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The 2013 NFL schedule is set to be released Thursday night at 8 PM. A unique feature of the Buffalo Bills schedule is the team's annual trip to Toronto as part of a deal with Rogers Communications. Likely to raise the ire of Bills fans everywhere, let's handicap the field for this year's Toronto game from least likely to most:
New York Jets
After playing the Jets in Toronto in 2009, it would be surprising if the NFL would send them back. The shield is looking to expand their footprint and rotating teams through the foreign city makes more sense. That doesn't even mention how awful the Jets and Bills appear to be right now.
Miami Dolphins
Miami has a slightly better chance than the Jets, given that they were in Toronto for the series' inaugural regular season game in 2008, so it's been a little longer.
Cincinnati Bengals
The past three seasons have seen NFC teams travel to Canada, which necessitates putting the AFC teams a step lower. Without a marquee brand name and extensive fan base, the Bengals should be one of the last teams on the NFL's list.
Kansas City Chiefs
With the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Chiefs are in the midst of a rebuilding project the NFL will likely not want to hang the Bills or Rogers Communication with despite a passionate fan base.
New England Patriots
As much as Bills fans would go crazy over this game being moved to Toronto, it's a team the NFL would love to feature, so it bears a higher spot on the list. Tom Brady and company have crushed the Bills no matter where they've played recently outside of the lone Bills victory in 2011. Still, after the first two seasons where fans and ownership cried foul, I would hope the divisional games stay in the familiar confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Baltimore Ravens
Fresh off a Super Bowl win, the Bills wouldn't love to see this game moved north. The NFL might have other plans for the Joe Flacco victory tour, though.
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta is coming off a playoff berth, and as we've noted before, NFC teams have received the bump in the past few years. This would be an intriguing game to move to Toronto for both the NFL and the city.
Carolina Panthers
The NFL hasn't seemed to mind sending teams up there with a limited national fan base like the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. The last team to finish with a winning record in the season preceding their Toronto game was the 2008 New York Jets, so playoffs don't necessarily matter. It should also be noted that both announced games in London are inter-conference match-ups, something the NFL has sustained since that game's inception. The Panthers appear to fit all the criteria the NFL has used over the past three seasons for the Bills Toronto Series, and is the most likely team to need their passports this season to play the Bills.