10 takeaways from the Bills’ 2022 schedule
The Buffalo Bills and NFL have released their 2022 regular season schedule. Have you seen it?
If not, check it out below (or keep scrolling):
For those of you who have seen it, here are 10 takeaways from the Bills’ 2022 slate:
Prime-time Bills
A general view of a bank of lights. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The lights are on the Bills again. The easiest takeaway to see is the six–yes six–prime-time games Buffalo has. OK, be correct and call a holiday game a *non* prime-time game. But we all know it is, and including that, the Bills have six of them, and maybe more if games are flexed.
What a time to be alive.
Others include the home opener on Monday against the Tennessee Titans, the NFL’s first game against the Los Angeles Rams, plus another Monday Night Football meeting (Cincinnati Bengals), another Thursday contest (New England Patriots) and a Sunday Night Football matchup (Green Bay Packers).
Even if you’re lame and discount Thanksgiving as a prime-time contest, the five is still an all-time high for the franchise.
Turkey
Bills tight end Dawson Knox (88) Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Remember watching Thanksgiving football hoping the Bills could ever get a single game just one time on the day? A thing of the past.
This year it’ll be Buffalo at the Detroit Lions. Last year, it was the Bills at the New Orleans Saints.
In total, it’ll be the Bills on Turkey Day for the third time in the past four seasons.
Another holiday
Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Thanksgiving… plus Christmas… eve. The Bills travel to the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve. Bundle up, this will not be a warm one, but it should be fun.
The Titans and Chiefs... again
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) . (AP Photo/Matt Patterson
The Bills play against the Titans. They are not an AFC East foe, but it kind of feels like it. The 2022 season will be the fifth year in a row these two faceoff. Tennessee has won the past two.
Speaking of which, it will be the fourth time since 2021 the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will battle as well. That, thanks to the playoffs.
A fifth en route with KC?
Away from home early
Kansas City Chiefs fans cheer as Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills . (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Don’t get too excited to see the Bills at home just yet.
The home opener will be on Monday vs. the Titans in Week 2. That’s the team’s only home game in their first four contests. Along with Buffalo opening the year at the Rams, the Bills visit the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively.
The Bills last had three road trips in the first four weeks of the season in 2018.
Evens outs a bit
Bills fans before the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
At least it evens out–kind of. And it’s at the end of the 2022 season, so bundle up (again). Three of the Bills’ final five games are at home. All three are division opponents against the New York Jets (Week 14), Dolphins (Week 15), and Patriots (Week 18).
Two TBD
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) . (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Ready to see the Bills host the Dolphins and Patriots in Orchard Park? Too bad, settle down.
Both of those games are TBD on the date. Interesting.
Rest
Bills helme Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
While fans hate rest for the team, players appreciate some time off to heal. The Bills have a couple of those.
After their opener, Buffalo has 10 days until Week 2 on Monday.
The Bills have a Week 7 bye, decently close to the middle of the year. Later on, the Bills have nine days off until seeing the Jets in Week 14.
Buffalo does have a short week before Thanksgiving, though.
Little division early
New York Jets and Buffalo Bills players get in a fight Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
A lot of the AFC East, specifically the Pats, won’t see the Bills until late in 2022.
After facing the Dolphins in Week 3 on the road, the Bills won’t see another divisional foe until the second half of the year–The Jets in Week 9. Buffalo doesn’t even play an AFC East team at home until Week 14.
On the Patriots specifically, the Bills won’t face them until Week 13 on Thursday Night Football. A similar thing happened last season.
Tough start
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) . (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Things change. Teams go from first to worst (hopefully not Buffalo) and visa versa all the time. But on paper, the first half of the year is tough for Buffalo.
The Bills open the year against the defending champs then host the Titans, who not only were the AFC’s top-seed in 2021, Tennessee always plays Buffalo well.
The same can be said for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, but that’s not to skip the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. The Ravens are good and were destroyed by injuries last season. That won’t happen again.
Not to mention, the bye in Week 7? The Chiefs are before it and the Packers are after it to round out the first half.
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