Buffalo Bills: What to expect from their AFC opponents in 2021
By Aaron Tully
The Buffalo Bills will play six opponents in the AFC in 2021. Some of them will be difficult, some of them, not so much.
The Bills have seen some of their AFC opponents as recently as 2020, and as far back as 2018. Outside of their division, the Bills will play the entire AFC South and the other two division winners in the AFC.
Let’s take a look at each AFC opponent starting with a team they beat to end their playoff win drought.
Indianapolis Colts
2020 Finish: 11-5
2020 Games vs. the Buffalo Bills: Wild Card Round: Bills won 27-24
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off an impressive 11-5 season where they nearly knocked off the Bills in their Wild Card showdown last season. The Colts are looking to build upon their successful 2020 season, and they made one of the biggest trades of the 2021 offseason in an attempt to do so. That trade was with the Philadelphia Eagles to bring in former first overall pick Carson Wentz.
Wentz is coming off of a nightmare 2020 season that saw him post career worsts across the board. In 2020, Wentz threw for 2,620 yards (218.3 per game and 6.0 per pass attempt), 16 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Wentz posted a 72.8 passer rating in 2020, only besting Sam Darnold among all qualified passers.
Frank Reich, the current head coach of the Colts, was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when Wentz was playing at an MVP level in 2017. The Colts are hoping that reuniting Wentz with his former offensive coordinator will bring Wentz back to his 2017 form.
Wentz will have more help in Indianapolis, with a supporting cast featuring wideouts T.Y Hilton and Paris Campbell, tight end Jack Doyle, and promising wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Wentz will also benefit from playing behind the best offensive line in football.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Colts’ defense finished inside the Top 10 in the NFL in points allowed (10th), yards allowed (8th), rushing yards allowed (2nd), and takeaways (6th).
The Colts’ defense features the likes of Darius Leonard, and DeForest Buckner, both of whom are nightmares for opposing offenses.
If both the offense and defense can play to the lofty expectations they now have, Indianapolis will be able to beat anyone in the AFC, including Buffalo.
The Colts will be a tough team to beat in 2021, and it should not surprise anyone if they walk out of Highmark Stadium in Week 11.