Buffalo Bills play no teams coming off bye in 2024 but still at a disadvantage

The NFL released the 2024 schedule this past week and the Buffalo Bills now know where they will be each week of the season. Entering the 2024 season, there was no question that it was going to be a challenge for them to win their fifth straight AFC East title because of who they were playing but how the schedule was set up could determine just how tough it would be.

There are certain parts of the season that are going to be tough, like early in the year with a four-game stretch of the Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens, and Texans, but the season as a whole looks to be pretty manageable.

One way that the schedule makers helped the Bills is that they do not play any teams coming off a bye week, according to ESPN Analytics. This bye week not only allows players to rest up but gives coaches an extra week to prepare for their opponent.

This has proven to be an advantage as teams last year were 20-12 coming off their bye during the regular season according to Team Rankings. The Bills are one of 12 teams this season who do not have an opponent coming off a bye week.

Buffalo Bills will still play well-rested opponents throughout the season

While they may not play any teams coming off a bye, the Bills are going to be playing well-rested teams. In fact, four of their games this upcoming season will be against opponents who have more rest than them.

As the NFL expands to other days of the week, this is becoming more of a reality as teams get 'mini-bye' weeks after playing on Thursday night the week prior. Another reason for this is the fact that the Bills are playing more in prime time and have two games on Monday Night which would give their opponent the following week an extra day of rest.