Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens delivered a truly memorable game on the opening weekend of the 2025 National Football (NFL) season.

Two of the main NFL 2025 picks for MVP by Spreadex Sports showcased their talents, with Bills quarterback Josh Allen overcoming Ravens counterpart Lamar Jackson by the narrowest of margins.

Jackson had guided the Ravens into a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining on Sunday Night Football. The Bills eventually won 41-40 courtesy of Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal as time expired.

The Ravens are now the first team in NFL history to score at least 40 points and rush for 235 yards and lose the game. Head coach John Harbaugh must feel like he is cursed.

This was the eighth time his team lost a game in which they held a fourth quarter advantage of at least eight points. No other NFL coach has as many losses in that scenario since 2000.

While the Ravens left the field wondering what happened, the Bills were able to revel in the magic Allen produced during the final few minutes. The quarterback finished the game with 394 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He added another pair of scores on the ground.

It was the seventh game of Allen's stellar career in which he recorded at least two passing and two rushing touchdowns - the most in NFL history.

Head coach Sean McDermott was understandably delighted after the game. He praised his players for their ability to emerge victorious from a difficult position.

“It was a great win – they’re hard to come by,” McDermott said. “They kept playing and the coaches kept coaching. It wasn’t pretty at times.

“We'll learn a lot to learn from this game and it's always good that you can learn after a win and after a loss. Whenever you're trying to start a season, it's important that you win a close one.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces in the locker room and the guys got a chance tonight to experience coming together as a team for the first time – to experience Buffalo.”

Allen’s contribution to the Bills’ remarkable comeback placed him alongside some noteworthy company in the NFL record books.

He became the fourth reigning MVP in NFL history to account for at least four touchdowns in Week 1 as the Bills kicked off their season in style.

The previous three players – Thurman Thomas (1992), Brett Favre (1996) and Tom Brady (2011) – all guided their teams to the Super Bowl that season.

Allen is desperate to crown his career by winning a Super Bowl ring and it would be a brave move to back against him achieving the feat this season.

Defensive end Joey Bosa was effusive about Allen’s performance, saying it was ‘special to watch’ him overcome the Ravens in the final four minutes.

“Every text I have is, ‘I’ve never seen anything like that,’” Bosa said. “I’ve been a part of a lot of close games like that, and most the time when it’s within three points it’s went the other way.

“I’m in a dream right now. That was unbelievable. I don't know if I've ever been this happy after a win.

“It's just the first game of the year and we gave up a lot of points, and I could be better in a lot of ways. But we got the win, and we gave our offense a chance.

"And I guess when you have Josh Allen, you just have to give him a chance, and anything's possible."