Most Important Buffalo Bills' Revenge Games on the 2026 Schedule

The 2026 NFL schedule was released on Thursday night, and the Buffalo Bills unveiled theirs in an interesting way.

Josh Allen was the star of their schedule release video, which was all about embracing change. That's fitting as they enter the season ready to break in a brand new stadium. They also have a first-time head coach in Joe Brady, a first-time defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard, a new offensive coordinator in Pete Carmichael and a new special teams coach in Jeff Rodgers.

All of these changes were made with the hopes of pushing Buffalo through the postseason wall they continue to hit. One way to gauge their chances of finally breaking through will be how they handle themselves in these two highly important revenge games in 2026.

Week 1 — Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans have had the Bills' number as of late, which is why Bills On SI writer Alex Brasky named this one of their toughest games of the season. The Texans own an 8-5 career record against the Bills, including one playoff game, which was an overtime win for the Texans in Jan, 2020. Houston enters this season on a two-game winning streak against the Bills, including a 23-19 win this past season.

That was a frustrating game for Josh Allen, who was sacked eight times and threw two interceptions. It wasn't uncommon either as the Texans held him to 9-of-30 passing during their 2024 victory. This isn't exactly a must-win game, since it's in Week 1, but the Bills would love to get some revenge on the Texans. Most importantly, they would be thrilled to keep the Texans' ferocious front seven from bullying their offense once again.

Week 16 — Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos (Christmas Day)

This past season ended in heartache and controversy. The Denver Broncos handed Buffalo a 33-30 overtime loss in the AFC Divisional Round in a game that sparked plenty of debate.

Late in overtime, Josh Allen thought he completed a deep pass to Brandin Cooks, which would have set up the game-winning kick. Denver cornerback Ja'quan McMillian, to his credit, never gave up on the play and wrestled the ball away from Cooks. Despite Cooks' knee being down with possession, McMillian was awarded the interception and Denver went on to win the game.

As frustrating as that call was, the Bills had multiple chances to win against the Broncos and couldn't get the job done. This year, they head back to Denver for a Week 16 matchup on Christmas Day. Not only can they play the part of the Grinch by upsetting the home crowd, but the win would give the Bills a measure of revenge for their most recent playoff loss.

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