The 2019 Buffalo Bills preseason schedule has been released, and some familiar faces will be on the docket.
Frequent opponents the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions are on the preseason schedule, and so are the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings.
2019 Buffalo Bills schedule
| Week | Date | Time (Eastern) | Opponent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Date | Time (Eastern) | Opponent | Notes |
| Pre-1 | Aug 8 | 7:00 PM | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Former Bills QB Frank Reich returns as coach of Colts |
| Pre-2 | Aug 16 | 7:00 PM | @ Carolina Panthers | Second year in a row against McDermott & Beane's former team |
| Pre-3 | Aug 23 | 8:00 PM | @ Detroit Lions | After one year off, BUF/DET is back on |
| Pre-4 | Aug 29 | 7:00 PM | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Two home games, maybe two combined drives with the starters |
| 1 | Sep 8 | 1:00 p.m. | @ New York Jets | Darnold vs Allen is early this year |
| 2 | Sep 15 | 1:00 p.m. | @ New York Giants | Two straight trips to the same stadium |
| 3 | Sep 22 | 1:00 p.m. | CINCINNATI BENGALS | Bills home opener |
| 4 | Sep 29 | 1:00 p.m. | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Patriots have struggled in September over last five seasons |
| 5 | Oct 6 | 1:00 p.m. | @ Tennessee Titans | Best road trip option of 2019? |
| 6 | Oct 14 | BYE | ||
| 7 | Oct 20 | 1:00 p.m. | MIAMI DOLPHINS | Josh Rosen could be under center |
| 8 | Oct 27 | 1:00 p.m. | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Middle of four straight weeks in Orchard Park |
| 9 | Nov 3 | 1:00 p.m. | WASHINGTON | Will a rookie QB be in by now? |
| 10 | Nov 10 | 1:00 p.m. | @ Cleveland Browns | Mayfield vs Allen is gonna be fun |
| 11 | Nov 17 | 1:00 p.m. | @ Miami Dolphins | Alternated wins and losses in Miami since 2012 (BUF's turn to win) |
| 12 | Nov 24 | 1:00 p.m. | DENVER BRONCOS | Will a rookie QB be in by now? |
| 13 | THANKSGIVING | 4:30 p.m. | @ Dallas Cowboys | First time on Thanksgiving since 1994 |
| 14 | Dec 8 | 1:00 p.m. | BALTIMORE RAVENS | Jackson vs Allen in another second-year QB battle |
| 15 | Dec 15 | 1:00 p.m. | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | Bills haven't won in PIT since 1993 playoffs |
| 16 | Dec 21/22 | TBD | @ New England Patriots | Could be played Saturday or Sunday |
| 17 | Dec 29 | 1:00 p.m. | NEW YORK JETS | The Bills open and close the season against the Jets |
| Playoffs | TBD |
Up first are the Indianapolis Colts, where Frank Reich will return to Orchard Park. This time he’ll be on the opposing sideline as head coach, but there will be nostalgia.
In the second week, Buffalo travels to face the Carolina Panthers. It’s the second straight year Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane will face their former team in the preseason.
Third is the Detroit Lions. Buffalo and Detroit closed out the preseason every year from 2001 through 2017 but didn’t play at all in 2018. They face each other in Detroit during the third week in a nationally televised game.
Finally, Buffalo welcomes the Minnesota Vikings to round out the slate. Buffalo hosting the first and last game of the preseason means season ticket holders may only see a couple live drives from the starters during the 2019 season’s warm-up games.