Our schedule next year will be BRUTAL. A plead for patience with the "4 year plan".

[Beast]

I recently stated that I was not looking forward to strength of schedule topics this off-season.

 

Thanks, OP, for bringing that misery to me five months prematurely.

 

 

[RiotAct]

2 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

Yeah if they're playing in vegas, I'm there. The healthy diet will go out the window on THAT weekend.

 

is it still up in the air whether the new stadium will be ready or not?  I thought that was finalized

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, RiotAct said:

is it still up in the air whether the new stadium will be ready or not?  I thought that was finalized

 

Not a topic I follow regularly, so can't say.

 

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

I never thought of it that way, and very well could be something the NFL would do.  With 4 games there needs to be 8 teams.  Jax is one (I dont think they would make multiple trips over).  So that leaves 7.  Do we know if there are games also in Mexico or other placed next year that have been announced as well.  Again I dont think Raiders will lose a home game (new stadium in Vegas not going to want to take them from that this Early in the relocation.)  

 

Yes one is the Jaguars who will be a "home" team and that game contractually has to be at Wembley.

The Rams have been 3 times in the past 4 seasons too (and the Chargers came the other year) so one of the LA teams in a home game is a safe bet also. As the Bills play both of them at home we are probably off the hook for that one.

 

But the Bills are in play for one of those other two games, for sure.

[Mango]

1 hour ago, JohnnyGold said:

Next season, the planets will align just right for the AFC East and create a once-every-12-years schedule that is going to be an epic slog.

The teams in the AFC East will play the team in the NFC and AFC west, guaranteeing at least 4 trips to the west coast--and depending on where Houston finishes in the south, a possible extra trip to Houston for one of the AFC East teams.

This is to say nothing of the fact that the 49ers, Seahawks and Chiefs all look great, while the Cardinals, Rams, Chargers and Raiders all seem dangerous. The Broncos seem to be the only dog in the bunch, but for Buffalo, it will be a trip to Mile High--never an easy win.

The last time the scheduling rotation put the AFC East in this position, the Dolphins won the division at 11-5, and the Patriots failed to make the playoffs (granted, Brady wasn't under center that season due to an injury.) 

I know we're all looking towards next year as the year when all of the pieces fall into place and the Bills begin their epic run of dominance... but it might be best to exercise some patience here. It's hard to see ANY team in the AFC east surpassing that 11 win benchmark from 2008.

 

I break this down into, " We currently aren't good enough to be competitive against these teams now, and I do not think we will be good enough next year. There is a chance it might take this FO until year 5 to be competitive against good teams."
 

That will be a major problem IMO if it comes to fruition. 

[McBean]

Every year “schedule is going to be tough!”

 

Season arrives....

 

”Schedule isn’t too bad! Looks weaker than we thought.”

[eball]

4 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

is it still up in the air whether the new stadium will be ready or not?  I thought that was finalized

 

You can check on progress here ... looks like it will be ready to me.

[yungmack]

53 minutes ago, JohnnyGold said:

Right.

I am not referring to the teams that we will be playing, so much as the travel.

A lot of "GOOD TEAMS WIN NO MATTER WHAT" posts here, which is the exact point of this thread.

Good teams do win games, but it's tougher to win those games when you have to fly across the country. A west coast game is a big deal as it is--4 is just sadistic.

Yes, every team in our division will be running the same gauntlet, but it's a rare scheduling quirk that we're facing.

NOT SAYING we will or won't win, or we should or shouldn't win--just saying that 10-6 might be division champ next year, which means SIX WEEKENDS of losing football.

The flip side is that 4 of those west coast teams will be flying east and playing at 10 AM PST. 

[Phil The Thrill]

1 hour ago, JohnnyGold said:

Next season, the planets will align just right for the AFC East and create a once-every-12-years schedule that is going to be an epic slog.

The teams in the AFC East will play the team in the NFC and AFC west, guaranteeing at least 4 trips to the west coast--and depending on where Houston finishes in the south, a possible extra trip to Houston for one of the AFC East teams.

