Bills' Schedule: Recovery and Preparation Time Will be Most in NFL
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As NFL schedules go, the Buffalo Bills are blessed with the easiest in the league in terms of rest and recovery time.
Their overall schedule strength is tied for the 12th most difficult, with their opponents owning a .512 winning percentage. However, the way the schedule breaks down, they will have some decided advantages.
In fact, the Bills will own the best net rest differential relative to their opponents in 2022, according to Seth Walder of ESPN.
That begins in Week 2, when they will host the Tennessee Titans on a Monday night. Because the Bills play at the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Kickoff Game on a Thursday night, it means they will have three extra days to rest and prepare than the Titans, who will play their season opener on a Sunday.
Although the Bills do go on the road to Miami for a Sunday game following that Monday night contest, their next short week won't come until November, then they follow a Sunday home game against the Cleveland Browns with a short flight to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions.
Another Thursday game (at New England) is scheduled for the following week, followed by extra time to get ready to host the the Jets on a Sunday in Week 14.
Even with the two home Saturday/Sunday flex games on their schedule late in the season against the Dolphins in Week 15 and the Patriots to finish the regular season three weeks later, they are looking at more than a reasonable schedule which also features fewer overall travel miles than most other teams in the league.
What's more, their longest trip of the season is Week 1, after which they have three extra days to recover before their next game.
The Bills also won't face any teams who were off the previous week.
By contrast, their off week comes before a home clash with the Green Bay Packers, who will come in having played the week before.
Not an easy schedule, to be sure. But it could have been worse.
Much worse.
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Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
