ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When the NFL schedule is announced later this week, we'll know for sure what dates to circle.
Until then it's always fun to speculate on how the Bills' schedule might look, and specifically, what the marquee matchups might be.
So, which Bills games should command a prime-time audience, particularly on NBC's Sunday Night Football?
Let's start with the New York Jets. Josh Allen vs. Aaron Rodgers in an AFC East matchup. Make it early in the season, in Week 1 or 2. Why make us wait? It doesn't matter if it's here or if it's in New Jersey. Play one game early, then make the rematch in December, with playoff seeding implications.
Another deserving game is a road date with the Philadelphia Eagles, who — as you might have heard — are coached by Nick Sirianni, a Jamestown native who graduated from Southwestern High School in 1999. Oh, and he just led the Eagles to a Super Bowl in his second season there. Allen vs. Jalen Hurts? That game not being played under the lights would be a grave mistake.
Staying in the NFC East, a home date with the Dallas Cowboys makes too much sense. Yes, there's Stefon Diggs and Trevon Diggs on opposite sidelines, but there's also no need to overthink this. These teams are prime-time draws. Just be mentally prepared to sit through some Super Bowl highlights from decades ago. This is the best home game on the schedule.
Back to the AFC, where the standard remains the Kansas City Chiefs. While it would be great to see Patrick Mahomes in Western New York as opposed to Kansas City, for once, that doesn't diminish the potential for another classic showdown between two elite offenses.
And finally, yes, a road game with the Cincinnati Bengals is a must. There's the Damar Hamlin game that was never finished. There's the Bengals' postseason victory in Orchard Park, with Hamlin in attendance, followed by Joe Burrow's "better send those refunds" quip in reference to an AFC championship game in Atlanta that never happened. This game should be spicy.
As for a couple honorable mentions ...
A home game with the New York Giants deserves special notice. Former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll comes back to Western New York, where he attended St. Francis High School. The same goes for Chris Smith, a 2005 St. Francis graduate and former University at Buffalo graduate assistant.
Then there's a game at the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen and Justin Herbert are the headliners, sure, but there's also Khalil Mack, the former UB standout who was the fifth overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Mack is entering his second season with the Chargers.
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