BUFFALO BILLS
By any measure, the Buffalo Bills exceeded
expectations last season in Sean McDermott's first year as coach. They finished
9-7 and made the playoffs for the first time since 1999, defying my prediction
last April that they would finish 6-10, and my revised prediction
last August of 5-11. With a huge question mark at quarterback
in 2018, can Buffalo successfully play the role of underdog again?
Week 1: Sunday, Sept.
9, at Baltimore
Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
For the second time in three
seasons, the Bills begin their schedule at M&T Bank Stadium. Tyrod Taylor threw
for 111 yards in a loss that day; who will be throwing for Buffalo this
time? Record: 0-1
Week 2: Sunday, Sept.
16, vs. Los Angeles
Chargers, 1 p.m. ET
In former Bills interim coach
Anthony Lynn's first trip back to Buffalo, he cannot count on Nathan
Peterman to toss five interceptions, as the then-rookie did in
a 54-24 loss to Los Angeles last November. But who can the Bills count
on? Record: 0-2
Week 3: Sunday, Sept.
23, at Minnesota
Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
General manager Brandon Beane did
not seriously pursue Kirk Cousins this
offseason because he felt Buffalo was further away from contention than the
Vikings, for which Cousins might be the "missing piece," according to
Beane. Perhaps that will play out at U.S. Bank Stadium. Record: 0-3
Week 4: Sunday, Sept.
30, at Green Bay
Packers, 1 p.m. ET
The last time the Bills visited
Lambeau Field, a 34-7 loss in 2010, then-Bills quarterback Trent Edwards raised
the white flag by scrambling out of bounds on a fourth-and-11 to end Buffalo's
final possession. Maybe the Bills' new quarterback will actually throw the
ball, but the result might not be much different. Record: 0-4
Week 5: Sunday, Oct.
7, vs. Tennessee
Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Like the Bills, the Titans made
the playoffs last season. But like the Bills, they were a far from perfect team.
This is a winnable game -- and close to a must-win game if the first four turn
out as projected. Record: 1-4
Week 6: Sunday, Oct.
14, at Houston
Texans, 1 p.m. ET
The Bills return to where the
short-lived EJ Manuel era
ended in the hands -- quite
literally -- of J.J. Watt.
This time, the Bills could have a new first-round quarterback who will be
trying to stack up against Deshaun
Watson, whom the Bills declined to draft No. 10 last season. Record: 1-5
Week 7: Sunday, Oct.
21, at Indianapolis
Colts, 1 p.m. ET
(Andrew) Luck will
be on the side of the Colts, who will not have to deal with
snow this time. But can Indianapolis stop LeSean McCoy in
a dome? Record: 2-5
Week 8: Monday, Oct.
29, vs. New England
Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET
The city of Buffalo will more or
less shut down in the afternoon for its first Monday Night Football tailgate
since 2008. If Buffalo scores its first MNF win at home since 1994, the city
will not reopen until Wednesday. But can an unproven quarterback topple Tom Brady?
It is hard to ignore history. Record: 2-6
Week 9: Sunday, Nov.
4, vs. Chicago Bears,
1 p.m. ET
This begins the much softer
second half of the schedule. If Trubisky marches into New Era Field and
gets the win, something is wrong. Record: 3-6
Week 10: Sunday, Nov.
11, at New York Jets,
1 p.m. ET
If the Bills and Jets both draft
quarterbacks in the first round and are starting them by this game, it could
have some sizzle. An AJ McCarron versus Josh McCown battle
would probably not. Record: 3-7
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov.
25, vs. Jacksonville
Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
The Bills seemed to be a
competent passing game away from beating the Jaguars in the playoffs in
January, when the offense failed to score a touchdown. But will anything be
different this November? Record: 3-8
Week 13: Sunday, Dec.
2, at Miami
Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
If the Bills' first 11 games play
out as predicted, they will be toast by the time they travel back to Miami.
Perhaps they can recapture the magic of last New Year's Eve, but it might not
mean much. Record: 4-8
Week 14: Sunday, Dec.
9, vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Maybe Christian
Hackenberg will finally get his shot to start. Or maybe not. Record: 5-8
Week 15: Sunday, Dec.
16, vs. Detroit Lions,
1 p.m. ET
The last time the Bills played
the Lions was Kyle Orton's first start in 2014, a win for Buffalo. No Bills
quarterback since Orton has thrown for at least 300 yards in a regulation game,
which he did that day. Record: 5-9
Week 16: Sunday, Dec.
