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When the NFL schedule is released Wednesday night, the Buffalo Bills will be featured in several big stand-alone windows, several of which will be played in prime time.
The most prime-time games any team can be assigned is six, but that’s before any flex scheduling switches. For instance, in 2023 the Bills were scheduled for six prime-time games plus the stand-alone 9:30 a.m. game in London, then were flexed into prime time in Week 18 for their AFC East-deciding showdown at Miami, their seventh night game.
Last year the Bills played five night games and were not flexed into a prime-time or stand-alone spot, but they could certainly be in play for a flex at some point this season depending on circumstances.
Of course this is nothing new for the 2020s-era Bills. Because of their five straight AFC East division titles, two appearances in the AFC Championship Game, having the second-most victories among all teams in the half-decade, and the fact that they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, the Bills have become prime-time darlings.
Since the start of 2020, the Bills have played 25 prime-time games which is fourth behind only the Cowboys (27), Packers (27) and Chiefs (26). They have won 18, tied for second-most with the Packers behind only the Chiefs (21).
Those are just the 25 night games and does not include some of the other stand-alone afternoon games - a mixture of Saturdays, holidays, overseas dates, or 4:25 p.m. starts that were essentially national TV games because of the matchup, often against the Chiefs.
It’s quite a departure from their 17-year playoff drought when the Bills played only 22 games in prime-time, usually just one per season and only because each team has to be featured at least once. The most they had in any of those 17 years is two.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the same year that the original prime-time NFL broadcast, Monday Night Football, was born, the Bills have played a total of 100 prime-time games and they have won 51.
By day, they are 22-29 on Monday night, 0-1 on Tuesday (that was a rescheduled game at Tennessee in 2020, the Covid season), 9-6 on Thursday, 3-1 on Saturday, and 17-12 on Sunday.
As we await the release of the 2025 schedule, here’s a look at five games that may end up in a prime-time slot, and four of them are at home which would be a first if it happens. The Bills have never played more than three night games at home in a season, that in 1993, 2022 and 2023.
The teams are two of the top contenders for a Super Bowl in the AFC and they played last year at Baltimore in a Sunday night game, then met in the AFC divisional playoffs in Buffalo. They feature the 2024 first- and second-team All-Pro quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Allen, respectively, and Allen is the reigning MVP.
Another big-time quarterback matchup between Allen and Joe Burrow, who Allen has failed to beat in two meetings, one in the regular season and one in the postseason.
CBS will likely make a hard push to keep this game and put it in a 4:25 time slot, and the NFL acquiesced to that request in 2022, 2023 and 2024. But Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes hasn’t gone prime-time since 2021 when it was on Sunday Night Football, and given the rivalry between these teams, including the most recent AFC Championship Game, NBC may have a legitimate shot at getting this one.
This is an outstanding interconference showdown between the AFC power Bills and the NFC power and defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, coached by western New York native Nick Sirianni in yet another high profile game being played in the final season at Highmark.
The Bills are favored to win the AFC East again, but it figures to be a little tougher than 2024 when they had the division locked up on Dec. 1 and were five games clear of the Dolphins. New England, under new coach Mike Vrabel and an upgraded roster led by an emerging young quarterback in Drake Maye, may end up being Buffalo’s top competition. The Patriots haven’t been deserving of prime-time games the last few years, but this is a chance for the league to get the Bills and Allen into a night-time division game. Oh, and Stefon Diggs now playing for the Patriots adds a little more juice.
The Bills may also be in play for a Thanksgiving night game, a Christmas Day game, perhaps an overseas game, or maybe even the Black Friday game following Thanksgiving.
There has been speculation that with the Steelers hosting the first game in Ireland that Buffalo could be the opponent. As for Christmas or New Years, one potential enticing matchup would be Bills at Texans in one of those spots, or maybe Bills at Dolphins.
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 [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills schedule 2025 could feature several prime time games
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The most prime-time games any team can be assigned is six, but that’s before any flex scheduling switches. For instance, in 2023 the Bills were scheduled for six prime-time games plus the stand-alone 9:30 a.m. game in London, then were flexed into prime time in Week 18 for their AFC East-deciding showdown at Miami, their seventh night game.
