What advantage do the Buffalo Bills have in their NFL schedule?
The Buffalo Bills were on the verge of a trip to the AFC championship game last year. Unfortunately, 13 seconds and a coin toss was all it took for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to send Buffalo home.
: 2022 NFL Schedule Release | 8PM on @nflnetworkHere’s our 2022 schedule.
Go Bills.
📺: 2022 NFL Schedule Release | 8PM on @nflnetwork https://t.co/y2Z6OvpMDO
Josh Allen played his heart out and both teams gave NFL fans one of the greatest games of all time. Buffalo may have a big advantage over their opponents this year due to their schedule and when their bye week lands.
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports recently broke it all down.
"Buffalo has a +13-day net rest differential on its 2022 schedule, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. That’s the most favorable rest differential in the NFL. Over the course of the full season, the Bills will be better-rested than their opponents by a cumulative 13 days."
He went on to say:
"That starts in Week Two, because they play the Thursday night opener against the Rams in Week One. When the Bills host the Titans in Week Two, they’ll have a three-day rest advantage over a Tennessee team that plays on Sunday in Week One."
Buffalo playing the NFL opener against the Los Angeles Rams not only sets up what should be a great game with two high-powered offenses, but allows them to start the season with a break between the first two games. Smith went on to say:
"It also includes the Bills’ Week Eight home game against the Packers. Buffalo are on their bye in Week Seven, while the Packers play in Week Seven, so they will have seven more days of rest than the Packers when the two teams meet."
So true @JoshAllenQB @PFTCommenter https://t.co/wiFrWfC5Qs
Extra time could make the difference for Buffalo Bills players returning from injury
While Buffalo strengthened their already impressive roster this offseason through free agency and the draft, advantageous scheduling like this could be quite beneficial.
Though it may not seem like much, the extra day could mean a key player clears concussion protocols without missing more time, or a tweaked ankle injury gets a couple more days to heal. It mainly gives players a little extra time to rest and get ready for the next big game. In a physical game like the NFL, this could make all the difference.
Buffalo will be a team to watch this year, even amongst the stacked AFC. Can they live up to their Super Bowl favorites tag and go the whole way?