Buffalo and get a little payback for those guys for the end of the year.”
Roquan Smith’s most anticipated game of 2025?
“The first game of the year. That’s how you start the season off and that’s gonna set the tone for the entire season.” pic.twitter.com/A3k9vVrrtT
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork)
That “end of the year” still stings in Baltimore, where Josh Allen and the Bills edged the Ravens 27-25 in a back-and-forth Divisional Round battle. It marked the third straight season Baltimore’s playoff run ended in that round — and the fifth time Lamar Jackson has failed to reach the AFC Championship since taking over as the team’s full-time starter. With a 3-5 postseason record under Jackson, the Ravens’ star-studded roster is desperate to shake the narrative that they can’t finish in January.
Smith isn’t hiding from that frustration. He’s embracing it.
“They won a game fair and square last year,” he told Eisen. “That misery sets in all offseason, and you use that as motivation throughout the offseason.”
The Ravens believe they’ve added the right pieces to break through. But for the three-time All-Pro, the mental edge starts in Week 1, and he’s ready to unleash a full offseason of anger on Buffalo.
“Just knowing that we have everything it takes to be the best team in this NFL and have the ship right game in and game out. And it’s going to start up there in Buffalo,” Smith said. “Just like everything we’ve gone through throughout the offseason and how the season ended, it’s just unleashing it on those guys. And I’m sure they have the same plan.”
With playoff history, AFC stakes, and personal motivation fueling both sidelines, September 7 in Buffalo might feel a lot like January. Only this time, Smith and the Ravens want to be the ones walking off the field with the last word.