The Bills have been must-see TV in recent years, boasting some of the most impressive viewership numbers
In a bit of surprising NFL news this week, it appears teams were a bit blindsided to learn that the 2024 NFL regular-season schedule will be released next Wednesday, May 15. For fans, all that really means is waiting another week before finding out when the Buffalo Bills will face this coming season’s slate of opponents.
The NFL’s annual schedule release has become another headline-stealing attention grabber, as it seems almost everything to do with a sport that feels like a season-long playoff tournament is readily consumed by Americans.
Though we have to wait until next week, it’s likely that some of the event’s thunder ends up stolen. That’s because we’re certain to find out about at least a few specific matchups ahead of the official reveal. Such is the case when it comes to spotlight games — those being primetime matchups, holiday slates, platform-exclusive games, and of course which teams will open the regular season.
Will the Buffalo Bills find themselves featured on opening night in 2024?
The Bills have become more of a household name for the right reasons since the arrival of head coach Sean McDermott — and shortly thereafter Brandon Beane’s appointment as general manager.
Following One Bills Drive’s selection of quarterback Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL Draft, the franchise has gone as Allen’s gone. Upward, steadily. Before Allen found his groove and proved the doubters wrong, you could count on one hand the amount of primetime games Buffalo had been featured in since we all survived Y2K.
In looking back at the previous two NFL seasons, the Bills were a featured part of the league’s kick-off. In 2021, Buffalo traveled west to California, facing the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Rams entered the 2022 season as Super Bowl Champions, and Buffalo was still the talk of the league after falling to the Chiefs in a 42-36 shootout the previous January. The Bills delivered a resounding win, 31-10 over the Rams in a game that felt even more out of control than the score indicated. Buffalo played six games in primetime during 2022, plus they were featured on Thanksgiving Day at 12:30 p.m. ET against the Detroit Lions
Last season, Buffalo once again opened the regular season on the road in a primetime matchup. This time, however, it was in New Jersey against their AFC East foes in the New York Jets. The Bills were again among the hottest teams in the league, despite once again coming up short in the prior postseason. It was also quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ debut with Gang Green — and the QB duel was too good to pass up. However, no one expected Rodgers’ debut and season to last but four plays.
During the team’s opening drive, a porous offensive line cost Rodgers his season. Enter the mercurial Zach Wilson, who the Bills most decidedly did not prepare to face. Once the dust settled, Buffalo began the 2023 NFL season 0-1 — losing by way of a walk-off punt return to end the stalemate in overtime. In total, the Bills played seven games that started at 8 p.m. ET or later, four games in the 4:25 p.m. ET window, and one game at 9:30 a.m. ET as part of the international series.
Perhaps it feels a bit like Ground Hog Day, but the Buffalo Bills are once again expected to be a part of the NFL elite in 2024. We shouldn’t expect to see a schedule full of 1 p.m. ET games. With their first game of the next season once again coming after a dramatic playoff loss to the Chiefs, will networks vie to feature a hungry Bills team?
Are things setting up for Kansas City’s return to Orchard Park, NY on opening night, ready to show their victory was no fluke? After years of facing the Chiefs in Missouri, with five strait games at Kansas City dating back to 2021, the Bills finally have the schedule wizardry in their favor — and will play host to KC whenever they face off this season.
Patrick Mahomes proudly told all who’d listen just how unfazed he was by Bills Mafia and the playoff atmosphere in Western New York. The Kelce brothers stole the spotlight from Taylor Swift. You can be sure that all those Bills players and coaches who were part of the January loss are ready for revenge.
A rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game featuring the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens is of course in play, but don’t count out the Buffalo Bills in that primetime spot just yet. Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes is among the best rivalries in professional sports.