We seem to say it every year, but the Buffalo Bills are facing yet another daunting schedule in 2024.

Of course, this is what happens when you win the AFC East four years in a row; you draw a first-place schedule and this season, the Bills will play seven games against 2023 playoff teams - that includes the Dolphins twice. And they play 11 games against teams that finished above .500.

Further, among the six games against sub-.500 teams, two will be against the division rival Jets who figure to be vastly improved, assuming Aaron Rodgers plays the full season; two against the Patriots who will definitely improve on their 4-13 record; and games against the Titans and Cardinals, two more teams that should be much better than they were last season.

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And this is a Bills team that has also waved goodbye to several key veterans and will go into 2024 with a younger roster with several new additions.

The Bills are currently on a franchise-best five-year streak of double-digit victory seasons. They have never won five consecutive AFC East titles, and that quest, as well as another 10-plus win season, is going to be difficult.

Here are five thoughts on the 2024 schedule:

1. Bills have a seemingly soft launch

For most of Wednesday it felt like the obvious choice for the Bills’ opener was going to be the New England Patriots, and that certainly would have been an interesting game. It would have been the first game in the post-Bill Belichick era under new coach Jerod Mayo, and potentially the NFL debut of quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall draft pick.

Instead, the Bills will host the Arizona Cardinals who were 4-13 last year and don’t figure to be much better than a .500-type team in 2024.

However, rather than seeing Maye’s debut - which potentially might not have even happened because there’s a chance Jacoby Brissett will start the season No. 1 in New England - the Bills will certainly see the debut of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. who was taken one slot below Maye.

The Cardinals have another first-round pick, edge rusher Darius Robinson, who was taken No. 27 overall. Still, this game, as home openers go, couldn’t be much better for Buffalo.

2. The Bills will dominate prime time early

Following the opener, America is going to get a heavy dose of the Bills as they play four of their next five games in standalone night windows.

That starts on Thursday, Sept. 12 when they head to Miami for a game that should set the early tone in the AFC East. The Bills have owned the Dolphins under Sean McDermott, and last year they swept the series with a 48-20 laugher in Week 4 in Buffalo, and then a come-from-behind 21-14 victory at Miami in the season finale which enabled the Bills to steal the division title after the Dolphins had resided in first place most of the second half of the season.

The Bills get some extra rest before they take on Jacksonville at home in Week 3 on Monday Night Football, a rematch of last year’s disappointing loss to the Jaguars in London. They will be going up against old friends Gabe Davis and Mitch Morse who signed with the Jaguars as free agents.

And then comes a major test, at AFC North champion Baltimore for a Sunday Night Football affair on Sept. 29. Obviously, any AFC game is key, but if all goes according to plan, the Bills and Ravens figure to be two of the teams vying for the first-round playoff bye, so earning a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage is vital.

After a week back on the regional 1 p.m. TV schedule when they travel to Houston to face Stefon Diggs and the Texans in Week 5, the Bills head to the Meadowlands to play the Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 6, Oct. 14. It’s the second year in a row that this division game in New York is on a Monday, and maybe this time Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will survive longer than four plays.

Those last three games comprise the Bills’ first three-game road trip since 2015, and it will be just the third for Buffalo since the NFL expanded to 32 teams and went to eight divisions in 2002.

3. Bye week will come at a good time

The Bills will be off in Week 12 which happens to be Thanksgiving week. That works out well because on the front end of their bye is the Week 11 showdown against arch nemesis Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a 4:25 game at home, perhaps the most eagerly anticipated regular season game on the schedule.

When the Bills return to work, they will see the other half of last year’s Super Bowl matchup when the NFC champion 49ers come to Buffalo for the Bills’ second appearance on Sunday Night Football.

Oh, by coincidence, Taylor Swift is playing a series of concerts in Toronto the weekend the Chiefs - and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce - will be in Buffalo. So, one would assume the Swifties will be on high alert because there’s a good chance she might make another visit to Highmark Stadium.

4. Three straight against NFC teams to start December

Right in the thick of the AFC playoff race, the Bills will be stepping out for three weeks to play NFC teams, and they’ll all be tough tests.

After they play the 49ers, they will hit the road to play the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 14, and in Week 15 they’ll go up to Detroit to face the NFC North favorite Lions at Ford Field.

Those two games are among four the Bills will play in the 4 o’clock hour. That means the Bills have only six 1 p.m. games, with the season finale at New England a TBD. Last year, they had only five early games.

5. Patriots could play a key role in Bills’ season

If the Bills are in a tight battle for the AFC East crown, and by extension a higher playoff seed, the Patriots are going to be an obstacle they’ll have to clear. Twice.

The Bills won’t get their first look at New England until Week 16 when the teams play in Buffalo, and after the Bills host the Jets in Week 17, they will close the regular season in Foxborough in Week 18.

It’s probably a stretch to believe the Patriots will be in the playoff hunt as they look to be the bottom feeder in what should be a tough AFC East, but playing spoiler for the Bills would give them a little joy.

Of course, if the Patriots stink again, this could be quite beneficial for the Bills to be playing two of their last three against the franchise that once tormented them.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out every other Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills 2024 schedule: Formidable slate has 5 prime-time games