Expectations continue to rise for the Bills.
Buffalo entered 2020 tied for the 11th-best odds to win the Super Bowl in the preseason, according to Pro Football Reference. It was third in Super Bowl odds in the 2021 preseason. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists the Bills as the team entering 2022 with the best odds to win the Super Bowl at +650.
But the road to the Super Bowl won't be getting any easier, even as the Bills continue to add talent. The Bengals emerged as a surprising AFC contender last season. Even after losing Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs aren't going away anytime soon. The Chargers stockpiled talent this offseason, as did the Raiders and Broncos.
Still, Bills fans have to feel excited about the 2022 regular season. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs still lead one of the league's most dynamic offenses, and the defense only got better with the addition of Von Miller and return of Shaq Lawson.
Could this be the Bills' year to hoist the Lombardi Trophy? The road to the Super Bowl starts with the regular-season slate. Here's a look at Buffalo's regular-season schedule for the 2022 season.
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Buffalo Bills schedule 2022
Here is the Buffalo Bills' complete schedule for the 2022 NFL regular season.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 8 | at. Rams (Thursday) | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 2 | Sept. 19 | vs. Titans (Monday) | 7:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 3 | Sept. 25 | at Dolphins | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | at Ravens | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | vs. Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | at Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | vs. Packers | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 9 | Nov. 6 | at Jets | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 10 | Nov. 13 | vs. Vikings | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 11 | Nov. 20 | vs. Browns | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | at Lions (Thanksgiving) | 12:30 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | at Patriots (Thursday) | 8:15 p.m. ET | Amazon |
| 14 | Dec. 11 | vs. Jets | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 17 or 18 | vs. Dolphins | TBD | TBD |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | at Bears (Saturday) | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 2 | at Bengals (Monday) | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 18 | Jan. 7 or 8 | vs. Patriots | TBD | TBD |
The Bills will face seven teams that reached the playoffs a season ago, including the division rival Patriots twice. Four of those eight games against former playoff teams will be at home, as Buffalo will host the Packers, Titans, Steelers and Patriots, while games against the Bengals, Chiefs, Rams and Patriots will be on the road.
This season will be only the second time Josh Allen faces Aaron Rodgers and it will mark the first time he faces the Joe Burrow-led Bengals.
Bills strength of schedule
Buffalo's opponents in 2022 posted a collective record of 147-140-2 in 2021, good for a .512 winning percentage. That is tied for the 12th-hardest schedule among NFL teams and it is the most difficult of any team in the AFC East.
The Bills will have a tough road slate, in particular, as they will have to travel to face the Ravens, Bengals, Chiefs and Rams, all of whom figure to be among the best teams in the NFL in 2022.
Toughest tests: The Bills are matched up against the four teams in the AFC North, a division that might be the second-best in the AFC behind only the AFC West. The Bengals are the reigning AFC champions with a dynamic young core of Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase; the Browns added Amari Cooper and Deshaun Watson this season; the Ravens return several key players from injury and have former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at quarterback; and the Steelers are perennial playoff contenders. Buffalo will face both Cincinnati and Baltimore on the road.
Then there's the Chiefs and the Rams, who the Bills will also have to face away from Orchard Park. The Chiefs continue to be a persistent roadblock for Buffalo, while Los Angeles is the Super Bowl champion. And after the Dolphins and Jets made improvements this offseason, sweeping the AFC East remains a tall task.
Biggest breaks: The AFC North is a challenge. The NFC North is ... not. The Vikings, Lions and Bears feel like three wins for the Bills, and even the Packers don't feel as daunting as they have in the past after Davante Adams was traded to the Raiders. Green Bay still won't be easy, but that game is at home for Buffalo as opposed to Lambeau Field.
As the AFC East winner, the Bills picked up games against fellow division champions Kansas City and Tennessee, and while those games will be challenging, they could be worse. Both teams traded their top wide receivers in Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown, which should help a stout defense lock down otherwise unimpressive wide receiving groups. The matchup against the Titans will also be at home.
Bottom line: It's easy to see a scenario in which the Bills go 7-1 at home in 2022. The possibility is there even for an 8-0 home campaign. It's on the road where Buffalo will face its stiffest challenges.
But the Bills are Super Bowl favorites for a reason. Their defense has the talent to be the best in the NFL, and the offense is capable of keeping up with the best. There are always going to be stumbles along the way — see Nov. 7, 2021 — but there is no reason to expect the Bills to do anything but win the AFC East by a decent margin and finish the year with one of the best records in the NFL.
Record prediction: 13-4
