### **Pundit's Wish List for Ravens' Schedule Includes Week 1 Game Against Lions in Prime Time**
Ahead of the 2025 NFL schedule release tonight, [Shaffer](https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/ravens-nfl/ravens-2025-nfl-schedule-release-opponents-mock-MGJUOJIB7ZCJHJVL24VPPDGIBE/) revealed his wish list for the Ravens' slate. Here are five highlights:
_Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions on "Sunday Night Football" (Sept. 7)_
"The Eagles aren't on the Ravens' schedule, so they won't be seeing the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 1. The Ravens could get Philadelphia's biggest competition in the NFC, though. The Lions were throttled in their last visit to Baltimore two years ago, but they've since bolstered their defense and steadied their offense. A prime-time matchup between Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Detroit defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who should be making his long-awaited return from a broken leg, would be blockbuster stuff. And the Ravens' defense would get a measuring-stick game against a Lions offense adjusting to life without play-caller Ben Johnson."
_Week 4: at Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football" (Sept. 28)_
"The Ravens punked Buffalo in Baltimore on 'Sunday Night Football' last year. It's hard to imagine the NFL keeping a rematch between Jackson and Bills quarterback Josh Allen off prime time this year. This will be a game dripping with narrative gold, from Allen's surprising NFL Most Valuable Player win over Jackson to tight end Mark Andrews' even more surprising goal-line drop in the Ravens' playoff loss to the potentially seismic stakes in the AFC's battle for power."
_Week 7: at Kansas City Chiefs (Oct. 19)_
"Ravens came within a toenail of a potential road win over the Chiefs in last year's season opener. Then they came within a goal-line catch of a potential rematch in the AFC championship game. The margin for error against Kansas City is always small, especially at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Ravens have lost three straight games. Jackson is 1-5 against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, including the playoffs. If their latest matchup doesn't get a prime-time window, expect a late-afternoon time slot."
_Week 13: at Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 27)_
"The Packers have played 38 games on the holiday, third most in NFL history, and got the assignment in 2023 and 2024. The Ravens last played at Lambeau Field in 2017, when they left with a shutout win. If Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is still on the team — and healthy enough to play — Jackson could get a long-awaited reunion with his former Louisville teammate. This could also be useful preparation for a road playoff game in frigid conditions."
_Week 18: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Jan. 4)_
"Regular-season finales are always divisional matchups, and this one could have huge stakes. The Ravens won the AFC North each of the past two years by just two games. The Bengals' offense got rolling during the team's unsuccessful push for the playoffs late last season, and first-year coordinator Al Golden's defense should be better settled by the end of the year."