Determining Most Appealing Buffalo Bills' Road Trip on 2026 NFL Schedule

The Buffalo Bills' home games will be extra special in 2026, with it being the first year at the new Highmark Stadium, but that won't take away what will be a very fun year for road games.

Time is winding down on the Bills' first game of the season, which is at Houston. Other destinations are appealing for their own reasons, whether for the cities' spectacle, history or something else. But which game looks like the best to go to?

Before the criteria are explained, I'll say that I've excluded each of the Bills' games against the AFC East because people can travel to these games every year and know what to expect.

I've come up with four categories for each of the sites to measure which one is the best. The highest score wins. Now, let's get started with the first category:

Category 1: Proximity to Buffalo

Lambeau Field Lot 6 is seen on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Houston, TX (Texans): 4/10
Los Angeles (Inglewood), CA (Rams): 0/10
Las Vegas (Paradise), NV (Raiders): 1/10
Minneapolis, MN (Vikings): 6/10
Green Bay, WI (Packers): 7/10
Denver, CO (Broncos): 4/10

For approximately every 250 miles a city is from Buffalo, I deducted one point from a 1-10 scale, which is the scale I'll generally use.

A game being close to home can be a deal-breaker for fans because of convenience and pricing. However, unlike in 2025, when Buffalo traveled to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the Bills' 2026 slate doesn't have a location within 11 hours of driving, meaning flying will almost be necessary to get to these games.

Driving to Green Bay and Minneapolis may be feasible, but considering distance and possible rough weather, it'll be harder to drive to the other cities.

Category 2: Magnitude of Game (Time)

Empower Field at Mile High — Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Houston: 6/10
Los Angeles: 6/10
Las Vegas: 2/10
Minneapolis: 4/10
Green Bay: 7/10
Denver: 10/10

This category was calculated based on when the Bills play opponents and their connections to potential playoff seeding. For example, a game against a non-conference opponent early in the season will rank lower than a game against a conference foe late in the year when the playoff race heats up.

Houston may be in Week 1, but it is a game that could mean a lot down the stretch in terms of playoff seeding. The Rams may be a top team, but they are in the opposite conference, so it's not as important as one may think.

Las Vegas and Minnesota are still relatively early in the schedule, but Green Bay in December can be a tough game. Still, Denver is as big a challenge as one can get, as it's a rematch of the divisional-round game that sent the Bills packing.

Category 3: Magnitude of Game (Opponent)

Aug 22, 2020; Inglewood California, USA; A general overall view of SoFi Stadium. The venue, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, will be the site of Super Bowl 56 in 2022 and the 2028 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. | USA TODAY Sports

Houston: 7/10
Los Angeles: 10/10
Las Vegas: 1/10
Minneapolis: 6/10
Green Bay: 7/10
Denver: 9/10

This category was calculated based on the opponent in general and how they will perform in a season. The better the opponent, the higher the ranking given the Bills' hope for a Super Bowl.

The Texans haved bested the Bills in six consecutive matchups in Houston, while the Rams are the favorites to win it all. The Raiders are rebuilding, while the Vikings seem destined for mediocrity with their revolving door at quarterback and strong defense.

The Packers look to have all their key pieces, including edge rusher Micah Parsons, back by December, and return as one of the NFL's best then. Finally, Denver will be looking to prove that last season's run to the AFC Championship Game was not a fluke.

Category 4: Stadiums

Feb 4, 2023; Paradise, NV, USA; A general overall aerial view of Allegiant Stadium, the site of the 2023 Pro Bowl Games and Super Bowl 58 (LVIII). | USA TODAY Sports

Houston: 6/10
Los Angeles: 9/10
Las Vegas: 9/10
Minneapolis: 9/10
Green Bay: 10/10
Denver: 6/10

Seeing how advanced stadiums have come is always a thing of beauty, even if it costs a pretty penny to get inside one. Many of the stadiums Buffalo will travel to are some of the best in the league, with three of them (Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood) introduced in 2016 or later.

As for the others, Empower Field at Mile High has a stadium built for excellent Denver sunsets like the one that will come on Christmas Day when the Bills are in town, and NRG Stadium in Houston has a retractable roof that makes it suitable for any game day. Finally, Lambeau Field's pageantry and old-school background make it the gold standard for what the NFL is about.

Category 5: Rest of Town

U.S. Bank Stadium — Jul 29, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; US Bank Stadium during training camp. | USA TODAY Sports

This category was calculated based on what else there is to do in the city, although I did it on a 1-5 scale with the thinking that people who go will focus on the game and not what else to do before if they go for a long weekend.

Houston has the Space Center and Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, though going to L.A. may leave you wanting more, as I did a bit when I traveled there for a couple days in April.

Las Vegas has its famous strip and the Sphere, and considering the Bills are traveling to Denver around Christmas, skiing and the Rocky Mountain National Park are a couple of attractions that would make an extended holiday visit a great time.

Meanwhile, Minneapolis is not known for much besides great nature and it being the biggest city in the land of 10,000 lakes, while Green Bay is a lot like Buffalo if you look outside Titletown and its identity surrounding the packers.

Houston: 4/5
Los Angeles: 5/5
Las Vegas: 4/5
Minneapolis: 2/5
Green Bay: 1/5
Denver: 5/5

Final Ranking

Jan 31, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; General overall view of NRG Stadium prior to Super Bowl LI between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots on Feb 5, 2017. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

6th: Las Vegas, NV (Las Vegas Raiders, Week 6): 17/45

T-4th: Houston, TX (Houston Texans, Week 1) and Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Vikings, Week 9/MNF): 27/45

3rd: Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Rams, Week 5/MNF): 30/45

2nd: Green Bay, WI (Green Bay Packers, Week 14/SNF): 32/45

1st: Denver, CO (Denver Broncos, Week 16/Christmas Day): 34/45

All said, the Bills' two non-divisional road games in December are the best to go to for fans for an overall good experience at the game and the surrounding things, so keep an eye out for plenty of blue and red and "Go Bills!" chants throughout the season.

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