The Baltimore Ravens’ season ended in heartbreak, falling to the Buffalo Bills 27-25 in the Divisional Round. While fans are still processing the gut-wrenching defeat, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver, and Super Bowl champion James Jones wasted no time giving his brutally honest opinion on Baltimore’s recurring postseason failures.
During an appearance on FS1’s The Facility, Jones didn’t hold back, calling out the Ravens’ inability to rise to the occasion in big moments.
“The Baltimore Ravens are never at their best when their best is needed. Period,” Jones said, summing up his frustration with the team’s performance. He went on to hammer home his point, saying, “Whenever it’s a big-time game, and a game is on the line... that’s one of the main reasons they have not been to a Super Bowl. When they need to be at their best, they are not at their best.”
"The Ravens are never at their best when their best is needed."
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) January 20, 2025
— @89JonesNTAF pic.twitter.com/43E5U1jANX
Lamar Jackson, Ravens remain haunted by their playoff demons
Jones didn’t stop there, highlighting how the Ravens’ struggles to execute in high-stakes situations have become an all-too-familiar story:
“It’s the same thing that happened last year. The biggest game of your season, you guys are not at your best. It's the same thing that happened the year before that—the biggest game of the year you guys are not at your best. How does this keep on happening?”
He pointed to Sunday’s loss as yet another example of the Ravens “stopping themselves.” Baltimore’s three turnovers, including two by Lamar Jackson, and Mark Andrews’ costly mistakes loomed large in a game that Jones said the Ravens should have won outright. “This game should have been a blowout if the Ravens just play Ravens football,” he added. “They ain’t ever at their best when they gotta be at their best.”
It’s a tough pill for Ravens fans to swallow, but Jones isn’t saying anything they haven’t thought themselves. Baltimore’s postseason track record is undeniable—they’re 5-8 all-time in Divisional Round games and have just one conference title appearance in the last decade.
Even more frustrating, this year’s roster was built for a deep playoff run, featuring a dynamic rushing attack led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry and a defense that had been dominant since midseason.
Read more: Costly errors doom Ravens in Divisional heartbreaker vs. Bills
Instead, the Ravens fell victim to the same issues that have haunted them year after year: turnovers, missed opportunities, and late-game collapses. Jackson’s postseason record now sits at 3-5, and while he was electric down the stretch, his early mistakes helped put the Ravens in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Andrews’ crucial drop on the two-point conversion only added to the heartbreak, epitomizing the team’s failure to execute when it mattered most.
James Jones’ criticism is harsh but fair. The Ravens’ inability to capitalize in big moments has kept them from realizing their full potential. Whether it’s Jackson, Mark Andrews, or the coaching staff, Baltimore needs to find a way to stop being their own worst enemy when the stakes are highest.
Until they do, takes like Jones’ will continue to haunt the Purple and Black—because he’s not wrong.