The official 2020 NFL schedule was released last week, and it is time to examine the marquee player matchups within each game for the Buffalo Bills this upcoming season.
The Buffalo Bills will be facing off against the AFC and NFC West as well as their usual divisional matchups. Their schedule this year should be considerably more difficult than last when considering the skill level of teams in these two divisions and the increased distance of travel for away games. Instead of predicting outcomes, let’s focus on identifying the intriguing player matchups for the upcoming Buffalo Bills season.
Week 1 – Josh Allen vs. Sam Darnold
Just as they did last year, the Bills will face off against the divisional rival New York Jets in Week 1 but this year the Bills will be at home for the season opener. The most intriguing player matchup against the Jets is clearly the two starting quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Sam Darnold.
Both quarterbacks were drafted in 2018 and share the same offseason trainer, Jordan Palmer, which tends to draw a comparison battle between the two young signal callers. As this season dawns their third year in the league, the Allen vs. Darnold matchup will help fans and analysts gauge a more accurate opinion on which QB is better for the franchise.
Of course, neither of their careers should have the writing on the wall after this Week 1 matchup, but it will certainly start to paint the picture. Allen and Darnold still have plenty of rookie-type mistakes to clean up in their respective games, but after an offseason where both teams have acquired assets to help their young QBs, this game should emphasize the improvements each QB has made over an unorthodox offseason.