Predicting Every Buffalo Bills' Primetime Game and Opponent for NFL Schedule Release

The Buffalo Bills appear in line for at least five primetime NFL game slots this season.

One of them has already been unveiled with Prime Video announcing that it will kick off its Thursday Night Football package in the Highmark Stadium opener on September 17.

When the league releases its complete 2026 schedule on Thursday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET, expect to see the Bills in multiple standalone windows in addition to a couple appearances in the coveted 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday slot.

"Are the Bills going to be one of the teams that are at or near the max in terms of prime time games and national television appearances? Yeah, as long as that guy [Allen] is your quarterback. Yeah," said NFL VP for broadcast planning Mike North on the It's Always Gameday in Buffalo Podcast.

We wrote about The Josh Allen Effect on NFL scheduling yesterday.

You won't see the Bills vs. Chiefs losted below because that one seems destined for 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS , which is actually, on average, the NFL's most-watched time slot of the week. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo have been on the call for all four regular season meetings between these two AFC juggernauts over the past four years.

With the Highmark Stadium opener against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football in Week 2 being the lone Bills' matchup known thus far, the other four games are obviously only educated guesses.

Bills vs. Lions (Thursday Night Football)

Buffalo requested a primetime window for the inaugural game at Highmark Stadium, and, although the request was granted, the Thursday night element has stoked some negative reaction locally. On the positive side, fan favorite Ryan Fitzpatrick will be there for the September 17 stadium opener as part of the Prime Video crew.

Additionally, the opponent is both formidable and meaningful. Bills' founder Ralph C. Wilson was part of the Detroit Lions' ownership group in the 1950s before he helped launch the AFL. Wilson went on to establish his franchise only a 260-mile drive away in Buffalo.

For years, Buffalo and Detroit would meet perennially in the preseason before the NFL took the responsibility of exhibition scheduling back from the individual clubs.

The last two regular season meetings between the Bills and Lions have been instant classics. On Thanksgiving in 2022, after an improbable completion from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs, Tyler Bass kicked a field goal at the gun for a 28-25 win. In 2024, Buffalo posted a 48-42 victory on the back of Allen's 430-yard, four-touchdown performance.

Tyler Bass FTW — Nov 24, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass (2) watches his game-winning kick go through the uprights against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Bills at Packers (Christmas Day)

It'll be Josh Allen's first trip to Lambeau Field since his rookie season when the Green Bay Packers blanked the Bills, and showcasing one of the game's greatest stars in one of its most hallowed venues seems perfect for primetime.

Featuring two presumed playoff contenders clashing late in the season, FOX would land a true Christmas gift with this matchup closing out the NFL's holiday triple header that kicks off early in the afternoon on Netflix.

"There's some fun and different and interesting ones, and I would probably put Buff Green Bay in that category. I could see it literally in like 30 different spots, right?" said North back in mid-April. "Buff Green Bay feels like a special, like one-off, something a little more unique, something we don't see too often. I sure hope wherever we do with that game, that's one of those Christmas presents."

The most-recent Bills-Packers meeting was on Sunday Night Football in 2022. Buffalo has yet to face Green Bay since Jordan Love claimed quarterback duties.

Bills vs. Patriots (Sunday Night Football)

The first meeting between these two division rivals in 2025 was on Sunday Night Football in Week 5, and NBC would presumably love the first-ever clash between the Bills and New England Patriots in the new Highmark Stadium.

The revenge factor adds appeal to the already fierce rivalry. The Patriots, who posted a last-second win on Sunday Night Football, won 14 regular season games to end Buffalo's run of five consecutive AFC East titles. The Bills won a December thriller, 35-31, in Foxboro, but it wasn't enough to catch New England in the standings.

With the emergence of Drake Maye, the Buffalo-New England matchup now features high profile quarterbacks on both sides. In his second season, Maye finished second overall in the NFL MVP voting.

Bills vs. Ravens (Sunday Night Football)

After the Bills and the Baltimore Ravens played an epic Sunday Night Football season opener in 2025, sign me up for a rematch in 2026. Not to mention, the 2024 divisional round playoff battle wasn't too shabby either.

This matchup features the two superstar quarterbacks who came out of the 2018 NFL Draft, and they've been jockeying for MVP position for the past six years.

“Certainly, your guy [Allen], 15 in red out there in Kansas City [Patrick Mahomes], Lamar [Jackson] —those are guys [most fans identify with]. I still think that Holy Trinity kind of still resonates in the AFC," said North.

Allen vs. Jackson will have too much buzz to stash away for a Sunday afternoon. It warrants the SNF spotlight as much as any game of the Bills' schedule.

Bills at Rams (Monday Night Football)

Offensive fireworks have a tendency to create captivating television, and that's the forecast when Allen and the Bills visit Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.

If it's anything like the most-recent head-to-head meeting, this one will allow the NFL to close its week with a banger. The Rams held off Buffalo, 44-42, in 2024 despite three rushing and three passing touchdowns from Allen.

Two quality teams known for scoring points clashing in a potential Super Bowl preview - what better way to spend a Monday night?

Dec 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Fox Sports sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi (left) interviews Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) after the game against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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