Buffalo Bills schedule 2020: Picks, predictions for every game
Week 5: Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans
The Bills and Titans have a tendency to play extremely tight games, with their last five contests having an average margin of 3.2 points. In their last matchup with Tennessee, Josh Allen completed 72% of his passes and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Duke Williams with five minutes left. However, the Bills were greatly helped by the Titans’ kicker missing four field goals.
Even though Tennessee experienced an offensive renaissance with a change in quarterback last season, Buffalo had Ryan Tannehill’s number when he was a member of the Dolphins. Tannehill has a completion percentage of less than 60% and a 15-11 touchdown to interception ratio against Buffalo in his career. I think the Bills will stack the box and force Tannehill to beat them; with Tre’Davious White covering A.J. Brown, the Titans won’t be able to score enough to win.
Score: Bills 20, Titans 19
Week 6: Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs – Thursday Night Football
In a home matchup versus the Super Bowl champions, I believe the Bills will be outmatched. Patrick Mahomes has proven he can score on virtually any defense, throwing for 286 yards and two touchdowns against the vaunted 49ers defense last February. Tre’Davious White may be able to limit Tyreek Hill, but I can’t see the rest of the Bills defense limiting the likes of Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman, Sammy Watkins, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Josh Allen would need to go toe-to-toe with Mahomes in order to make this game competitive, and I can’t see him having much success. This Chiefs defense was much improved towards the end of last season, only allowing an average of ten points per game in their last five regular-season contests.
While they allowed a higher average in the postseason, most of the points given up could be attributed to garbage time. The Bills aren’t on the Chiefs’ level, at least not yet, so their four-game win streak ends here.
Score: Chiefs 34, Bills 20
Week 7: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
The Bills actually have a better record versus the Jets at MetLife Stadium than they do in Orchard Park. Buffalo is 2-1 at Metlife in the Sean McDermott era, with their only loss coming on a Thursday Night tilt when Tyrod Taylor was the quarterback. I’m projecting a Bills victory in this matchup, as I had them lose their opening game earlier in the season.
Josh Allen hasn’t had much success against New York in the past, but their defense has suffered from a lack of talent on that side of the ball in recent years. With most of the Jets’ offseason additions being focused on the offensive side of the ball, it seems they’ve neglected their 16th ranked defense. Allen will have the weapons to take advantage of their weakened roster in one of these matchups, and I think he’ll do it here.
Score: Bills 24, Jets 16
Week 8: Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots
Even though the Bills have only won five games against the Patriots this century, they have been getting closer to bridging the gap. Buffalo only finished two games behind New England in the standings in 2019, and they nearly beat them in both of their matchups last season; they came within one score in each of their games.
We don’t know how Jarrett Stidham will play as a starter, but he’s not Tom Brady. This will be a low-scoring, defensive battle between arguably the two best defenses in the AFC. I’ll give Josh Allen and company the edge at home versus an inexperienced quarterback in a tough environment.
Score: Bills 13, Patriots 10