4 toughest non-AFC East games on Bills' 2025 schedule

The NFL schedule is finally out, and the Buffalo Bills have the fifth easiest schedule, but that doesn't mean there aren't teams that can trip them up in 2025.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen avoids Kansas City's Nazeeh Johnson and Drue Tranquill on his late fourth-quarter touchdown. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

We finally know not just who the Buffalo Bills are playing, but when.

Fortunately, there are no international games for the Bills in 2025. Those games, regardless of the opponent, are always tricky. The front end of the schedule looks like a cake walk after Week 1.

The Bills also have five games in primetime, but they have the second fewest miles to travel this year, which is a plus. The Bills' 2025 schedule could not have fallen much better, but they still have a few very tough matchups that could trip them up, even with most of them being at home, in old Highmark Stadium's last stand.

Here are four games that the Buffalo Bills could struggle to win in 2025.

Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens

Before the 2024 season, the Bills defeated the Ravens three consecutive times, including the playoffs. Last season, the Ravens added the best running back in the league, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens completely dominated the Bills on their way to a 42-14 win over the Bills. Things were different in the playoffs, though, as the Bills got their revenge, bounced the Ravens out of postseason play, and ended their season.

This year's matchup will be very different for both teams, simply because no one knows what to expect from the new-look Bills defense, including the Bills themselves. Add in two Bills players who are suspended, Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht, and who knows what will happen in that Week One showdown.

Bills' Josh Allen hops into the end zone for a touchdown after breaking a tackle during first-half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 17 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Super Bowl Champions, do we need to say anything more? The last time the Bills and Eagles took the field together, the Eagles won 37-34 in Philly. The following week was a bye for the Bills, before they reeled off five straight wins, took the division, and secured a playoff spot.

Since then, the Eagles have won a Super Bowl title, and the Bills continue struggling to get past the Chiefs in the playoffs. The Bills will host the Eagles in Week 17, and have to play a terrific, mistake-free game. Many have said the Bills would have been a better matchup for the Eagles in the Super Bowl, mainly because the Bills' offensive line would have fared better against the Eagles' pass rush. We'll see if this is true in Week 17.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) scrambles away from Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis (90) | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Week 14 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

It feels like there is a Bengals curse that hangs over the Bills since Damar Hamlin's collapse on the field in that infamous 2022 matchup. The Bills have not beaten the Bengals since that night in Cincinnati, and both times it has felt "different", like there is something more involved than just playing a football game.

Can the Bills get past that this year? The Bengals' defense is terrible, and the Bills should be able to put up points, but can the rebuilt Bills defense get a few stops against the Bengals' vaunted offense? These two teams will face each other in Week 14, on a Sunday afternoon, and the whole world will likely be watching.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen walks off the field after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee /Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Week 9 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Here we go again. The Chiefs and Bills play against each other, so they might as well be divisional opponents. Is there a better rivalry in the league right now? The script continues to be the same each year, with the Bills winning in the regular season and the Chiefs winning in the postseason. Will this year be different?

The Chiefs will remain the AFC's toughest opponent in 2025, and as long as Andy Reid is still the head coach, they are the class of the conference. The secret to beating the Chiefs isn't a secret. The Buccaneers and the Eagles have shown that a strong pass rush is the key. Can the Bills get it done upfront and apply that pressure? We will find out in Week Nine.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) drops a pass in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

—  Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI  —

More Buffalo Bills News:

• Bills' draft class may push multiple returning vets out of picture

• Bills announce 5G network and founding partner for new Highmark Stadium

• Buffalo Bills' Top 3 boom-or-bust candidates in 2025

• Predicting every Bills' primetime game on 2025 NFL schedule

• Buffalo Bills' best and worst offseason decisions in 2025