23, at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
The Bills have only beaten the
Patriots four times in the past 18 seasons, but the teams have split their past
four games at Gillette Stadium. If the Patriots are cruising toward the
playoffs at this point, it feels very plausible for Buffalo to pull out another
win. Record: 6-9
Week 17: Sunday, Dec.
30, vs. Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Nothing completes a season like a
seemingly disinterested Dolphins team tripping through a largely meaningless
late-season game in Buffalo. Record: 7-9
MIAMI DOLPHINS
The Miami
Dolphins' season changed last Aug. 3 when quarterback Ryan
Tannehill tore an ACL in a training camp practice. Miami
scrambled to find stability in pulling Jay Cutler out of retirement, but a
five-game losing streak in the middle of the season wiped out a 4-2 start and
eventually led to a 6-10 finish. With Tannehill back in 2018, how much better
can the Dolphins be?
Week 1: Sunday, Sept.
9, vs. Tennessee
Titans, 1 p.m. ET
Unlike last season, one hopes
weather will not force the Dolphins from playing their regular-season opener.
Miami has won four of its past five games to begin the season, so history is on
its side. Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, Sept.
16, at New York Jets,
1 p.m. ET
The Dolphins traveled to MetLife
Stadium in Week 2 last season and lost, and the Jets could be a better team
this season. Record: 1-1
Week 3: Sunday, Sept.
23, vs. Oakland
Raiders, 1 p.m. ET
The Raiders will be playing in
the 1 p.m. Eastern Time slot dreaded by teams used to the Pacific time zone,
although they will make a stop in Denver the week prior. Advantage:
Dolphins. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Sunday, Sept.
30, at New England
Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Miami’s seesaw start will
continue at Gillette Stadium, where they have not won since 2008. Even Danny
Amendola can’t help reverse that history. Record: 2-2
Week 5: Sunday, Oct.
7, at Cincinnati
Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
Call it the Bill Lazor Bowl.
Although in the most recent meeting between these teams, in 2016, it was the
Mike Nugent Bowl: He converted five field goals in a Bengals victory. Record: 2-3
Week 6: Sunday, Oct.
14, vs. Chicago Bears,
1 p.m. ET
Adam Gase hosts his former team,
whose offense he coordinated in 2015. This is a game Tannehill should win
over Mitchell
Trubisky. Record: 3-3
Week 7: Sunday, Oct.
21, vs. Detroit Lions,
1 p.m. ET
Back-to-back games against the
NFC North will bring Matt Patricia to town as Lions coach. Tannehill was 3-1 at
home against Patricia’s Patriots defense with a 97.2 quarterback rating. Record: 4-3
Week 8: Thursday,
Oct. 25, at Houston Texans,
8:20 p.m. ET
There is nothing worse than a
Thursday night game on the road, and it prevents a three-game winning streak in
this projection. Record: 4-4
Week 9: Sunday, Nov.
4, vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Starting to get dizzy? Time for
the Dolphins to climb back above .500 and remain undefeated at home. Record: 5-4
Week 10: Sunday, Nov.
11, at Green Bay
Packers, 1 p.m. ET
An upset over Aaron Rodgers?
It happened the last time the Dolphins visited Lambeau Field, in 2010. Cameron Wake had
three sacks and six quarterback hits. He also happens to still play for the
Dolphins. Record: 6-4
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov.
25, at Indianapolis
Colts, 1 p.m. ET
In this battle of 2012 first-round
quarterbacks, Tannehill could get a boost from his surrounding cast, including
longtime Colts running back Frank Gore. Record: 7-4
Week 13: Sunday, Dec.
2, vs. Buffalo Bills,
1 p.m. ET
Gase said the Dolphins’
lackluster performance in last season’s finale against Buffalo prompted many of
this offseason’s changes. But has Miami adequately replaced the players it
jettisoned? Record: 7-5
Week 14: Sunday, Dec.
9, vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
The Patriots have lost four of
their past five trips to South Florida, and Hard Rock Stadium is often a house
of horrors for Tom Brady. Record: 8-5
Week 15: Sunday, Dec.
16, at Minnesota
Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
Just as the Dolphins can taste
the playoffs, the reality of their brutal December schedule sets in with a trip
north. Record: 8-6
Week 16: Sunday, Dec.
23, vs. Jacksonville
Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
This seems like a winnable game
for the Dolphins, even with the Jaguars’ success last season. But with some of
the holes on Miami's roster, something feels destined to go wrong. Record: 8-7
Week 17: Sunday, Dec.
30, at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
The Dolphins’ lone victory in
Buffalo the past six seasons was aided by Rex Ryan’s defense boldly keeping
only 10 players on the field for a 57-yard run by Jay Ajayi in
overtime. Record: 8-8
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Let’s have
some fun.
