Buffalo Bills 2022 Schedule Breakdown
Buffalo Bills expectations haven’t been this high since the 1990’s when the team went to four straight Super Bowls.
Here we are with an already great roster that should have at least played for the AFC title last year (13 seconds is still hurting this author) with pieces added. Von Miller highlights the group. The Bills also had another solid NFL Draft and many rookies should have an immediate impact including RB James Cook, CB Kaiir Elam and WR Khalil Shakir.
They are loaded on both sides and as long as Josh Allen stays upright, anything is possible, including a Super Bowl win. The schedule is daunting but hey, those teams have to play Buffalo too. Let’s look at the 2022 campaign now.
AFC East Dominance.
The Jets and Dolphins got better, especially Miami, adding speedster wideout Tyreek Hill. The Patriots should be in for a tall climb. The division is Buffalo’s and anything less than 5-1 inside the division in 2022 would be unacceptable, despite the improved clubs mentioned.
Prime Time Bills.
When you are good, you are challenged with an unbalanced, hard schedule with brutal travel. Buffalo does get some breaks along the way in terms of when they get teams, but they will have to adapt to a lot of long trips and late nights. The Bills visit the Rams on 9-8 to kick off the season on a Thursday as Von Miller faces his old teammates and defending Super Bowl champs. The week after on 9-19, Buffalo seeks revenge against Tennessee on Monday Night Football. On 10-30 Green Bay visits Orchard Park for SNF. 12-1, a Thursday, has the Bills visiting New England. And to open the new year on 1-2, the Bills head to Cincinnati to face Joe Burrow and the defending AFC champs on MNF. Bills Mafia wants to enjoy the Summer, but let’s be honest, September cannot come soon enough.
Turkey Day Special.
The Bills play on Thanksgiving again, which is pretty much an indirect Prime Time game. This time, it is against annual turkey club Detroit on the road. This should be a blowout win for Buffalo. Get up big, rest Allen and the starters, then stuff your faces with all the special foods this holiday has to offer.
Most Underrated Game.
11-20 at home against Cleveland. The Browns have a loaded roster and brought in QB Deshaun Watson, but will he even play? The NFL is still exploring suspending him as of this writing thanks to over 20 sexual assault allegations with over 60 massage therapists he saw in a very short time. They all say the same thing. And more have been added. It points towards Watson being guilty of horrible actions. If Watson isn’t in there, it’s a break for the Bills. More than that, however, the NFL should do the right thing and suspend Watson for at least the entire 2022 season.
Big Win Streak?
If the Bills can get through Week 8, a time period that includes the Chiefs, Titans, Rams, Packers, Steelers and Ravens with a decent record, they could go on a tear shortly after. Nothing in the NFL is easy or guaranteed, but from Week 9-16, the Bills have games at home with the Vikings, Browns (in here because of the Watson factor and it’s a home game), Jets and Dolphins, and road games against the Jets, Bears, Lions and Pats. Again, nothing is guaranteed, but this could be an 8-1 type of stretch which would be huge towards the end of the season and the hope of earning home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Projected Record: 12-5.
Projected End Result?
Too many things can happen between now and the end of the year, but this is a championship team eyeing one thing and one thing only, the Lombardi Trophy. You have the quarterback. You have depth and balance and competition and versatility. You have the GM and the head coach (13 seconds is still on you, Sean McDermott). You have the best safety duo in the NFL. You have loaded defensive and offensive fronts. The time is now. Win the AFC East, get home field advantage and roll the dice from there. If the Bills do those first two things, many like their chances to reach the Super Bowl and win it against whoever comes from the NFC.
For the Bills’ complete schedule, visit www.buffalobills.com/schedule.
