The 2025 NFL schedule has been released, OTAs are wrapping up, and the offseason is officially in full swing. The Buffalo Bills have a long road ahead of them. They'll have to topple some giants to win the AFC East once again and make another run at the Lombardi trophy. From Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to the Cincinnati Bengals, there's no shortage of trouble.
Here are the top five toughest opponents the Bills will have to face in 2025.
#5 - Houston Texans
Buffalo returns to Houston this season, with a Thursday Night Football appointment. Just four days after hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bills find themselves taking on the Texans. Houston's battered receiving core forced them out of contention, but they've made some eclectic choices in the 2025 NFL Draft to try and even things out. Though Stefon Diggs left to join the New England Patriots, the Texans won't have a shortage of bodies for 2025.
They will, however, be going up against a different Buffalo Bills team altogether. Buffalo fell short against the Texans in the regular season a year ago, something they will be sure to remember. Houston hasn't seen much overhaul outside of the WR group, and should remain an obstacle for the Bills.
#4 - Cincinnati Bengals
In Week 14 the boys are back in town, or at least most of them. The 2025 Cincinnati Bengals will be better than the 2024 edition; They couldn't be much worse, defensively. They finally got around to paying Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but their hesitation worked to their detriment. Now, they have had to spend absurd amounts to keep players that would have been cheaper had they not waited. As a result, they are deadlocked with their best defender who seeks an out.
When the Buffalo Bills host the Bengals in December, it may be a high scoring affair. These Bengals are perfectly capable of scoring 40 points, but so are the Bills. In a game where one or two stops may make the difference, go with the team that we know can field a good defense. This late season matchup is a significant one.
#3 - Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City did not look like the AFC's best team last season. Not during each week of the regular season as they stumbled into the #1 seed, nor through the playoffs. They looked especially crooked during Super Bowl LIX, and their average offseason doesn't lead us to believe they'll be making a repeat appearance.
The Chiefs are still fearsome, don't mistake our evaluation for complacence, but they are not the top dog. Their offense was stagnant, and their defense finally crumbled under massive pressure. Since that moment, they have made no marquee acquisitions via draft or free agency.
Kansas City remains a powerhouse due to Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce staying paired, alongside the help of one of the NFL's most consistently disruptive defenses. They should still win their division, fight for the #1 seed, and prove a massive bulwark against the 2025 Buffalo Bills' Super Bowl aspirations; KC is only the third-toughest obstacle they face in the regular season. For Buffalo, Week 9 can't come soon enough.
#2 - Philadelphia Eagles
All arguments for the Philadelphia Eagles being the best team in the NFL, and the default leader on this list, do not fall on deaf ears. It is without disrespect that we attribute them the second place position. Both the Buffalo Bills and the Eagles have reason to rejoice this offseason, as the proposed ban on the 'Tush Push' fails, keeping that weapon in their playbook. It's not the only good news for Philly, coming off their Super Bowl win over Kansas City. Their draft class is a solid one, but it had to be, as many departing free agents cashed in on their success.
Philadelphia is going to be very tough to topple in 2025, and the timing of this matchup is not ideal for Buffalo. It's a Week 17 slog, with massive playoff implications for both sides of the field. Can the Buffalo Bills handle the reigning champions with the #1 possibly still in play? Only time will tell.
#1 - Baltimore Ravens
Yes, Josh Allen deserved to win MVP after his 2024 season, but it was undoubtedly a close race. Lamar Jackson is, at worst, a top-3 quarterback, aided by the NFL's greatest supporting cast. Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and a monster defense add to arguably the best team in the league. They've lost none of their shine this offseason, despite a few notable departures, and will be hungry as ever to start 2025 on the right foot. Baltimore gets their chance, with the Buffalo Bills hosting them for Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
The schedule makers had a chance to jump-start this season, and they took it. Now, the MVP and the runner-up get to repeat their recent divisional round bout, with hopefully the same result. Buffalo hasn't forgotten the beatdown that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens gave them early in 2024, despite stealing Baltimore's shot at the AFC Championship game.
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