This is to say nothing of the fact that the 49ers, Seahawks and Chiefs all look great, while the Cardinals, Rams, Chargers and Raiders all seem dangerous. The Broncos seem to be the only dog in the bunch, but for Buffalo, it will be a trip to Mile High--never an easy win.

The last time the scheduling rotation put the AFC East in this position, the Dolphins won the division at 11-5, and the Patriots failed to make the playoffs (granted, Brady wasn't under center that season due to an injury.) 

I know we're all looking towards next year as the year when all of the pieces fall into place and the Bills begin their epic run of dominance... but it might be best to exercise some patience here. It's hard to see ANY team in the AFC east surpassing that 11 win benchmark from 2008.

 I remember when the Bills schedule came out last year, everyone was saying how tough it looked.   This happens every year.
 

You can’t predict how teams are going to be 1 year in advance 

[yungmack]

24 minutes ago, RyanC883 said:

 

Win the Division next year.  It's still there for the taking.  The Pats should be going on a downward trend! 

And the Jets will be trending up, maybe Miami too

[ThurmasThoman]

Also, funny how no one here is willing to look ahead to next year's opponents and say that they will or won't be good--but we've set the standard here for a division title and deep playoff run for the Bills a year in advance.

[yungmack]

34 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Arizona has been here. The only one of the 32 that hasn't is the Packers.

 

And there are four London games contracted for next year (Wembley is contracted for two and Tottenham is contracted for two). It is very possible the Bills end up on that schedule. And I know that this will not be popular here but I think it is quite possible it is a home game. If the NFL is keen on applying soft pressure on the Bills over the stadium moving one of their home games to London might be a way to do it.

Isn't Mexico City now a regular stop?

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

 I remember when the Bills schedule came out last year, everyone was saying how tough it looked.   This happens every year.
 

You can’t predict how teams are going to be 1 year in advance 

 

I dispute this totally. Some of us were saying the exact opposite this time last year. The Bengals, Dolphins, Giants and Redskins all figured to be pretty bad a year out and the Ravens and Browns were unknown quantities with 2nd year QBs just like us. I always thought 2018 was a tough schedule and I thought 2017 was tricky too - we won those big road games at KC and Atlanta and defied the odds a bit. 

[whatdrought]

Next year we should be a Superbowl contender. Schedule doesn't matter. 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, yungmack said:

Isn't Mexico City now a regular stop?

 

It is but I don't know their contractual situation. 2020 is the last year of the Wembley contract but most assume it will be extended and Tottenham are contracted for 2 games per year for a decade. 

[whatdrought]

6 minutes ago, yungmack said:

And the Jets will be trending up, maybe Miami too

 

Not if Adam Gase is still there... 

[RochesterRob]

1 minute ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I dispute this totally. Some of us were saying the exact opposite this time last year. The Bengals, Dolphins, Giants and Redskins all figured to be pretty bad a year out and the Ravens and Browns were unknown quantities with 2nd year QBs just like us. I always thought 2018 was a tough schedule and I thought 2017 was tricky too - we won those big road games at KC and Atlanta and defied the odds a bit. 

  There were plenty of posts several months back about how tough the 2019 schedule looked.

[GunnerBill]

Just now, RochesterRob said:

  There were plenty of posts several months back about how tough the 2019 schedule looked.

 

Not from me and you will probably find me disagreeing in a lot of them. 

[Nextmanup]

1 hour ago, MAJBobby said:

 

If you are good NONE of that Matters.  Also one of those games gonna go with the Cardinals are likely to be played in London.

If Allen makes the giant strides he needs to, as you say, it won't matter.

If he doesn't, it still won't matter.

 

Don't focus on the schedule!  Focus on Josh Allen's development or lack thereof. 

 

It's by far the most important factor with this organization.

 

 

[theAteam]

It's going to be an absolute gauntlet, but it's also going to be a gauntlet for the other teams in our division. Maybe 10-6 wins the division next year if the Patriots continue to decline.