You’ve seen the Buffalo Bills schedule. Now here’s a note for every game on the list.
Week 1
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
This is the eleventh time the Bills have opened their season against the Jets. The last time was 2012, when the Bills were trounced 48-28. Buffalo has lost five straight of these matchups and eight of the ten total. Yikes.
Week 2
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers
Bills head coach Sean McDermott returns to Carolina where he previously served as defensive coordinator. It’s Carolina’s home opener and the third time Buffalo will travel to Charlotte. Buffalo’s best winning percentage against one franchise is against the Panthers. They’ve beaten Carolina five times in six games.
Week 3
Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills
Apparently, the Broncos kicker is psyched to not be playing in Buffalo late in the season.
Week 4
Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons
This will be the second game at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Falcons have called three stadiums home since New Era Field aka Ralph Wilson Stadium aka Rich Stadium was built in the early 1970s.
Week 5
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo and Cincinnati will meet for the third straight season, fourth time in five years, and sixth time in eight years. Buffalo has won five of their last six in Cincinnati.
Week 6
Bye Week
The Bills don’t play any teams coming off of their bye week in 2017! Oakland will be the only team with extra rest. They are coming off a Thursday Night Football tilt.
Week 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills
The Bills have only hosted the Bucs once before, a 2009 win in Week 2. They have played nine games in Florida, though.
Week 8
Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills
Oakland bucked the trend in 2016 when they went 5-0 in 1:00 p.m. ET starts. They didn’t exactly beat a great list of teams, with wins over the Saints, Ravens, playoff-bound Titans, Jaguars, and Bucs. They were 3-2 in 2015, too.
Week 9
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
This will be Buffalo’s eighth game on Thursday Night Football and fourth against the Jets. It’s the third straight season Buffalo will play New York on Thursday.
Week 10
New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills
New Orleans is 46-42 on the road since Drew Brees signed with the Saints in 2006. They are 55-33 over the same time frame at home.
Week 11
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers
The last time the Bills played the Chargers in Los Angeles, JFK was President. Buffalo’s interim head coach and offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will welcome his former team. StubHub Stadium only seats 27,000, so it will have the lowest attendance numbers of any Bills game since at least 1997. That year was the first season of the Oilers in Tennessee and Buffalo. Less than 24,000 people attended the game.
Week 12
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
Buffalo has more wins against the Chiefs (23) than any team that wasn’t once in their division. The two teams had played in eight consecutive seasons until 2016 broke the streak.
Week 13
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
This is the latest first meeting between the two teams in history. Previously, the latest first match was 1999 when they saw each other in Weeks 12 and 16. In 1998, they played twice in three weeks beginning in Week 11. In 2008 and 2000, the first game was in Week 10.
Week 14
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has three December homes games for the second consecutive season. They were also in three consecutive weeks a year ago, too. Buffalo had four home games in December of 2012.
Week 15
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
This is the latest possible week a team could play a divisional opponent for the first time. It will only be Miami’s twelfth December game in Buffalo.
Week 16
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Buffalo ends the season with three straight divisional games for the first time since 2010. That season, they began 0-8 and had long been eliminated from the playoff race.
Week 17
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
The Bills are at a distinct AFC East disadvantage in 2017. Facing the Patriots and Dolphins four times in the last five weeks means a short-term injury could have devastating effects on the outcome of the divisional race. Several national NFL writers agree.