Buffalo Bills: Top takeaways from the 2021 schedule
The 2021 schedule was announced and the Buffalo Bills now know when they will play each team this coming season. When looking at the schedule, these were four of the bigger takeaways for the Bills.
Three home games in the first four weeks of the season
The 2021 schedule is set up for the Buffalo Bills to get off to a fast start with three home games in their first weeks of the season. The Bills open the regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the Bills have beaten the last two times they have met.
They then travel to Miami to face the Dolphins for their only road game during this stretch before returning home to face Washington and then the Houston Texans. This stretch sets the Bills up to realistically be 3-1, potentially 4-0, before they travel on the road for back-to-back primetime games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.
It is going to be important for the Bills to get off to a fast start with these first four games on the schedule and the favorable home/road split.
Good spot for the bye week
One of the things I was watching was for was when the bye week was going to be for the Buffalo Bills this year. While it would have been better to have it later in the season with 17 games this year, the Week 7 bye could certainly work in their favor.
They will be coming out of those two tough matchups against the Chiefs and Titans and a bye will give them a chance to regroup. The bye week coming after the Titans game, which will be on Monday Night Football, also eliminates the potential for a short week.
Only two short weeks
This leads into the next takeaway which is the Buffalo Bills only have two short weeks over the entire season. The first happens in Week 12 when they face the Saints in New Orleans on Thanksgiving evening. The Bills then have a second short week to prepare for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14 after playing the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.
While the Saints don’t have Drew Brees anymore, they are still going to be a competitive team, and having a short week before either game isn’t necessarily idle, which leads to the final takeaway.
Tough middle stretch to the season
If there is a stretch that will define this season it likely will take place between Weeks 11 and 14. The Bills start with a home game against the Indianapolis Colts, followed by that Thanksgiving game with the Saints, before facing the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football and finishing with a showdown with the Bucs.
This is a stretch of three playoff teams over four weeks with the Patriots looking like an improved team after a down season. One thing that should work in their favor is that they have an extended break after the Saints game with that taking place on Thursday and their next game, the Patriots, being on Monday night.
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The extended rest could be treated like a mini-bye and with their actual bye week being in Week 7, this could help them finish the year strong.