The week has come for the NFL schedule to be released for the 2026 season and Buffalo Bills fans can’t wait to see who the Bills will take on in Week 1. More importantly, fans can’t wait to see which team will be playing against Buffalo in the new stadium in Orchard Park. Even though there are still some emotions about the move, it’s also an exciting time.
While leaks are bound to happen as to when the Bills will play some of their set opponents, Thursday will give us the full picture. Luckily, the Bills already know who they will be playing and it won’t be an easy schedule at all whether it’s on the road or at home.
Since Buffalo is one of the top teams in the league, they are bound to play the top teams across the league which doesn’t create an easy road for them. However, the mentality should be that those teams have to come play Buffalo, not the other way around.
Bills featured in multiple top 2026 season games ahead of NFL schedule release
Eric Edholm from NFL.com listed some of the best 2026 matchups that will be coming this season and the Bills are featured in two games against two familiar opponents; the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots (but more specifically in Foxborough rather than Orchard Park).
Edholm about Bills vs. Chiefs:
"These teams have met 10 times in the 2020s, and it’s an even 5-5 split. Buffalo has dominated the regular-season series 5-1, but the Chiefs are 4-0 in playoff matchups. This is one of the showcase battles at new Highmark Stadium, and it should be one of the more anticipated matchups of the 2026 season, as it has been for the better part of a decade." said Edholm.
Any matchup that has Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes is always going to be a must-see game. It’s this era’s Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady. Buffalo hasn’t visited Kansas City in the regular season since 2021, and it will continue on that way this coming season.
Edholm about Bills vs. Patriots in Foxborough:
"I decided to go with the game in Foxborough because the Patriots reclaimed the AFC East in 2025 but also lost their home game against the Bills, who are likely to be their biggest impediment to repeating as division champs. The Patriots won up in Buffalo last year, and that game is sure to be big as well, so you really could make a case for either matchup. outplayed Josh Allen in that game, and Maye’s emergence as an MVP candidate has certainly added some volume to this renewed rivalry." said Edholm.
The Patriots were the ones dominating the AFC East during the Tom Brady years, and then the Bills took over once Brady left for Tampa Bay. Last season, the Patriots had one of the easiest schedules ever and when you mix in the Bills playing inconsistent football, New England was destined to win the division. However, now it’s time for them to take on some major competition.
These two teams split the season series in the regular season so when the face off against each other, it’s going to be electric whether it’s in New England or Buffalo.
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