We have known the Buffalo Bills’ 2025 opponents since last year’s regular season concluded Jan. 5, and we have known the schedule will include nine home games and eight road games since 2021.
But everything else? We won’t know until 8 p.m. Wednesday – at least officially.
The Bills will play AFC East rivals Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets twice apiece; will host the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and play at the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.
Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens (copy)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after the Bills' AFC divisional round win in January. The Ravens visit the Bills again this season. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Here are five questions to ponder, and to set fans up for the reveal:
1. As of Tuesday afternoon, no Bills game has been a part of the early reveals. Surprised?
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Yes. The Bills, led by reigning NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen, are a television draw, and they will play many marquee games, but not one kernel for us to chew on before the full schedule?
Black Friday is Chicago-Philadelphia. The Saturday before Christmas is Philadelphia-Washington and Green Bay-Chicago. Christmas night is Denver-Kansas City. And the Bills weren’t chosen to play Cleveland in London or Pittsburgh in Dublin.
The possibility remains open for the Bills to play on Thanksgiving night or Christmas Day. Our guess is five prime-time games.
2. The Bills had a three-game road swing last year. Chances that happens this year?
Let’s go with 0.0%. The Bills played at Baltimore, Houston and the New York Jets in consecutive weeks in 2024, with a 1-2 record.
Because the Bills have one more home game than road game, it doesn’t mean they won’t play back-to-back on the road, but the chance of playing three straight at home is much greater.
3. How tough – or easy – is the group of 2025 opponents?
There are soft spots for sure. The Bills will play just six of their 17 games against teams that made last year’s playoffs – Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Philadelphia at home and at Pittsburgh and Houston.
The Bills’ strength of schedule – the combined 2024 record of this year’s opponents – is .467 (135-154 record), tied for the 23rd-easiest in the league. That is a product of the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets going a combined 17-34 last year and the Bills facing the NFC South, which had a combined record of 28-40.
The New York Giants have the league’s toughest schedule (.574), and San Francisco the easiest schedule (.415) based on opponents’ winning percentage.
4. How many teams will the Bills face this year with a new head coach and/or new starting quarterback?
Six – and two of those twice. Some of the biggest changes come right within the division. In the AFC East, the Patriots have a new coach in Mike Vrabel and the Jets have a new coach in Aaron Glenn. The Jets also are rolling with quarterback Justin Fields.
The Bills also will see a revamped Saints team with Kellen Moore now in charge after winning the Super Bowl as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator. Plus, with Derek Carr’s surprise retirement this week, the Saints are in flux at quarterback.
The quarterback carousel around the NFL has reset starters on a few other teams. The Steelers are a mess. Aaron Rodgers could still land there. The Browns have one of the most fascinating rooms, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. And finally, the Falcons are in the process of cementing the move they made toward the end of last season from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr.
5. The Bills have a dynamite home schedule in the final year at Highmark Stadium. Which games are the best guesses to be in prime time?
Our top three guesses are the games against the Chiefs, Ravens and Eagles.
The one knock on the Eagles’ suggestion is that they already have four confirmed prime-time games on their schedule. The Chiefs in prime time feels natural. And the Ravens-Bills rivalry, with a combined three MVP awards between quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Allen, makes for good television.
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