Bills Got Screwed by NFL Schedule Makers

The NFL schedule makers did the Buffalo Bills no favors with their 2026 slate.

There’s one NFL analyst who went as far as to say Buffalo got “screwed” by the league with their upcoming schedule. With eight matchups with playoff teams, six nationally-televised games, the 13th most projected air miles [19,734] of any team in the NFL and the eighth most challenging strength of schedule, Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr believes the Bills got a mighty raw deal.

“This one confused me. Ideally, if a team is opening a new stadium, featuring a new head coach and boasting one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, this is a recipe for a featured role during the 2026 NFL season,” wrote Orr. “Instead, we have a club that was shaky enough a year ago to necessitate the firing of its head coach, who was sent on an absolute odyssey.”

‘Brutal winter stretch’

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady calls out during drills on the opening day of Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Orr acknowledged that the Bills have one of the more favorable rest differentials in the league, sitting at +14 not rest days compared to their opponents, ranking second-best in the NFL in 2026. However, the tough travel, challenging early-season road and what Orr believes is a “brutal winter stretch” have him feeling the Bills received the short end of the stick.

“Buffalo has among the highest net travel miles in the NFL this year and begins the year with games against the Texans, Lions, Chargers, Patriots and Rams before a bye, cross-country road trip to the Raiders and a matchup with the Ravens,” he added. “The Bills also have a brutal winter stretch beginning with a Thanksgiving matchup against the Chiefs, followed by games against prospective playoff teams like the Patriots, Broncos, Bears and Packers. The Bills also play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.”

Long list of challenges

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It’s tough to argue Orr’s premise, as each element of Buffalo’s rocky slate presents a different set of challenging circumstances.

The Bills avoided an international game and have two teams within their division who could be battling for the top pick in the 2027 draft by the end of the season. However, elsewhere, Buffalo will have to battle playoff contender after playoff contender, traveling thousands of miles to do so while being in the spotlight regularly throughout one of the league’s most difficult schedules.

It’s not an easy path by any means.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google