Buffalo football is a different breed of chaos. Honestly, if you've ever stood in the Highmark Stadium parking lot in December, you know it's less about a game and more about a survival pact. This year, the question of who did the Bills play isn't just a matter of checking a box—it's about tracing a wild 12-5 season that saw them lose the AFC East crown for the first time since 2019, only to become the road warriors nobody wanted to face in January.
It’s been a year of massive shifts. They played their final games in the old stadium, saw James Cook turn into an absolute monster on the ground, and somehow survived a schedule that felt like a gauntlet designed by a hater.
The 2025 Regular Season: Who Did the Bills Play Every Week?
The season started with a bang. Or, more accurately, a heart-stopping one-point win against the Ravens. From there, it was a roller coaster. You’ve got to look at the stretch between October and November to really see where this team's identity shifted.
They actually started 4-0. People were already booking Super Bowl flights. Then, the New England Patriots happened in Week 5. That 23-20 loss was a wake-up call, ending the dream of an undefeated season and proving that the post-Belichick Pats still had some teeth.
Here is the breakdown of the regular season opponents and what actually went down:
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- Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens: A wild 41-40 victory. Josh Allen looked like a video game character.
- Week 2 @ New York Jets: Buffalo handled them 30-10. MetLife was quiet for once.
- Week 3 vs. Miami Dolphins: A 31-21 win at home. This felt like the peak of the early season.
- Week 4 vs. New Orleans Saints: 31-19. Everything was clicking.
- Week 5 vs. New England Patriots: The first crack. A 23-20 loss that stung.
- Week 6 @ Atlanta Falcons: A disappointing 24-14 loss on the road before the bye.
- Week 8 @ Carolina Panthers: Coming off the bye, they smashed Carolina 40-9.
- Week 9 vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Maybe the game of the year. A 28-21 win that gave everyone hope.
- Week 10 @ Miami Dolphins: Disaster. A 30-13 blowout loss in the Florida heat.
- Week 11 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They bounced back with a 44-32 shootout win.
- Week 12 @ Houston Texans: A tight 23-19 loss that hurt their seeding.
- Week 13 @ Pittsburgh Steelers: A cold 26-7 defensive masterclass.
- Week 14 vs. Cincinnati Bengals: A 39-34 thriller. Josh Allen vs. Joe Burrow lived up to the hype.
- Week 15 @ New England Patriots: Revenge. A 35-31 win at Gillette.
- Week 16 @ Cleveland Browns: A gritty 23-20 road win to keep pace.
- Week 17 vs. Philadelphia Eagles: The heartbreaker. A 13-12 loss that officially cost them the division.
- Week 18 vs. New York Jets: A 35-8 blowout to end the regular season on a high note.
Who Did the Bills Play in the 2025 Playoffs?
The post-season is where things got really interesting. Because they finished second in the AFC East behind the Patriots (who went 14-3), the Bills entered the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. That meant no home games. No snow-filled Orchard Park advantage.
They had to go to Jacksonville for the Wild Card round.
Wild Card Weekend: Buffalo at Jacksonville
On January 11, 2026, the Bills played the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. It was a dogfight. Most experts thought the Jags' defense would swallow the Bills' run game, especially with James Cook being the focal point. Cook only managed 46 yards, but Josh Allen did Josh Allen things. The highlight? A fourth-down "tush push" where Allen launched himself 10 yards to move the chains.
Buffalo walked away with a 27-24 win. It was significant because it was the franchise's first road playoff victory since the 1992 AFC Championship game.
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Divisional Round: The Denver Rematch
As of right now, the Bills are preparing to play the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos on Saturday, January 17, 2026. This is a massive story. Last year, the Bills beat the Broncos 31-7 in the Wild Card round, but this time they’re heading to the altitude of Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver is 14-3 and rested. Buffalo is banged up. They lost receivers Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers to ACL injuries during the Jacksonville game. Basically, the Bills are going into Denver as underdogs, trying to pull off back-to-back road upsets.
Why the Schedule This Year Was Different
Usually, when we talk about who did the Bills play, we’re focused on the Chiefs or the Bengals. While they played both (and beat both!), the real story was the NFC East and AFC South rotation.
Playing the Eagles and Cowboys in the same cycle is never fun. The Week 17 loss to Philly was particularly brutal because it was a 13-12 defensive slog. If Buffalo had won that single game, they’d likely have won the division and been resting at home right now instead of packing for Colorado.
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Looking Forward: How to Track the Next Games
The NFL schedule is a moving target once you hit the playoffs. If the Bills can get past Bo Nix and the Broncos this Saturday, they’ll face the winner of the Houston Texans and New England Patriots game.
Imagine a Bills vs. Patriots AFC Championship game.
The storylines would be endless. But first, they have to survive Denver.
If you're looking to follow along, the Divisional game against the Broncos kicks off at 4:30 PM ET on CBS. Keep an eye on the injury report—seeing how Joe Brady adjusts the offense without Davis and Shavers will be the deciding factor in whether this season continues or ends in the Rockies.
To stay ahead of the curve, watch the official Bills injury reports released on Friday afternoons. They’ll tell you exactly how thin that receiving corps is going to be before kickoff.
Check the NFL's official postseason bracket daily, as game times for the Conference Championships are usually locked in within hours of the final whistle on Sunday.