I think you guys got screwed by the schedule guys...

[Ickybaluky]

Not that the Bills schedule is any worse than any other team's in terms of being competitive, but:

1) No Monday Night game
2) One prime-time Sunday Night game, and it is on the road
3) No warm weather teams go to Buffalo late in the season, the latest being the Rams on 11/21
4) Last division game is 12/5, with the last 4 games being out-of-division. Only 1 division game in last 7.
5) Bye week early

Granted, every schedule has it's ups and downs, but if I were a Bills fan I'd wonder what is going on...

[The Spaz]

well we haven't had a monday night game in forever. Miami doesn't play anyone in the cold this year. Bye week early could be a good thing could force us to evaluate and adjust earlier.

[chernobylwraiths]

Being a small market team and not being in the playoffs for the last three years will stop any team from getting a Monday night game. That's not too big a deal. But the way they did a lot of teams schedules, you have to wonder. One possible cold weather game for Miami, the only cold weather games for Buffalo are against cold weather teams. I don't think it was on purpose because I can't believe in conspiracy theories in the NFL. Now the NHL, that is another story.

[TigerJ]

I'm not happy about the early bye, but any other stuff means little to me. My biggest beef: no late home games. That means I have no chance of going to a game this year.

I had a chance to go to a home game last year, in December versus the Jets. I finally decided not to spend the money because the Bills weren't very good.

[Halbert]

I agree. There's little to like about this schedule. Oh well. Hopefully the team will do well anyway and get a more attractive schedule next season.

[DraftBoy]

The only posistive I see, is that its doesnt have runs of tough games, we play a good team or 2 in a row and then we play a very winnable game. Granted anything can happen.

[Dozerdog]

Originally posted by NE39
Not that the Bills schedule is any worse than any other team's in terms of being competitive, but:

1) No Monday Night game
2) One prime-time Sunday Night game, and it is on the road
3) No warm weather teams go to Buffalo late in the season, the latest being the Rams on 11/21
4) Last division game is 12/5, with the last 4 games being out-of-division. Only 1 division game in last 7.
5) Bye week early

Granted, every schedule has it's ups and downs, but if I were a Bills fan I'd wonder what is going on...

Ralph Wilson hates night games, especially home games. He beleives (and it's true) that a large portion of the fan base comes from well over 1 hour's drive away. Night games mean fans get home in some cases as late as 5 AM.

Almost all night prime-time games are road games. I beleive the only home game we have had at night lately was the 2000 season opener vs Tennessee

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by Dozerdog
Almost all night prime-time games are road games. I beleive the only home game we have had at night lately was the 2000 season opener vs Tennessee

And the year before that(1999) we hosted the Jets in the 2nd week of the season as our home opener. Before that, I believe our last home night game was in 1994.

[Halbert]

Originally posted by DraftBoy
The only posistive I see, is that its doesnt have runs of tough games, we play a good team or 2 in a row and then we play a very winnable game. Granted anything can happen.

Good point. I didn't notice that.

Unfortunately every season there are teams that are much stronger or weaker than you thought they'd be so by the time the game actually rolls around what looked like a cakewalk ends up being tough.

[G. Host]

Donahoe has said the Bills are open to night games - Sunday or Monday night - but the Bills have not been so in the past.

The 2000 season ESPN opener was an exception because the next day was a holiday (Labor Day) hence a number of people did not work making it a little easier. The NFL ruined that by making season starting after Labor Day as part of their effort to push season it February sweeps. If the NFL wanted to do that they should have added an additional bye week - players would not object for it gives them one more week to rest injuries and it gives the NFL an additional week of football which will make networks happy.

Originally posted by Dozerdog Ralph Wilson hates night games, especially home games. He beleives (and it's true) that a large portion of the fan base comes from well over 1 hour's drive away. Night games mean fans get home in some cases as late as 5 AM.

Almost all night prime-time games are road games. I beleive the only home game we have had at night lately was the 2000 season opener vs Tennessee

[Jan Reimers]

I think the schedule is fine. As a regional franchise, we have made it known that we don't want Sunday night or Monday night home games. As for the bye week, it moves around - you don't always get it mid-season.

And Miami shouldn't always come to Buffalo in December. It's only fair to switch it around occasionally.

You know what? If we become a good team, we'll win. If we play like last year, we'll lose. I don't think this schedule will have much to do with it.

[Patrick76777]

We get smoked every time we play a road night game. I'm very pleased that we only have one. New England is 1-0 right now!

