Before the Buffalo Bills kick off their season Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, it's worth taking one last look at our game-by-game predictions for the upcoming season -- this time from the perspective of the ESPN reporters who cover opposing teams.
My game-by-game predictions were revealed last week and included an 8-8 finish for the Bills, down from my 9-7 projected record when the schedule was released in April.
My colleagues don't view the Bills as favorably this season. Taking a composite of the predictions of the team's they cover, ESPN NFL Nation expects the Bills to stumble to a 6-10 record this season. That prediction hasn't changed since April, when ESPN reporters expected the Bills to start 2-10 en route to a 6-10 finish.
Crazy? Consider that ESPN NFL Nation's composite record prediction for the Bills last season was 8-8, which is exactly how they fared.
Here's how our reporters' predictions break down:
Week 1 at Baltimore Ravens
My prediction: Ravens win (0-1)
Jamison Hensley's prediction: Ravens win (0-1)
Hensley's comment: Rex Ryan and Tyrod Taylor return to Baltimore. But who's coming with them? It's hard to keep track of the injured and suspended Bills this season.
Week 2 vs. New York Jets
My prediction: Bills win (1-1)
Rich Cimini's prediction: Bills win (1-1)
Cimini's comment: The Jets will have payback in their hearts as they return to the scene of their 2015 Waterloo -- a crushing loss to their old coach in the season finale. The sight of Rex Ryan chirping in the postgame tunnel still irks them. Problem is, the Jets have lost five straight to the Bills, and [Ryan] Fitzpatrick can't figure out Ryan-coached defenses. His career record is 1-8, with 14 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. It'll be 1-9 after this one.
Week 3 vs. Arizona Cardinals
My prediction: Cardinals win (1-2)
Josh Weinfuss' prediction: Cardinals win (1-2)
Weinfuss' comment: Arizona’s first East Coast trip of the season will be cross-country to Buffalo. Luckily for the Cardinals, this early in the season they won’t be playing in frigid weather or on a snow-covered field -- and Buffalo doesn’t have a quarterback who will scare the Cardinals’ defense.
Week 4 at New England Patriots
My prediction: Patriots win (1-3)
Mike Reiss' prediction: Patriots win (1-3)
Reiss' comment: Bills coach Rex Ryan previously declared that his team won the offseason, and soon after, they had a run of bad injury luck and a four-game suspension for top defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. Most intriguing will be the defensive plan that Ryan comes up with for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Week 5 at Los Angeles Rams
My prediction: Bills win (2-3)
Alden Gonzalez's prediction: Rams win (1-4)
Gonzalez's comment: This is a good time for the Rams' first regular-season home victory. The Bills are a flawed team on both sides of the ball that struggled to put pressure on the quarterback last season. The Rams will be fueled by a desperate home crowd and should cruise in this one.
Week 6 vs. San Francisco 49ers
My prediction: Bills win (3-3)
Nick Wagoner's prediction: Bills win (2-4)
Wagoner's comment: Another daunting trip across the country with an early start will test [Chip] Kelly's daily schedule of having early practices. The Niners should be able to keep it close but the Bills get it done.
Week 7 at Miami Dolphins
My prediction: Bills win (4-3)
James Walker's prediction: Bills win (3-4)
Walker's comment: The Dolphins were 1-5 last season against the AFC East. The Bills beat Miami on the road last year and do it again.
Week 8 vs. New England Patriots
My prediction: Patriots win (4-4)
Reiss' prediction: Bills win (4-4)
Reiss' comment: This will mark the Bills’ fourth AFC East game of the season, and they will be coming off a three-game set at Los Angeles, home against San Francisco and a road date against Miami. There is always a surprise loss somewhere on the schedule, and we’ll throw a dart at this one in 2016.
Week 9 at Seattle Seahawks
My prediction: Seahawks win (4-5)
Sheil Kapadia's prediction: Seahawks win (4-5)
Kapadia's comment: This is the Seahawks' only Monday night game. They finish the first half of their schedule with a victory.
Week 11 at Cincinnati Bengals
My prediction: Bengals win (4-6)
Coley Harvey's prediction: Bengals win (4-6)
Harvey's comment: In what will be its first game at home in about a month, Cincinnati's defense will be tested by a Bills offense that has the type of balance that might make them an AFC dark horse in 2016. Tyrod Taylor has settled in at quarterback, and Sammy Watkins -- if healthy -- has proven his playmaking ability. The combination of LeSean McCoy and Reggie Bush could make Buffalo's backfield dangerous, too. Still, this Bengals defense will be up to the task.
Week 12 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
My prediction: Bills win (5-6)
Mike DiRocco's prediction: Bills win (5-6)
DiRocco's comment: The Jaguars blew a 24-point lead but came back to win on [Blake] Bortles’ 31-yard touchdown pass to Allen Hurns with 2:16 to play. The reason the Jaguars were up that big was Bills QB EJ Manuel, who had a fumble returned for a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown. A healthy Tyrod Taylor will make a huge difference.
Week 13 at Oakland Raiders
My prediction: Bills win (6-6)
Paul Gutierrez's prediction: Raiders win (5-7)
Gutierrez's comment: Is Rex Ryan still employed by this point? In any event, the Raiders clinch their first winning record since 2002.
Week 14 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
My prediction: Bills win (7-6)
Jeremy Fowler's prediction: Steelers win (5-8)
Fowler's comment: Save Sammy Watkins, the Bills don’t have enough weapons in the passing game to give the Steelers trouble if they can stop the run, which they usually do. Rex Ryan’s defense will try to hit [Ben] Roethlisberger early and often. The Steelers are the better team, but this win might bruise them up a bit.
Week 15 vs. Cleveland Browns
My prediction: Bills win (8-6)
Pat McManamon's prediction: Browns win (5-9)
McManamon's comment: The Bills at this point of the season will be out of it. The Browns will be starting to see some growth from young players. They win this one on the road.
Week 16 vs. Miami Dolphins
My prediction: Dolphins win (8-7)
Walker's prediction: Bills win (6-9)
Walker's comment: Late December in Buffalo means blistery cold weather and potentially snow. That’s usually bad news for the Dolphins.
Week 17 at New York Jets
My prediction: Jets win (8-8)
Cimini's prediction: Jets win (6-10)
Cimini's comment: The Jets will ring in the New Year by missing the playoffs for the sixth straight year. Ah, but they will ruin the Bills' season, returning the favor from last year's Week 17 contest. Take that, Rex.