2019 Buffalo Bills Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Buffalo Bills' playoff streak ended at just one season as a 6-10 record left them well short of the playoffs in 2018. The team's diehard fanbase will hope the latest postseason drought doesn't last anywhere near as long as the last one, which covered 17 years.

Quarterback Josh Allen showed potential as a rookie, and the Bills have spent the offseason building the roster around him. The group of free-agent additions was led by wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, tight end Tyler Kroft, running back Frank Gore and several offensive linemen.

Buffalo will hope those signings, more new arrivals through the draft—including the No. 9 overall pick—and continued improvement from Allen will lead to a playoff return in 2019.

Let's check out the Bills' complete slate for next season following the NFL's schedule announcement. That's followed by a breakdown of what's on tap for the AFC East squad.

Bills' 2018 Schedule

Week 1: at New York Jets on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 2: at New York Giants on Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 4: vs. New England Patriots on Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 5: at Tennessee Titans on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: vs. Miami Dolphins on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 8: vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 11: at Miami Dolphins on Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos on Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 13: at Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 14: vs. Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 15: at Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 16: at New England Patriots on Dec. 21 or 22 at TBD on CBS

Week 17: vs. New York Jets on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Schedule Analysis

On paper, the Bills' schedule shouldn't be a major deterrent in pushing for nine-plus wins and a playoff return. The team's games rank 24th out of 32 NFL teams based on the opponents' cumulative winning percentage in 2018, per John Breech of CBS Sports.

Playing in the same division as the champion New England Patriots has been a massive hurdle over the past two decades. But aside from this year's two meetings with the Pats, the schedule isn't littered with championship contenders.

There's no reason to believe Buffalo won't be able to push for at least a 6-2 mark at home. That means going a mere 4-4 on the road would likely be enough to secure a postseason berth.

It's a reasonable expectation, and if Allen showcases substantial improvement as a pure passer in his second season, the Bills could emerge as a sleeper team in 2019.

Pivotal Matchups

Buffalo's schedule features a high number of games against teams likely to land on the playoff fringe in the AFC, and its performance in those contests will probably determine the team's fate.

Along with two games apiece against the AFC East rival New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, the Bills also face the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.

Those matchups represent more than half the team's schedule, and each one could represent a two-game swing in the postseason race. Buffalo will probably need to go about 7-3 in those games to keep itself on pace for a record of 10-6 or better.

All told, there's a path to the playoffs for the Bills, but the margin for error is always thinner for teams in the AFC East because of the Patriots' annual ownership of the division title.

Buffalo's fate will likely come right down to the final week or two of the regular season.