The Buffalo Bills have announced their 2007 regular season schedule today, which includes their first time back in the national spotlight in several years.
On Monday October 8th, the Bills will host the Dallas Cowboys under the lights at The Ralph. It’s a rare trip to Orchard Park for the Cowboys, and will be a hyped-up crowd on an autumn evening in Buffalo.
The schedule is among the hardest (based on opponents 2006 winning percentage) in the NFL. The Bills open the season against the Denver Broncos at home, and then hit the road for games against Pittsburgh and New England, two recent Super Bowl champs.
Following that road trip, the Bills return home for three games, with the bye week following the Monday night game against Dallas. The New York Jets will visit The Ralph on 9/30, then the Bills host the Cowboys, and after the bye week, the Bills will host the Baltimore Ravens, with their new running back Willis McGahee. That should be an interesting match.
The Bills only other nationally televised game (at least until the possible flex games from week 10 on) is on 10/28 against the New York Jets. It’s a 4:05 kickoff on that Sunday, meaning a greater portion of the country will see that game.
The Bengals come to town to start off November, breaking up a stretch of games against AFC East opponents. Starting with the Jets game the week prior, the Bills will face 3 AFC East teams in 4 weeks. They head to Miami on November 11th, then back home for game two against the Patriots to end the divisional series.
The Bills take to the road again with 4 of their last 6 games on the visitor’s turf. They will play back-to-back games against Jacksonville and Washington. The game in Washington will feature a few familiar faces on both teams as the Bills acquired former Redskins guard Derrick Dockery in free agency this season, and the Redskins signed former Bills LB London Fletcher.
Finishing out AFC East play for 2007, the Bills will face the Miami Dolphins at home on December 9th. Gotta love those December games in Buffalo against Miami! Hoping for snow…
In a strange bit of scheduling… the Bills will face 3 non-division (and two non-CONFERENCE) opponents for the last three weeks of the season. They travel to Cleveland on December 16th, and then come home to play the NY Giants on Dec 23rd, followed by a trip to Philadelphia to face Takeo Spikes and the Eagles to end the season.
All in all, should be a fantastic season, and the days can’t go by fast enough! BRING ON BUFFALO BILLS FOOTBALL!