Buffalo Bills: The bye week comes at the perfect time of the season

The Buffalo Bills schedule was about as good as fans could hope, and that included where the bye week landed.

The NFL released the full 16 game schedule on Thursday night much to the delight of football fans. The first thing that jumped out when perusing the Buffalo Bills schedule was when their bye week was. This year they have it is in Week 11 which is the perfect spot to land some much needed rest.

Having it too early puts a team at risk of getting players injured and losing them for a long period of time, or worse, the entire season. A bye week is always welcoming. It is especially helpful when there are players that have to overcome injuries. But an early bye week in a season can be taxing on the body when you play continuously for the remainder of the season, especially when fighting for a playoff spot. However, for teams that are finding it hard to find a groove, it is a good chance to regroup and rethink their game plans.

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When on a successful run, it’s not ideal to have a bye week to slow your momentum because that can change the psyche of the team. You want to build on that success and keep it going.

The Buffalo Bills bye week last season came in Week 6 after starting the season 4-1. Then when coming off of the bye, a winless Dolphins team came into town. Although it was not a cake walk, they proceeded to beat Ryan Fitzpatrick and the then hapless rival Dolphins 31-21. The defense struggled to stop a far more inferior team. The following week, they welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles and fell 31-13 where Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, and Carson Wentz ran for a combined 205 yards and 2 TD’s.

The Bills finally gathered their composure going 4-1 in the month of November and were well on their way to a Wild Card berth. The bye week could have played a major role in how the Bills played in those games because it seems like it slowed down their momentum.

This time around the Bills will have a Week 11 bye. When looking at who they play, realistically the Bills can be 7-3 heading into their week off and vying for an AFC East title. That will be the perfect chance for the team to take a step back and rest up for the stretch run heading into the last six games of the season.

Once they come back from that much needed rest, there will be a trio of tough games awaiting them. A home date against the Chargers and then back to back prime time games. A Monday nighter against the 49ers in the Bay area and a Sunday Night home game against the gritty Pittsburgh Steelers. Since Sean McDermott has taken over as head coach, the Buffalo Bills have gone 3-0 after the bye week. So all those pre bye week games are important to make a successful stretch run to the playoffs.

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As always, the Bills have to play the hand that they are dealt and deal with what comes, including the pressure of playing in prime time. Regardless of the outcome, it will be an exciting season with some lofty expectations.

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