The Baltimore Ravens start the 2025 season with a road game against the Buffalo Bills. While the Week 1 matchup is just the first game in the marathon of a season that Baltimore is hoping ends in February, the game is being billed as a high-stakes meeting between two of the league’s best teams. Taking place on the first Sunday Night Football of the season, this divisional round rematch will have the eyes of the entire NFL world fixated on it.
The players, however, aren’t feeding into any of these narratives. For them, it’s an opportunity to get the season started the right way, and that would be the case regardless of opponent.
One person who’s a master of keeping things simple is Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. The five-time All-Pro defender spoke with the media on Wednesday, and revealed the key to the game for Baltimore’s defense. As is the case for most defenses, the Ravens are focused on stopping the run. Smith says the goal is to make Buffalo one-dimensional, forcing the Bills to drop back and pass the ball a lot.
The linebacker ended his answer by saying stopping the run is something Baltimore will do Sunday night.
Ravens LB Roquan Smith said the key to playing the Bills is to make them one-dimensional.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 3, 2025
“Stop the run and we’ll go from there.” pic.twitter.com/DETAFnaZCk
Roquan Smith vows Ravens will stop Bills’ run game
If people in Buffalo catch wind of these comments, they’ll probably argue that Smith is disrespecting Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his passing ability, and also making a mistake by declaring that Baltimore will stop the run. However, the outspoken linebacker likely doesn’t care about what people in Buffalo are thinking, or that his words could be considered bulletin-board material.
Smith said what he said, and on Sunday, he and the Ravens will have to stand on it. Baltimore must first stop the run like he vowed the team would, then the defense has to avoid getting picked apart by the pass. If the Ravens defense can do those two things, the team will start the year with a dominant victory over a contender.