We’ve had a draft, a ton of free agency, and plenty of splashy trades already in 2019. With most of the big moves behind us, the shape of the league is starting to coalesce. Let’s take a look at the 2019 schedule for the Buffalo Bills and see what’s up.
Week 1: at New York Jets
A new head coach in Adam Gase. A newly fired general manager. A star running back who may or may not even be wanted. Chaos in Gotham might spell for early (and maybe long-term) trouble. Gregg Williams is arguably a legit coordinator, but Bills fans know how fun it is to swap defensive schemes. WIN
Week 2: at New York Giants
Buffalo spends its second week of the season still mired in New Jersey. Despite a disappointing 2018 season for the Giants, Eli Manning had a solid year. They got rid of their best receiving weapon, but added some potential defensive building blocks. Will the Bills own the MetLife stadium two weeks in a row? WIN
Week 3: Cincinnati Bengals
The home opener and celebration of the life of Pancho Billa! The Bengals have found a way to beat the Bills in four of the last five meetings. Expect some early season disarray with the team adjusting to life without Marvin Lewis at the helm for the first time since 1963 (probably). WIN
Week 4: New England Patriots
This might be the worst time to face the Patriots. While there’s some truth to the idea of slow starts from New England, by Week 4 they should be putting it together. It’s also too early in the season for Tom Brady’s arm to fall apart. They’ve been quietly putting together a running game to counter the NFL. LOSS
Week 5: at Tennessee Titans
The 2018 versions of these two teams were eerily similar from a statistical perspective. They even had a similar draft with the Titans selecting a defensive tackle, a skill player and a guard with their first three picks. The Bills’ heavier investments into the offensive line during free agency could be the difference maker. WIN
Week 6: Bye
The Bills have started strong and optimism is high all around. Can they keep it up down the stretch?
Week 7: Miami Dolphins
The 2018 Dolphins were a volatile team, much like the Bills, in their ability to get blown out in any given week. An upgrade at quarterback should help their cause in 2019. Brian Flores will try to be the unicorn known as a successful Belichick disciple. That said, improvement is widely believed to be a long-term project for the Dolphins. WIN
Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles followed up a Cinderella-style Super Bowl victory by barely squeaking into the 2018 playoffs and bowing out in the second week after a very narrow victory in the Wild Card round. A shaky offense was bolstered through the draft and Carson Wentz’s bad luck is usually later in the season. LOSS
Week 9: Washington
It’s entirely possible (probable) that Washington will be starting a rookie quarterback against the Bills. The Bills passing defense should continue to be strong and take advantage of a one-dimensional opponent. WIN
Week 10: at Cleveland Browns
The Browns have added a lot of big personalities to the team. While they all could create havoc to team chemistry, the talent level of the league’s laughingstock has skyrocketed. Baker Mayfield could be just the man to rally a high-maintenance team. LOSS
Week 11: at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are going to sneak a few victories in despite what’s projected to be a rough year. But not in Week 11. WIN
Week 12: Denver Broncos
Joe Flacco is not and never has been an elite quarterback. History shows us, though, that he has been pretty good. John Elway is counting on a steady presence to pair with their electrifying defense—except the defense hasn’t been electrifying in years. Their average defense will instead pair with a Flacco whose best years were in purple. WIN
Week 13: at Dallas Cowboys
A pretty good 2018 Cowboys team should be able to pick up where they left off. A strong run defense should offer a counterpunch to what the Bills are looking to build this season. In the closest thing to a prime-time game the Bills have this season, there might not be as many things to be thankful for as we’d like. LOSS
Week 14: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens fielded an excellent defense last year and sought to retain key members of the team on that side of the ball. First in the AFC North, the Ravens began the Lamar Jackson era in the middle of the year. A limited scheme was their undoing and it remains to be seen whether Baltimore can unlock Jackson’s full potential. LOSS
Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Wrapping up the North, the Bills face the high-yield offense of the Steelers. A sub-par running game leaves most games in the hands of Ben Roethlisberger. The Bills’ passing defense makes this game strength vs. strength. WIN
Week 16: at New England Patriots
New England shifted hard toward the run game to close last season. Add that to the fact that Tom Brady’s air-yards-per-completion dropped from 6.6 to 5.6 between the 2017 and 2018 seasons and you have solid evidence that Brady’s arm might be hurting down the stretch. Sometimes you win one you arguably shouldn’t. WIN
Week 17: New York Jets
Say what you will about Adam Gase, but he did coach the Dolphins to three victories over the Buffalo Bills during his tenure in Miami (once against Sean McDermott’s team). Sometime you lose one you arguably shouldn’t. LOSS
At 10-6, the Buffalo Bills should have a good shot at seeing the postseason again. How much of this is rational analysis and how much is finger crossing? Let us know in the comments how you see things unfolding.