Last year the Bills played five night games and were not flexed into a prime-time or stand-alone spot, but they could certainly be in play for a flex at some point this season depending on circumstances.
Of course this is nothing new for the 2020s-era Bills. Because of their five straight AFC East division titles, two appearances in the AFC Championship Game, having the second-most victories among all teams in the half-decade, and the fact that they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, the Bills have become prime-time darlings.
Recent history of Buffalo Bills prime time games
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Since the start of 2020, the Bills have played 25 prime-time games which is fourth behind only the Cowboys (27), Packers (27) and Chiefs (26). They have won 18, tied for second-most with the Packers behind only the Chiefs (21).
Those are just the 25 night games and does not include some of the other stand-alone afternoon games - a mixture of Saturdays, holidays, overseas dates, or 4:25 p.m. starts that were essentially national TV games because of the matchup, often against the Chiefs.
It’s quite a departure from their 17-year playoff drought when the Bills played only 22 games in prime-time, usually just one per season and only because each team has to be featured at least once. The most they had in any of those 17 years is two.
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the same year that the original prime-time NFL broadcast, Monday Night Football, was born, the Bills have played a total of 100 prime-time games and they have won 51.
By day, they are 22-29 on Monday night, 0-1 on Tuesday (that was a rescheduled game at Tennessee in 2020, the Covid season), 9-6 on Thursday, 3-1 on Saturday, and 17-12 on Sunday.
Potential prime time games for Buffalo Bills 2025 schedule
As we await the release of the 2025 schedule, here’s a look at five games that may end up in a prime-time slot, and four of them are at home which would be a first if it happens. The Bills have never played more than three night games at home in a season, that in 1993, 2022 and 2023.
vs. Baltimore at Highmark Stadium
The teams are two of the top contenders for a Super Bowl in the AFC and they played last year at Baltimore in a Sunday night game, then met in the AFC divisional playoffs in Buffalo. They feature the 2024 first- and second-team All-Pro quarterbacks in Lamar Jackson and Allen, respectively, and Allen is the reigning MVP.
vs. Cincinnati at Highmark Stadium
Another big-time quarterback matchup between Allen and Joe Burrow, who Allen has failed to beat in two meetings, one in the regular season and one in the postseason.
vs. Kansas City at Highmark Stadium
CBS will likely make a hard push to keep this game and put it in a 4:25 time slot, and the NFL acquiesced to that request in 2022, 2023 and 2024. But Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes hasn’t gone prime-time since 2021 when it was on Sunday Night Football, and given the rivalry between these teams, including the most recent AFC Championship Game, NBC may have a legitimate shot at getting this one.
vs. Philadelphia at Highmark Stadium
This is an outstanding interconference showdown between the AFC power Bills and the NFC power and defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, coached by western New York native Nick Sirianni in yet another high profile game being played in the final season at Highmark.
at New England at Gillette Stadium
The Bills are favored to win the AFC East again, but it figures to be a little tougher than 2024 when they had the division locked up on Dec. 1 and were five games clear of the Dolphins. New England, under new coach Mike Vrabel and an upgraded roster led by an emerging young quarterback in Drake Maye, may end up being Buffalo’s top competition. The Patriots haven’t been deserving of prime-time games the last few years, but this is a chance for the league to get the Bills and Allen into a night-time division game. Oh, and Stefon Diggs now playing for the Patriots adds a little more juice.
Will the Bills play a holiday game in 2025?
The Bills may also be in play for a Thanksgiving night game, a Christmas Day game, perhaps an overseas game, or maybe even the Black Friday game following Thanksgiving.
There has been speculation that with the Steelers hosting the first game in Ireland that Buffalo could be the opponent. As for Christmas or New Years, one potential enticing matchup would be Bills at Texans in one of those spots, or maybe Bills at Dolphins.
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 [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills schedule 2025 could feature several prime time games
Continue reading...
