Mark Andrews
Getty
The Baltimore Ravens can do Mark Andrews a favor with this trade within the AFC.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has nothing but confidence heading into his team’s week 1 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the team that eliminated them from the NFL playoffs in the divisional round last season. Andrews grabbed most of the headlines after that game after he dropped a pass in the end zone on a two-point conversion play that would’ve tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Now, with a full offseason of work and self-improvement, Andrews is ready to avenge his demons in week 1.
“At the end of the day it’s a new season, had a full training camp of getting better, it’s a new team,” Andrews said. “It’s two really good teams going against each other. I’m going to do my part, do my job to the best of my ability. It’s an incredible opportunity for this organization.”
Andrews had a good game before the drop, catching five passes for 61 yards before misfortune struck him and the Ravens.
The 29-year-old has been Baltimore’s most consistent pass catcher for the better part of the last decade, making 436 catches in 104 career games while being named to three pro bowls.
The Ravens and Bills are tied for the best odds to win the Super Bowl at +600. Their matchup this Sunday could very well be a preview of the AFC Championship in January.
Super Bowl Window for Lamar Jackson
The Ravens have been knocking on the Super Bowl door for years now as one of the best teams in the AFC, and now with the Chiefs predicted to have a down year by their standards, 2025 feels like the best opportunity the Ravens have had to accomplish the ultimate goal in the Lamar Jackson era.
Jackson, 28, largely regarded as the best dual threat quarterback in the NFL recorded career highs in the passing game in the 2024 season, eclipsing 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns for the first time in his career. With that being said, although he feels like he’s in his peak right now, the life-span of a dual threat quarterback in the NFL is shorter than it is for more traditional passers, meaning every season gone by adds more risk of Jackson losing his effectiveness in the run game.
He’ll need Andrews and the rest of the receiving room to once again help him provide passing success so that his running game is even more effective if defenses are forced to respect his arm that much more.
Gauntlet to Start the Season for Baltimore
The Ravens will face their biggest test in week 1 against Buffalo, but the road doesn’t get easier after that, when they’ll face Detroit and Kansas City back to back in weeks three and four.
The schedule will lighten up in October and November before four of their final six games come against the Bengals and Steelers twice each.
The regular season only means so much for Baltimore now. For the team and Ravens nation, all that matters is raising the Lombardi Trophy in February.