As the Buffalo Bills prepare to open their 2025 NFL season against the Baltimore Ravens, fans and players are gearing up for a series of events and activities at Highmark Stadium. The game is scheduled for Sunday night with kickoff at 8:20 p.m.
The Buffalo Bills Foundation will continue its tradition of hosting a 50/50 raffle during every home game this season. This initiative allows fans to purchase tickets before and during each game, with half of the proceeds going to one winner and the other half supporting local efforts to fight hunger and promote healthy eating in Western New York.
Several former Bills players are set to attend the opener, including Andre Reed—who has been named Legend of the Game—as well as Donald Jones, George Wilson, Darryl Talley, Aaron Williams, and Marcus Easley. Pregame festivities will include a performance of the national anthem by Micah Tryba, a veterinarian from Chicago who gained recognition on Season 12 of NBC’s “The Voice.” Tryba shared her enthusiasm for performing at Highmark Stadium: “When she’s not caring for animals, Micah continues to share her love of performing across the country and is feels incredibly honored to be here at Highmark Stadium.”
Halftime entertainment will feature an eight-minute drone show in partnership with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The display is expected to include various Bills-themed formations above the stadium.
Fans can also expect special menu items available at concessions stands. The Miller Lite Brew Pub will serve “The Battle Boat,” which features waffle fries topped with ingredients representing both Buffalo and Baltimore. Additional specialty sandwiches such as “MVP” grilled flank steak and club sandwiches like “DawkSide” jerk chicken sandwich and “Pork Knox” pulled pork sandwich will also be offered.
Andre Reed’s role as Legend of the Game was announced earlier in the week. Head Coach Sean McDermott previewed Sunday’s matchup in his weekly show while quarterback Josh Allen received news that his jersey number will be retired by Wyoming.
A new Farewell Season jersey patch will make its debut on player uniforms this week—a detail highlighted by a video showing its stitching onto blue home jerseys for both Week 1 against Baltimore and again in Week 18 versus the Jets.
Off-field topics have included debates among players about cereal preferences after practice, along with promotional efforts like sales of Josh Allen MVP Puffs cereal benefiting Oishei Children’s Hospital through Wegmans stores.
On Wednesday, McDermott held a press conference ahead of final injury reports for both teams. Statistical milestones are within reach for Allen; he needs one rushing touchdown to surpass Thurman Thomas as franchise leader in that category and five passing touchdowns to reach 200 career scores. Since 2023, Allen leads all NFL players with 85 offensive touchdowns while Lamar Jackson ranks second with 74. Both quarterbacks have excelled in primetime games since 2022—Allen holding a passer rating of 102.1 compared to Jackson’s league-best mark among qualifiers at 108.7.
Since 2022, Buffalo has achieved a league-best home record (22-3) according to https://www.nfl.com/standings/league/2024/REG/. The team has also won its last eleven home games dating back to November 2023.
Elsewhere this week, recently retired center Mitch Morse launched his podcast “Monday Mornings with Mitch,” featuring Josh Allen as his first guest following Allen’s MVP season.
Storylines leading into Sunday focus on two MVP quarterbacks facing off once again—Allen holds a slight edge over Jackson historically—and another chapter added after their previous AFC Divisional Round meeting underlining what promises an intense opening contest.
