If Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady was looking for a nice, easy beginning to his tenure as an NFL head coach, the league hasn't done him any favors.
In fact, it's gone the exact opposite way, as the Bills' 2026 schedule dropped, and Buffalo's start to the season is nightmare fuel.
Of course, if the Bills roll through their first five games, they'll be Super Bowl contenders, but if they stutter, it could be tough to be division champs.
And CBS Sports' John Breech has labeled Buffalo's start to the year as one bad thing to take from the schedule release.
"The Bills are going to be tested right out of the gate with five straight games against teams that finished over .500 last season (at Texans, Lions, Chargers, Patriots, at Rams)," Breech wrote.
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Bills can lay down early 2026 marker
Of course, you could look at Buffalo's start and think the franchise might be in trouble, but I'd like to go to the other side of it.
What if the Bills go 4-1 to begin the year? Two road games and three home games (in a row) give the franchise a chance, if they're good enough, to really kickstart their season.
If the Bills do manage to navigate this early-season stretch well, what could that do for their standing in the division and the AFC in terms of playoff seeding? It could be a big tick for Brady.
Whether Buffalo can or not is another thing entirely, as if they go 2-3 during that span, it's going to be tough to come back from that. Still, there's a strong chance Buffalo will announce their Super Bowl intentions early in 2026.
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