Going game-by-game through the
2018 New England
Patriots schedule, and predicting results, is a near-impossible
exercise. But by looking closer at the road the Patriots’ opponents travel
before those games sometimes provides some neat insight that could come in
handy down the line.
So, without further ado, let’s
let it rip with the annual “laugh at me now, and then laugh at me more later”
game-by-game predictions (prediction was a 13-3 record, and while the Patriots
ended up 13-3, the picks for losses were off the mark).
Week 1: Sunday Sept.
9, vs. Houston
Texans, 1 p.m. ET
Before everyone truly knew how
good Texans quarterback Deshaun
Watson was as a rookie last season, he provided a glimpse of it
in a Week 3 game at Gillette Stadium against the Patriots. Watson finished
22-of-33 for 301 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding
41 yards on eight carries. This should be his first regular-season game since
tearing his ACL last November, and it’s a big test for the Patriots. Record: 0-1.
Week 2: Sunday Sept.
16, at Jacksonville
Jaguars, 4:25 p.m. ET
This will be the Jaguars’ home
opener, as they will be at the Giants in Week 1, so EverBank Field might be
buzzing like it’s 1996 for this rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game.
The reference to ’96, of course, refers to the prior time the Patriots and
Jaguars met in the conference title game. It might not be a stretch to call
this the biggest regular-season home for the Jaguars since the turn of the century. Record: 0-2.
Week 3: Sunday Sept.
23, at Detroit Lions,
8:20 p.m. ET
A trip to Detroit meant the
Patriots were a candidate to play in the annual Thanksgiving game hosted by the
Lions (as they did in 2002 and 2010), but the schedule-makers were kind to them
this year to keep them off the holiday slate. Here’s a fun nugget: Former
Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, now in his first year as Lions
head coach, will be prepping his team for a Week 2 game against the 49ers and
former Patriots quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo before returning home to do the same against Tom Brady &
Co. Tough challenge for the first-year coach. Record: 1-2.
Week 4: Sunday Sept.
30, vs. Miami
Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
There will be big cheers
for Danny
Amendola as he makes his return to Gillette Stadium, where he
delivered some of the most clutch playoff performances in franchise history.
Miami opens the season with a home game against the Titans (former Patriots
cornerback Logan Ryan was
already matchup against Amendola), before a road game against the Jets and
a home date vs. Raiders. Record: 2-2.
Week 5: Thursday Oct.
4, vs. Indianapolis
Colts, 8:20 p.m. ET
The Colts have four of their
first six games on the road, and this figures to be one of their toughest. As
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said after Patriots offensive coordinator
Josh McDaniels backed out of the head coaching job in Indianapolis, “The
rivalry is back on.” This is the Colts’ first trip back to Gillette since they
helped start Deflategate (Jan. 18, 2015) and it will be on national TV. They
shouldn't expect a warm reception. Record: 3-2.
Week 6: Sunday Oct.
14, vs. Kansas City
Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET
Brady has mentioned how coming
off Thursday night games – as the Patriots will be in this case – can almost be
like a mini bye week. That’s timely against a Chiefs team that showed its
mettle in coming to Gillette Stadium in last year’s opener and posting an
impressive victory. But instead of having a full offseason to prepare as they
did last season, the Chiefs will be coming off a home game against the Jaguars
this time around. Advantage to the Patriots. Record: 4-2.
Week 7: Sunday Oct.
21, at Chicago Bears,
1 p.m. ET
The Bears will have already had
their bye (Week 5) and this game falls in the middle of an unusual stretch in
which they play all four AFC East teams in succession (at Miami, vs. New
England, vs. New York Jets, at Buffalo). It’s the Patriots’ first trip to
Chicago since Dec. 12, 2010, when Brady cut through the stuff wind and wintry
conditions with one of the most underrated performances of his career in a 36-7
win. Record: 5-2.
Week 8: Monday Oct.
29, at Buffalo Bills,
8:15 p.m. ET
The last time the Bills hosted a
Monday night game was in 2008, so New Era Field could be one of the most rabid,
pure football environments on the NFL schedule this year. Adding to that vibe
is that this will only be the Bills’ third home game of the season despite the
late date on the calendar. The Patriots have traditionally dominated in Western
New York, but this year might be a different story. Record: 5-3.
Week 9: Sunday, Nov.
