The NFL announced on Monday that the Buffalo Bills are playing on Monday Night Football on ESPN in Week 2 as part of a doubleheader.
Fortunately for Broncos Country, that — reading the tea leaves — might make the Denver Broncos a strong candidates to play the Super Bowl-defending Los Angeles Rams in the NFL’s season opener.
Although Von Miller boldly bolted to Buffalo to play for the Bills and win a ring with a third team, a key storyline for the Broncos-Rams showdown this year is new quarterback Russell Wilson facing one of his old division rivals. What better game to feature Wilson’s debut with his new team than against the defending champs?
And newly-hired Broncos DC Ejiro Evero is set to face off against old boss Sean McVay when Denver travels to Los Angeles this fall.
Speaking of Buffalo, though, the Bills had previously been considered a strong candidate to play the Rams in the season opener. Now that Buffalo is scheduled to play on MNF in Week 2, it seems unlikely (but not impossible) that the Bills would play in the opener in Week 1 and then again in a marquee game in Week 2.
Basically, it just doesn’t seem like the NFL would have a team play back-to-back prime-time games to open the season. So, that may make Denver more likely to play in the opener than Buffalo — just connecting the dots.
NBC’s Peter King predicted a Bills-Rams or Broncos-Rams opener before it was announced Buffalo would play on MNF in Week 2. Elsewhere for the Broncos, the team’s playing in London next season for certain. The full schedule will be announced on Thursday.