I like the Schedule! The first 8 all look very winnable. 5 at home, The road games are against very average teams. Oakland was terrible last year. The Jets were very average, and Baltimore has a great defense but is terrible on O.

3 of the home games are almost slam dunks IMO, NYJ will be the toughest of the 3, Arizona will be a cake walk at home and I'm sorry, I know they got better at the end of last year, but J-ville will not win here!!!! The other two are Miami and NE! Tough games, but very winnable at home.

I think this team could come out of the gates on fire. As well as 6-2. Probably 5-3!

Plus, the last 4 games are not tough at all. Cleveland, Cincy, SF and Pitt! Sure some of these teams are better than others, but each game is very winnable.


The only scary part is the 3rd quarter. At NE, St. Louis, At Sea and at Miami! We'll need to at least spilt these games!

[Ebenezer]

IMO, NE39 is right...the schedule sucks...I had SF pegged as a win until it ends up on 12/26......who thought of sending the Bills cross country on Christmas...SD gets the same raw deal. Couldn't have Pittsburgh that day? Even a road trip to Cincy would have been ok...

NE on nat'l TV the week after NE gets a bye? Who thought this was a good match up? It's like a penalty. Buffalo gets a prime timer and it's an automatic L. KC last year (granted we could have beaten Miami with an offensive TD) but even back into the Kelly years it was always Pitts and KC on the road.

how about this stretch:
Oct. 3 New England 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 10 at New York Jets 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 17 Miami 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 31 Arizona 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 7 New York Jets 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 14 at New England 8:30 p.m.

5 division games in 7 weeks with Arizona stuffed in the middle? Does everybody have a chance for an obvious let down week (not saying they will lose to Arizona).

or this stretch:
Nov. 28 at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 12 Cleveland 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 26 at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.

Are they giving the Bills triple frequent flier miles?

Sorry, the road schedule was hard enough without the way it was set up. This schedule is a killer. Meanwhile NE could win 10 of their last 11.

[doug45]

Originally posted by Ebenezer
IMO, NE39 is right...the schedule sucks...I had SF pegged as a win until it ends up on 12/26......who thought of sending the Bills cross country on Christmas...SD gets the same raw deal. Couldn't have Pittsburgh that day? Even a road trip to Cincy would have been ok...

I agree with you Eb we got a raw deal with this schedule.

[Patrick76777]

Originally posted by Ebenezer
IMO, NE39 is right...the schedule sucks...I had SF pegged as a win until it ends up on 12/26......who thought of sending the Bills cross country on Christmas...SD gets the same raw deal. Couldn't have Pittsburgh that day? Even a road trip to Cincy would have been ok...

NE on nat'l TV the week after NE gets a bye? Who thought this was a good match up? It's like a penalty. Buffalo gets a prime timer and it's an automatic L. KC last year (granted we could have beaten Miami with an offensive TD) but even back into the Kelly years it was always Pitts and KC on the road.

how about this stretch:
Oct. 3 New England 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 10 at New York Jets 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 17 Miami 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 31 Arizona 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 7 New York Jets 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 14 at New England 8:30 p.m.

5 division games in 7 weeks with Arizona stuffed in the middle? Does everybody have a chance for an obvious let down week (not saying they will lose to Arizona).

or this stretch:
Nov. 28 at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 12 Cleveland 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 19 at Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.
Dec. 26 at San Francisco 4:05 p.m.

Are they giving the Bills triple frequent flier miles?

Sorry, the road schedule was hard enough without the way it was set up. This schedule is a killer. Meanwhile NE could win 10 of their last 11.

You're looking at it all wrong!

1st off, I thought we get NE here after we both have a bye?

2nd of all

This:
Oct. 3 New England 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 10 at New York Jets 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 17 Miami 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Baltimore 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 31 Arizona 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 7 New York Jets 1:00 p.m.

Is not so bad! what does it matter if the division games are in a row? The Jets are not that good. If we're an improved team, both those games should be wins. 4 of those games are at home! We beat the hell out of NE here last year.

Then look at the next 4,
At NE
Stl
Nov. 28 at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 5 at Miami 1:00 p.m.

No question this is a very tough portion. I think we can take St. Louis here, but it'll be tought to take one more to at least get the split.

And I don't care who was playing better last year, those last four games can all be W's! Even with flying across country to play the 9ers! WHO STINK! Who's playing QB for SF???