4, vs. Green Bay
Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET
While the Patriots will be coming
off a short week of preparation following a Monday road game against the Bills,
the Packers will have crisscrossed the country after a road game against the
Rams (the Packers’ bye is Week 7). Their last regular-season visit to Gillette
Stadium was 2010, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t
play due to injury. This looks like the signature game on the Patriots’ home
schedule, the type of matchup Ed Hochuli might consider coming out of
retirement to referee. Record: 6-3.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov.
11, at Tennessee
Titans, 1 p.m. ET
The Titans, under first-year
coach Mike Vrabel, will be on a short week after having played at Dallas the
prior Monday. The last time the Patriots played in Nashville, it was Sept. 9,
2012 and first-round draft picks Chandler
Jones and Dont’a
Hightower had an impressive NFL debut. That was the last year
the Patriots made two first-round picks, and they enter 2018 with two
first-rounders. Maybe lightning strikes twice. Record: 7-3.
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov.
25, at New York Jets,
1 p.m. ET
The Patriots are 13-5 coming off
the bye under Bill Belichick, which might not be as solid of a mark as some
would have expected based on the team’s remarkable run of success. One thing to
consider in this situation is that the Jets will also be coming off their bye.
Could this be a Brady vs. Mayfield duel? This game always seems to tougher
for the Patriots than it might initially appear to be. Record: 8-3.
Week 13: Sunday, Dec.
2, vs. Minnesota
Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET
When this game showed up on the
schedule, my first thought was, “You like that!” Welcome, Kirk Cousins.
The Vikings will be in the middle of arguably the toughest stretch of their
schedule, coming off a prime-time home game against the Packers, and then with
a prime-time road game against the Seahawks to look forward to. Edge to New
England there. Record: 9-3.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec.
9, at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
This game falls in the same spot
on the schedule as last year when the Patriots struggled in a 27-20 loss. The
Dolphins will be coming off a home game against the Bills, and they have a
tough stretch of games after this one -- vs. the Jaguars, at the Vikings, at
the Bills -- so they could be fighting to keep their season alive. Record: 9-4.
Week 15: Sunday, Dec.
16, at Pittsburgh
Steelers, 4:25 p.m. ET
Last year’s game in Pittsburgh
was on Dec. 17, so again, this is a déjà vu. The Steelers will be coming off a
Sunday night road game at Oakland. Last year’s game could have easily gone the
other way. Record: 9-5.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec.
23, vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
Fast fact: The Patriots own the
best divisional record in regular-season play with an 81-23 mark since the
beginning of 2001 and have gone 17 straight seasons without being swept by a
division opponent, extending the longest such streak since 1970. Record: 10-5.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec.
30, vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
Capping off a four-game stretch
that is identical to last year’s – both in opponents and where the games are
played – predicting a 26-6 New England victory seems apropos. Record: 11-5.
NEW YORK JETS
Once again, the New York Jets will
be a young team, possibly with a rookie at quarterback. It always helps a young
team when it can jump out to a positive start, and this schedule gives them a
chance to survive September. While playing three of the first four games on the
road isn't ideal, it's hardly a murderous stretch. If the Jets emerge 2-2 or
3-1, they can still feel good about themselves as they head into a three-game
homestand in October. The finish is rough -- Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in
back-to-back weeks -- but they probably will be out of playoff contention
before then.
Now for the game-by-game
predictions:
Week 1: Monday, Sept.
10, at Detroit Lions,
7:10 p.m. ET
The Jets are back on the Monday
night stage after a one-year hiatus, opening on the road for the second
straight year. This will be the head-coaching debut of former New England
Patriots assistant Matt Patricia, who is familiar with the
Jets' scheme and personnel. The big question: Who will be the Jets' starting
quarterback? Josh McCown? Teddy
Bridgewater? Baker
Mayfield? It won't matter; the Lions have too much firepower. Record: 0-1.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept.
16, vs. Miami
Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Some of the familiar names in the
rivalry are gone -- Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry, Mike Pouncey,
et al. One-year rental Jay Cutler is gone, too, which really bums out the Jets
because they controlled him for six quarters last season until an injury
knocked him out of the lineup and they the Jets apart against Matt Moore. This
time, there will be no fourth-quarter collapse. Record: 1-1.
Week 3: Thursday,
Sept. 20, at Cleveland
Browns, 8:20 p.m. ET
A Jets-Browns game in prime
time? Oy. The Jets own the Browns. Then again, doesn't
everybody? Coach Todd Bowles is 3-0 against them and 17-25 against the rest of
the league. Make it 4-0. Led by ex-Browns Isaiah
Crowell and Terrelle
Pryor, the Jets will find a way to squeeze past their much-improved
opponent. Record: 2-1.
Week 4: Sunday, Sept.
