ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Until the NFL schedule is announced on Wednesday, May 15, there's going to be a lot of speculation about how the Bills' schedule might look, and specifically, what the marquee matchups might be.
We do know the opponents for all home and road games. So, which Bills games should command a prime-time audience, particularly on NBC's Sunday Night Football? We got some ideas.
Let's start with the road game with the Houston Texans, who acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a stunning April 3 trade. Forget why or how the trade came about, Allen and Diggs were at the forefront of the Bills' success. They posed together a Sports Illustrated Kids magazine cover and appeared in Zoom Buffalo yard signs everywhere. Now they're going to be on opposite sidelines. Lock this game in for Week 1.
Another no-brainer is a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have ended the Bills' seasons in three of the past four years, with the most recent exit coming with Taylor Swift and Jason Kelce in attendance. They might be back again, and cameras would be sure to follow. On the field, with Allen and Mahomes taking snaps, Buffalo and Kansas City are sure to produce another memorable game.
Another home game against another Super Bowl participant, the San Francisco 49ers, represents another measuring stick. Like the Bills, the 49ers have found Kansas City to be a postseason nemesis, blocking their path to the Lombardi Trophy, twice. At least they have the luxury of being in the NFC and avoiding Mahomes until the NFL's grand finale.
Staying in the NFC, the Detroit Lions and their explosive offense would be a fun game. The NFC North champions won 12 regular season games, and for the first time since the 1991-92 season, they notched a playoff win — two, in fact. Just don't pencil in this game for Thanksgiving, there's no need for the Bills to play a fourth Turkey Day game since 2019.
Finally, let's go with the Baltimore Ravens, because it just doesn't seem like Buffalo and Baltimore play each other as much as they should. Like the games with Kansas City and San Francisco, a game featuring two MVP-caliber candidates shouldn't get lost in the shuffle during a full slate of Sunday afternoon games.
WORTH CONSIDERING
The Jacksonville Jaguars, who recently signed former Bills in Mitch Morse and Gabe Davis, is a solid option. There's the added bonus of Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen. The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are two games that don't need much explanation, and let's face it, at least one Bills prime-time game will be against and AFC East opponent. Having Josh Allen against Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa is an easy sell.
Here are the eight teams the Bills will host in Highmark Stadium:
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
Here are the Bills' nine road trips for next season:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Los Angeles Rams
- Seattle Seahawks
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
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