Bills Central

Bills draw short stick as NFL reveals kickoff times for Divisional Round games

The NFL has announced the kickoff times for next weekend's Divisional Round games and the Buffalo Bills will play Saturday afternoon at 4:30 in Denver.
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Josh Allen
Josh Allen | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Good news: By early Saturday night the Buffalo Bills could be the first NFL team to clinch a spot in this season's conference championship games.

Bad news: In order to do so, they'll have to win on the road, against the AFC's No. 1 seed, and on the shortest rest possible.

MORE: Bills surprisingly open as road favorite over Broncos in AFC Divisional Round game

After the Houston Texans throttled the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night to complete the Wild Card round, the league revealed the kickoff times for next weekend's Division Round games. The Bills drew the short stick, having to play the first game on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Mile High.

The San Francisco 49ers play the NFC's No. 1-seed Seattle Seahawks at 8 p.m. Saturday night. Sunday's game feature the Texans at the New England Patriots at 3 p.m., followed by the Los Angeles Rams at the Chicago Bears at 6:30 p.m.

While the Broncos — who are 8-1 at home this season — are afforded 13 days of rest by earning the AFC's top seed, the banged-up Bills will enter the game road weary. They defeated the Jaguars in Jacksonville Sunday afternoon before traveling back to Buffalo Sunday night. That gives them four days at home before they pack up and head west to Denver on Friday for Saturday's kickoff in the mile-high altitude.

MORE: NFL greed puts Bills at substantial disadvantage vs. Broncos in divisional round

Surprisingly, weather will not be a factor for the game in Denver as the forecast calls for clear skies, light wind and temperatures in the 40s.

Josh Allen
Josh Allen | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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