30, at Jacksonville
Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET
The Jets will be rested, coming
off a mini-bye, but this still is a tough matchup. The Jaguars are loaded on
defense, with playmakers on all three levels. The Jets will have a hard time,
you know, scoring (unless they get some help from Blake Bortles). Record: 2-2.
Week 5: Sunday, Oct.
7, vs. Denver
Broncos, 1 p.m. ET
Objective No. 1: Score. The Jets
failed to do that last December in a miserable 23-0 loss at Mile High Stadium.
The Broncos still have a formidable defense, and they'll be better at
quarterback with Case Keenum over
last season's motley crew. Another tough day for the Jets. Record: 2-3.
Week 6: Sunday, Oct.
14, vs. Indianapolis
Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Andrew Luck and
his surgically repaired throwing shoulder should be rounding into form by now,
but it won't help the Colts, who will suffer through a rebuilding season. This
should be an easy win for the Jets. Record: 3-3.
Week 7: Sunday, Oct.
21, vs. Minnesota
Vikings, 1 p.m. ET
You think Kirk Cousins will
get heckled by the Jets crowd at MetLife Stadium? Cousins snubbed the Jets in
free agency, taking less money to play for Minnesota. He made the right
decision, but that won't stop the fans from booing. This also marks the return
of Sheldon
Richardson, who joins a loaded defense that will shut down the
Jets. Record: 3-4.
Week 8: Sunday, Oct.
28, at Chicago Bears,
1 p.m. ET
Pardon Bowles if he feels a
little old. He has known new Bears coach Matt Nagy, 39, since Nagy was a
toddler. You see, Nagy's father, Bill, was a coach on Bowles' high school team
in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Matt was a 2-year-old spectator when Elizabeth, led
by Bowles, played for the state championship in 1980 at Giants Stadium. In this
game, age prevails over youth. Record: 4-4.
Week 9: Sunday, Nov.
4, at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET
Could this be a battle of rookie
quarterbacks? The Dolphins could follow the Jets' lead, drafting a passer in
the first round. Trivia: The last time the two division rivals took first-round
quarterbacks in the same draft was 1983 when the Dolphins took Dan Marino and
the Jets selected Ken O'Brien. As for the game, Miami will win to split the
season series. Record: 4-5.
Week 10: Sunday, Nov.
11, vs. Buffalo Bills,
1 p.m. ET
The Bills snapped a 17-year
playoff drought last season, but they're starting over with a new quarterback
(probably AJ McCarron or
a rookie) and a new offensive system. As long as the Jets don't let LeSean McCoy run
wild, as they did in the 2017 opener, they should be in good shape. Record: 5-5.
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: Sunday, Nov.
25, vs. New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Coming off the bye, this will be
a "QB Watch" week -- i.e., a great time to start the rookie (if he's
not already playing). Why not? At 5-5, the playoffs appear out of reach. It's
time to start thinking about 2019. Bowles is 1-5 against the Patriots,
including four straight losses. Unless Brady and Rob
Gronkowski are playing pairs shuffleboard at a legends
retirement home, it'll be five straight losses. Record: 5-6.
Week 13: Sunday, Dec.
2, at Tennessee
Titans, 1 p.m. ET
This is the Jets' fourth game
against a rookie head coach -- this time against Mike Vrabel, who inherits a
playoff team. Not a bad gig, huh? This is a good matchup for the Jets because
the Titans don't have an explosive passing attack, so look for an upset on the
road. Record: 6-6.
Week 14: Sunday, Dec.
9, at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET
There's something about Orchard
Park, New York, that doesn't sit well with the Jets, who have dropped five of
their last six road games against the Bills. The slump continues. Record: 6-7.
Week 15: Saturday,
Dec. 15, vs. Houston
Texans, 4:30 or 8:20 p.m. ET
Facing one of the NFL's top
quarterback-receiver tandems -- Watson and DeAndre
Hopkins -- the Jets need cornerback Trumaine
Johnson ($34 million guaranteed) to earn his massive paycheck.
And he will. Record: 7-7.
Week 16: Sunday, Dec.
23, vs. Green Bay
Packers, 1 p.m. ET
Since 2009, Rodgers is 26-8 in
December and January. Need we say more? Former Jets defensive end Muhammad
Wilkerson, known for his chronic lateness, will be on time and
highly motivated in what looms as a revenge game for him. Record: 7-8.
Week 17: Sunday, Dec.
30, at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Could this be the final
regular-season home game in the Brady-Bill Belichick era? If it is, the
Patriots won't go out with a loss to the Jets, that's for sure. Record: 7-9.
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