Looking ahead the potential 2026 Schedule

[BigAl2526]

In theory, if the Bills fail to win the division, New England should end up with a tougher schedule than Buffalo.  Their schedule this year was a fair amount easier than Buffalo's.  

[Kirby Jackson]

38 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

I mean you are more making my point than anything.  Looking ahead and penciling in those wins was pretty pointless given we lost those games.  
 

All good, agree to disagree on the looking ahead way too early thing

Not penciling in anything. All teams are NFL teams. Not all teams are equal NFL teams. If I told you next year, they can play at the Titans or at the Rams, you’d agree that those aren’t the same right?
 

This year they had statistically like a top 5 easiest schedule despite being a division winner. That has largely held true. These teams that they were playing that people expected to be bad, didn’t become good. They are largely what we thought (Jets, Saints, Dolphins, etc). We thought this was an easy schedule and it was. The Bills are the ones that have come up short. It isn’t that teams rose up above what we thought. The exception is New England and they did it with an even easier schedule (which everyone also saw a year out).

Edited 4 hours ago by Kirby Jackson

[Alphadawg7]

24 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Not penciling in anything. All teams are NFL teams. Not all teams are equal NFL teams. If I told you next year, they can play at the Titans or at the Rams, you’d agree that those aren’t the same right?
 

This year they had statistically like a top 5 easiest schedule despite being a division winner. That has largely held true. These teams that they were playing that people expected to be bad, didn’t become good. They are largely what we thought (Jets, Saints, Dolphins, etc). We thought this was an easy schedule and it was. The Bills are the ones that have come up short. It isn’t that teams rose up above what we thought. The exception is New England and they did it with an even easier schedule (which everyone also saw a year out).

 

You and I are debating different things.  You want to debate the SOS of last year and I am saying it doesn't matter what the perceived SOS is.  And everyones optimism on the season CHANGED last year AFTER Diggs was traded and we drafted Keon and signed Mack.  Everyone expected a REGRESSION last year going into the season...then we had the best offensive season in Bills history, still dominated our division and got on the door step of the SB until the refs flipped the game by 11-15 points in the 4th quarter stealing a first down from us, not once, but twice on the same series that took at least 3 points off our board, if not more, and gave KC 8 points instead.  

 

So again, last year we were supposed to struggle and we excelled.  This year you say our schedule was supposed to be a cake walk and we have blown 4 games to bad teams.  

 

What value does guessing at our SOS have right now for next year?  Seems like not much.  And for record, I just said its pointless to get too up or down on the upcoming schedule this early.  Its fine to look ahead, but I am more talking about the people who make too much out of it in the first place.  

Edited 4 hours ago by Alphadawg7

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

You and I are debating different things.  You want to debate the SOS of last year and I am saying it doesn't matter what the perceived SOS is.  And everyones optimism on the season CHANGED last year AFTER Diggs was traded and we drafted Keon and signed Mack.  Everyone expected a REGRESSION last year going into the season...then we had the best offensive season in Bills history, still dominated our division and got on the door step of the SB until the refs flipped the game by 11-15 points in the 4th quarter stealing a first down from us, not once, but twice on the same series that took at least 3 points off our board, if not more, and gave KC 8 points instead.  

 

So again, last year we were supposed to struggle and we excelled.  This year you say our schedule was supposed to be a cake walk and we have blown 4 games to bad teams.  

 

What value does guessing at our SOS have right now for next year?  Seems like not much.  And for record, I just said its pointless to get too up or down on the upcoming schedule this early.  Its fine to look ahead, but I am more talking about the people who make too much out of it in the first place.  

We are saying different things. You’re talking about the Bills in relation to their opponents. I’m talking about the strength of their opponents. Whether the Bills are better or not next year isn’t what this thread is about. It’s about, “are the teams that the Bills are playing against better next year than the teams that they played against this year?” The answer to that is almost certainly. How will the Bills do next year? It depends on how much they improve. Strength of schedule is relevant regardless of how the Bills are. 

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

We are saying different things. You’re talking about the Bills in relation to their opponents. I’m talking about the strength of their opponents. Whether the Bills are better or not next year isn’t what this thread is about. It’s about, “are the teams that the Bills are playing against better next year than the teams that they played against this year?” The answer to that is almost certainly. How will the Bills do next year? It depends on how much they improve. Strength of schedule is relevant regardless of how the Bills are. 

 

If you dont know if the Bills are better or not next year - then you also don't know if the opponents are either.  

 

2024 - Prediction:  Struggles.  Reality - one of best seasons in Bills history.

2025 - Prediction:  Easy.  Reality - 4 bad losses to teams we penciled in as wins. 

 

Looking ahead really didn't seem to matter.  

 

All good, I just think it is pretty see to start making conclusions and predictions this early on a future season before we know anything that is going to happen between now and then. 

 

I mean who had the 2 conference leaders being the Pats in the AFC and the Rams in the NFC heading into week 13?  Who had Ravens, Bills, Chiefs, Lions, Packers, Bengals, Commanders in week 13 either barely on the edge of the playoffs, currently out of the playoffs, or pretty much eliminated from the playoffs right now?  

 

The combined record of all those preseason contenders and SB favorites right now is:  39-37 just 2 games above .500 a SOS consider some of the best teams in the NFL coming into the season.  Meanwhile teams like Seahawks (+6000), Patriots (+8000), Colts (+10,000), etc are now amongst SB contenders, division leaders, and even a conference leader (Pats) with a combined record of 26-8.  

 

Worrying or being excited about the next years schedule this early has little to no value.