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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Buffalo Bills 2025 game-by-game predictions following schedule release
We already knew the opponents for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, and now we know the order in which the games will be played as the NFL schedule was officially released in full Wednesday night. Buffalo will play six games against 2024 playoff teams - Ravens, Chiefs, Eagles, Texans, Steelers and Buccaneers - with four of those are at home in the 53rd and final season of Highmark Stadium. Advertisement Rather surprisingly, Buffalo will not play on a holiday or overseas as the Bills were shutout from all 14 of those matchups, and as of now - with the Week 18 game time undetermined - there are seven 1 p.m. kickoffs which is another surprise. That could change with late-season flex scheduling. Initially, the Bills have five prime-time games with four of those coming in the first six weeks, three at home. The breakdown is two on Sunday, two on Thursday and one on Monday, plus they four games in the highly-visible Sunday 4:25 window. Based on the projected win totals from the oddsmakers, the Bills have the fifth-easiest schedule in the league behind the 49ers, Patriots, Saints and Falcons. That's quite a change from 2024 when they had the 10th-toughest schedule yet still went out and won 13 regular-season games and their fifth consecutive AFC East title. Buy Buffalo Bills tickets for 2025 Advertisement If you rank the Bills' schedule difficulty by the 2024 records of their upcoming opponents who last season had a 46.7% winning rate, the Bills' 2025 schedule comes out 10th-easiest per that less-efficient metric. While no ranking of schedule difficulty is perfect because all of it is a projection, doing so based on expected win totals for the coming season is a far better way than basing it on previous season records because so much changes from the end of one year to the start of the next. Here's my analysis of the schedule: Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 7 vs. Baltimore Ravens, 8:20 p.m., NBC If either team was hoping for a 'soft' opener, forget it. The Bills and Ravens are two of the no-doubt AFC Super Bowl contenders in 2025, and they'll get after each other right away. This is a rematch of the AFC divisional round playoff game last January, also at Highmark Stadium, which was won by the Bills 27-25. That enabled the Bills to avenge an early-season 35-10 blowout loss at Baltimore, a game that was also a Sunday nighter. And of course, this is a matchup of the last two NFL MVPs, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, who were the two All-Pro QBs in 2024. PICK: Ravens. Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 14 at New York Jets, 1 p.m., CBS Two years ago, the Bills opened the season at MetLife Stadium in the much-anticipated Jets debut of QB Aaron Rodgers, who lasted all of four plays before blowing out his Achilles. This year, they are the opponent for the Jets' second home game in the Aaron Glenn coaching era and for the Bills, the upside is that it's always good to play teams undergoing big changes early in the season because they may not have things totally in sync. PICK: Bills. Week 3: Thursday, Sept. 18 vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:15 p.m., Amazon As part of their 13-2 domination of the Dolphins in the Allen Era, the Bills have won all eight games in Orchard Park including a postseason game in January 2023. In those games, the Bills have outscored Miami 299-182. One thing to watch in this one, if first-round pick Max Hairston is starting, this will be a big early test for the cornerback to match up his blazing speed with that of the Dolphins' two wide receiver burners, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. PICK: Bills. Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 28 vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., CBS The Saints, coming off a 5-12 season, will be a team in transition like the Jets with new head coach Kellen Moore, and they have a pretty undesirable situation at quarterback following Derek Carr's injury which resulted in his retirement. Unless something changes, Moore will have to decide between Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener or 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough. PICK: Bills. Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 5 vs. New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m., NBC For the third time in the first five weeks the Bills are playing a team with a new head coach. The Patriots have instituted a big-time makeover on the heels of back-to-back 4-13 seasons as Jerod Mayo was a one-and-done head coach. He was replaced by experienced Mike Vrabel who brings instant credibility to the franchise where he once starred as a linebacker. And he has added several key free agents up and down the roster including former Bills WRs Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins who will help emerging QB Drake Maye. The Patriots could end up being Buffalo's best competition in the division. PICK: Bills. Week 6: Monday, Oct. 13 at Atlanta Falcons, 7:15 p.m., ESPN This will be the Bills' first visit to Mercedes-Benz Stadium since 2017, Sean McDermott's first season as head coach. That was the second regular-season game played in the new venue and the Bills pulled out a surprising 23-17 victory over Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Second-year QB Michael Penix heads into the season still raw and unproven, but the Falcons will test Buffalo's run defense with dynamic Bijan Robinson (1,456 yards, 14 TDs in 2024) and Tyler Allgeier. PICK: Falcons. Week 7: Bye Week Last year, the Bills' bye week came at an excellent time. It was right about the midpoint when you factor in the postseason and it came just after their thrilling victory over the Chiefs and before what everyone thought would be a tough test against the 49ers. The good news on this one is it comes after a Monday night game, but the bad news is that it's early, so the Bills will have a long grind down the stretch and into the playoffs, especially if they don't earn the No. 1 AFC seed. Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 26 at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., FOX Carolina's defense allowed 534 points last year, the most in NFL history, though it wasn't the most per game - that would be the 1981 Colts who gave up 533 in a 16-game schedule. Last year, the Panthers started 1-7 and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was benched. But in the second half he earned the job back, and under first-year coach Dave Canales the Panthers won two of their last three games to finish 5-12. This year, they added WR Tet McMillian in the draft and signed several free agents to upgrade the defense. PICK: Bills. Advertisement Buy Buffalo Bills tickets for 2025 Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 2 vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m., CBS Once again, this is one of the marquee games on the NFL schedule and it gets high-visibility treatment. Last January, these teams delivered an AFC Championship Game record 57.4 million viewers for CBS, and the regular-season game in November produced 31.2 million viewers, the most watched regular-season game since Patriots-Colts in 2007. So yeah, CBS was not giving up this one to the prime-time hosts, and of course it's going to be at 4:25 and will essentially be a national broadcast. PICK: Bills. Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 9 at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., CBS Last season, the Bills went down to South Florida and blew out Miami 31-10 in a Week 2 Thursday night game. Since Allen came to Buffalo, the Bills have won five of seven games at Hard Rock Stadium. What's nice about this date is the heat will most likely not be as oppressive as it has been in two of the last three Bills games that were played in September. PICK: Bills. Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 16 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS You may not realize this because no one generally cares about the NFC South, but Tampa Bay has won that division four consecutive years. And last year, they did it because of their offense as Baker Mayfield led a unit that scored 502 points, second-most in franchise history behind only the 511 the Bucs scored with Tom Brady at QB in 2021. This is a dangerous team with a WR corps that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillian and 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka. PICK: Bills. Week 12: Thursday, Nov. 20 at Houston Texans, 8:15 p.m., Amazon The Bills go back to NRG Stadium where in 2024, Josh Allen played one of the worst games of his career as he completed just 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards in a 23-20 loss. And it won't be any easier this time as this Texans pass defense may be the best in the NFL. It features a great pass rush led by edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, and DBs Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, Callen Bullock and free agent signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson. PICK: Texans. Week 13: Sunday, Nov. 30 at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m., CBS Will Aaron Rodgers be quarterbacking the Steelers? At this point, who knows, but maybe it won't matter because Pittsburgh's defense figures to be outstanding. It starts up front with TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and first-round pick Derrick Harmon, then adds LB Patrick Queen in front of DBs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter. PICK: Bills. Week 14, Sunday, Dec. 7: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 4:25 p.m., FOX In another game that is expected to be a showdown of AFC powers, Allen will look to defeat Joe Burrow for the first time. In their inaugural meeting on Monday night, Jan. 2, 2023, the game was halted in the first quarter because of Damar Hamlin's near-catastrophic medical event and it was eventually cancelled. Burrow and the Bengals then came to Highmark three weeks later and blew out the Bills 27-10 in the AFC divisional playoffs. In 2023, the Bengals beat the Bills 24-18 in Cincinnati in a Sunday night game. What should be good for Allen is that the Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo in the offseason, who had his number in both games. PICK: Bills. Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 14 at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS This one might be meaningful if indeed New England improves the way it is expected to under Vrabel. By this time, the Patriots will be fully ingrained into the way Vrabel wants to play, and their defense could be very good if free agents like DT Milton Williams, edge rushers Harold Landry and K'lavon Chaisson, LB Robert Spillane, and CB Carlton Davis do what they were signed to do. PICK: Patriots. Advertisement Buy Green Bay Packers tickets for 2025 Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 21 at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., CBS After a month of rumors that superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett would be traded, possibly to Buffalo, he re-signed for record defensive player money. The Browns also added two DTs, free agent Maliek Collins and No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham to a defense that needed help after allowing 435 points last year, fourth-most in franchise history. Meanwhile, the offense scored only 228 points which was Cleveland's fifth-fewest in a full season. The offense probably won't be much better given the QB situation which currently lists Joe Flacco No. 1 on the depth chart. PICK: Bills. Week 17: Dec. 28 vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m., FOX The defending Super Bowl champions come to Highmark for what could be a hugely important game for both teams given the late date on the schedule. This is expected to be one of the best games of the year, and if it's anything like the last time they played, it will be. In November 2023, the host Eagles pulled out a 37-34 overtime victory in a game in which Allen threw for 339 yards, ran for 81, and produced four total TDs. However, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott forced overtime with an unbelievable 59-yard field goal in a rainstorm with 20 seconds remaining, and after a Tyler Bass OT field goal, the Buffalo defense allowed the Eagles to drive for the winning TD. PICK: Eagles. Week 18: Jan. 3-4, vs. New York Jets, TBD I'm not sure if it made any difference to the Bills or the NFL, but this is a neat piece of symmetry because it was the Jets of Joe Namath and Weeb Ewbank who were Buffalo's first regular-season opponent at Rich Stadium on Sept. 30, 1973. And now, the Jets will be the final regular-season opponent at a date and time to be determined later in the year. In 1973, the Bills played their first two games on the road at New England and at San Diego before coming home to officially christen the venue, though it had already hosted three preseason games. The Bills beat the Jets that day 9-7 in a game O.J. Simpson ran for 123 yards on his way to 2,003 for the year. PICK: Bills. Bills record prediction 2025 I've got the Bills finishing 12-5 which would be good enough to win their sixth straight AFC East division title. Advertisement Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@ and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills predictions, picks for every game on 2025 schedule


USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL schedule: Game-by-game predictions for the Jets
2025 NFL schedule: Game-by-game predictions for the Jets We're in the heart of the 2025 NFL offseason and things are moving along slowly. The start of the upcoming season is a long ways away, but the league has released the entire schedule so we know the journey the New York Jets will take next season. Let's have a prediction now. Here is Jets Wire's early game-by-game predictions for the 2025 season: Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Whether Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback for the Steelers or not... new head coach Aaron Glenn at home in his debut? Prediction: Win (1-0). Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills The Bills are still a lot to handle in the AFC East. Prediction: Loss (1-1). Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Bucs have a good offense and the Jets would likely handle them better later on in the season. Prediction: Loss (1-2). Week 4: at Miami Dolphins (MNF) The Dolphins have had a lot going on already this offseason and already being in Florida could bode well for the Jets. Prediction: Win (2-2). Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys should be better with a healthy Dak Prescott at quarterback. Prediction: Loss (2-3). Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos (London) The Jets have a bit of an advantage in terms of international games so an upset could be in order. Prediction: Win (3-3). Week 7: vs. Carolina Panthers Two similar teams looking to improve with young rosters... Prediction: Win (4-3). Week 8: at Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals are going to be overly motivated the entire season after a tough 2024. Prediction: Loss (4-4). Week 9: Bye Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns There are still a lot of question marks with the Browns... even more than a new-look Jets team. Prediction: Win (5-4). Week 11: at New England Patriots (TNF) It's a big game between two AFC East teams looking to improve in 2025... but home on a Thursday is an edge. Prediction: Loss (5-5). Week 12: at Baltimore Ravens The Ravens remain a top-tier team where the Jets want to be. Prediction: Loss (5-6). Week 13: vs. Atlanta Falcons The Falcons out of their dome and into MetLife could be a nice edge. Prediction: Win (6-6). Week 14: vs. Miami Dolphins While this will be a winnable one, it's a potential upset of sorts. Prediction: Loss (6-7). Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars It's hard to gauge where the Jaguars will be but this could go either way. Prediction: Loss (6-8). Week 16: at New Orleans Saints The Saints have so much going on, simply put. Prediction: Win (7-8). Week 17: vs. New England Patriots In a season finale at home, could the Jets sneak close to the postseason? Prediction: Win (8-8). Week 18: at Buffalo Bills This is very depending on where the Bills stand in the playoff picture, but it's also their final game at home before their new stadium opens... a lot to ask. Prediction: Loss (8-9).


Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Stupid a** fans': Tyreek Hill unleashes disturbing rant on Buffalo fans, claims they have brain damage
Tyreek Hill ignited controversy by labeling Buffalo Bills fans as "stupid" (Image via AP) Tyreek Hill has never shied away from controversy, but his latest comments about the Buffalo Bills and their fans have pushed him into uncharted territory. The Miami Dolphins star wide receiver appeared on a livestream with popular streamer Adin Ross over the weekend, and what started as light trash talk quickly spiraled into a viral moment that has Bills Mafia — and much of the NFL world — outraged. Tyreek Hill sparks backlash after calling Bills fans 'stupid' and claiming they have CTE in viral rant When asked which team he dislikes the most, Tyreek Hill didn't hesitate. 'When I used to play in Kansas City, bruh, it was always 'f*ck the Bills' every time we played against them,' Hill said. 'And we f*cked them up every time. But in Miami, it's the same thing too though, but like 10 times harder.' But it wasn't just Buffalo's players that caught heat. Hill turned his attention to the team's passionate fan base with a shocking claim. 'Bills fans got CTE,' he said, referencing the degenerative brain disease typically linked to repeated head trauma — an incredibly serious condition often associated with former players, not fans. The comment was not only offensive but medically and ethically irresponsible, drawing swift criticism online. While some fans dismissed it as typical Tyreek Hill bravado, others called it 'disgusting' and 'tone-deaf,' especially given the growing awareness around CTE's deadly impact on athletes. Despite Hill's brash tone, the numbers tell a more humbling story. During his six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team went just 3-3 against the Bills, including playoff matchups. And since his high-profile trade to Miami, the Dolphins are just 1-6 against Buffalo, making the trash talk ring hollow for many. Yet Hill has always thrived on controversy, and this latest shot at Bills Mafia fits his long-standing persona. What makes it different this time is the line he crossed — bringing a medical condition into a feud that could have remained on the field. Also Read: Cheetah's last sprint in Miami? Tyreek Hill trade rumors intensify as Dolphins weigh 2025 contract gamble While the NFL has not commented publicly on the situation, some have called for the league to step in. Whether they do or not, Hill's remarks are sure to fuel the rivalry between Buffalo and Miami even further, just in time for what promises to be another hard-fought AFC East season. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.


Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL odds: Bills favored in all 17 regular-season games
Yes, 16-0 has happened — but not 17-0. After winning 13 games last season, the Buffalo Bills are the only team in the NFL favored to win every single game in 2025, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Buffalo's 2024 campaign set franchise records for points (525) and touchdowns (65), and quarterback Josh Allen played a crucial role in reaching those milestones. The MVP winner now holds records for the most wins (76), total touchdowns (262) and total yards (30,595) by any player in their first seven seasons. In addition, Buffalo has won five straight AFC East titles and made six straight postseason appearances. However, it still stands out that the Bills are the only team favored in every game on their schedule next season, even though four other teams surpassed 13 wins in 2024. Those four teams were Kansas City, Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia. The Bills' biggest need after last season was on defense, after they ranked 24th in the league in pass defense, allowing an average of 226.1 passing yards per game. They attempted to address that concern during the 2025 NFL Draft, using six of their nine draft picks on defensive players, including three defensive backs and three defensive linemen. Offensively, the Bills scored the second-most points per game in the league (30.9), trailing only the Lions (33.2). Buffalo also had the ninth-best passing offense (227.9 yards per game) and ninth-best rushing offense (131.2 yards per game). Looking at Buffalo's 2025-26 schedule, it ranks as the ninth-easiest, with a strength of schedule of 0.467. In addition to hosting the Eagles, Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, the Bills face only two teams that made the playoffs last season on the road — the Texans and Steelers. Also at DraftKings, the odds of a team going 17-0 are set at No -10000 and Yes +1700. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic


New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Stefon Diggs' boat party video causes stir as he misses Patriots OTAs
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is privy to star receiver Stefon Diggs' holiday weekend activities. Speaking Wednesday during a voluntary practice, the first-year Patriots coach addressed a viral social media clip featuring the team's $63 million wideout, who joined rumored girlfriend Cardi B for a Memorial Day boat outing and was filmed speaking to other women with a curious pink substance present. 'It's something that we're aware of,' said Vrabel, who added Diggs was not present Wednesday. 'Obviously we want to make great decisions on and off the field.' Advertisement 5 Stefon Diggs' boat adventure in May 2025 has caused a stir. Got me./X Diggs, 31, is entering his first year of a three-year pact with the Patriots, with whom he signed a $63.5 million deal in free agency after one season with the Texans. Advertisement He is coming off a torn ACL sustained in October of last year. Vrabel, 49, continued Wednesday that 'any conversation' he has with Diggs 'will remain' between them and the organization. 5 Mike Vrabel was asked about the social media clip on May 28, 2025. AP 5 Diggs offered up a mysterious pink substance to female partygoers in the boat video. Advertisement 'We're hoping that with our time here on the field today, when we don't have a script and we're on the call-it periods, that we're making great decisions. So, the message will be the same for all our players, that we're trying to make great decisions. Any conversations that I've had with Stefon will remain between him and I and the club,' he said. A reporter called to attention that Diggs 'was in attendance last week.' Diggs has been enjoying the offseason with Cardi B, whom he has been linked to in recent months. 5 Stefon Diggs has stepped out with rumored girlfriend Cardi B this month. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Advertisement The pair stepped out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Knicks and Celtics earlier this month at Madison Square Garden and sat courtside. Diggs and Cardi B, 32, also attended the Met Gala on May 5 but posed for photos on the red carpet separately. Although Diggs has a new football home this season, he's plenty familiar with the AFC East. 5 Stefon Diggs played in the AFC East as a member of the Bills. Getty Images He played for the Bills for four seasons before being traded to the Texans in April 2024. Diggs began his career with the Vikings in 2015. The Patriots finished the 2024 season at 4-13, resulting in the firing of first-year coach Jerod Mayo. Diggs will be catching passes from second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who threw 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his rookie campaign.