The 2019 NFL schedule was officially released Wednesday night. Networks reveled in the opportunity to crank out a couple hours worth of NFL-related content, while the teams themselves took a decidedly tongue-in-cheek approach to it all.
Most of what we think we know about the league will almost certainly be rendered useless by the time the season is over. Yet there are certain truths that cannot be ignored.
A couple of obvious truths are that the New England Patriots are still the team to beat, and that their AFC East compatriot Buffalo Bills are clearly seen as the least-compelling team in the league.
If you need any evidence to bolster the second point, here it is. As noted by Ross Tucker of The Athletic, the Bills are the only NFL team that did not get a single primetime slot on the 2019 NFL schedule.
Just above Buffalo in terms of national appeal (per the schedule-makers), eight other teams — the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans — were given just one primetime game this year.
Any of these teams could potentially land more national exposure if they perform well and earn a flex in the schedule. Yet for now, it’s clear the Bills are seen as unworthy.
For what it’s worth, we recently made the argument that Buffalo will ultimately be seen as the most improved team in the league. So, next year the Bills could potentially be seen as a hot commodity.