8 takeaways from the Buffalo Bills' 2026 schedule release

Home stand

It's not every year that a team has three-straight games on their own turf. In 2026, Buffalo is one of them as they'll host three games in a row from Weeks 2 to 4.

Those opponents are the Lions, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots, which will be the Bills' first AFC East game of the season as well.

Back-to-backs

Interestingly, the Bills have plenty of road games grouped together too. On four occasions, Buffalo plays back-to-back weeks on the road. Those are:

• Week 5 & 6: (Rams, Raiders)
• Week 9 & 10: (Vikings, Jets)
• Week 13 & 14: (Patriots, Packers)
• Week 16 & 17: (Broncos, Dolphins)

Bye week

Always a curiosity, when is the bye week? The Bills have Week 7 off.

West coast adventures

Mentioned within the back-to-back road games above was a visit to the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders. With both being on the other side of the country, the Bills could opt to stay out there for two weeks.

Also worth noting, if Buffalo decided to come home and have two long trips? The Bills' bye week comes right after those trips.

Underwhelming placement

Despite all the prime-time matchups and Bills games highlighted by the NFL next season, one was not. The Bills and Baltimore Ravens faceoff in Week 8.

That's a hyped game between quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson... but it's simply a 1:00 p.m. kickoff from Highmark Stadium..

Tough late stretch

It is clear to see where Buffalo's most difficult stretch is in 2026.

In a five-game stretch from Thanksgiving to Christmas (Weeks 12 to 16), the Bills face:

Week 12: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m., (Thanksgiving).Week 13: at New England Patriots, 4:25 p.m.Week 14: at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. (SNF).Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. (Saturday).Week 16: at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. (Christmas).

This could determine the Bills' season in a big way.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 2026 NFL schedule release: 8 takeaways from the Buffalo Bills