The Buffalo Bills own the NFL's longest playoff drought at 17 years. They hired no-nonsense Sean McDermott to replace the boisterous Rex Ryan as their new head coach with the hope that the change in philosophy can finally bring an end to the painfully long streak.Buffalo also reached an agreement with quarterback Tyrod Taylor on a restructured contract to keep him as its starter under center. The decision received a mixed reaction within the fanbase after a pair of up-and-down, postseason-less years with him leading the offense.One thing's for sure: The team's challenging 2017 schedule isn't going to provide any help when it comes to breaking the drought. Let's check out the complete slate (via BuffaloBills.com) and analyze the outlook as the Bills seek playoff football in January for the first time since 2000.ScheduleAnalysisThe story remains much the same in Buffalo after two decades of mediocrity. The Bills haven't been able to find another franchise quarterback since Jim Kelly retired in 1996, which is the most prominent reason for their inability to reach the postseason.Whether Taylor can develop into that type of player is a source of debate.The 27-year-old former Baltimore Ravens backup has been strong from a statistical standpoint. He rated seventh in ESPN's Total QBR metric in 2015, his first season as an NFL starter, and stayed in the top 10 last season, ranking ninth overall.Those numbers don't account for the plays he left on the field, though. He's struggled to read defenses effectively, especially in terms of identifying open receivers over the middle of the field, and that's why some fans wanted to move forward and continue the search for a bona fide superstar at the position.Howard Simon of WGR laid out the case for finding a more definite long-term answer:A glance at the schedule suggests the Bills will struggle to remain in the playoff race unless Taylor takes a substantial step forward in 2017.John Breech of CBSSports.com noted Buffalo has the fifth-hardest schedule in the NFL based on its opponents' combined records last season. The 143-112-1 mark is only eclipsed by the four teams from the highly competitive AFC West.The pieces are therean elite running game, the remaining upside of Taylor and a defense that has the talent to vastly improve after failing to adapt to Ryan's complicated schemefor the Bills to surprise some people.That said, it's still going to take a perfect storm for them to win the 10-plus games necessary to make the playoffs given the difficulty of the schedule.Pivotal MatchupsWhile the first goal of any team is winning its division, the Bills aren't going to dethrone the New England Patriots unless Tom Brady suffers a serious injury early in the season. The Pats should roll in an otherwise middling AFC East.So the biggest games for the Bills will be those against fellow wild-card contenders. There are a ton of those on the schedule, which is both a blessing and a curse.Having so many of the AFC's mid-tier teams on the schedule is what makes it so brutal. There are basically no "gimmes" on the entire slate. But, at the same time, getting to face all those squads means Buffalo should control its own destiny all year.John Wawrow of the Associated Press noted McDermott knows there's an extra burden that comes with an extended playoff drought, despite any surrounding circumstances, such as a tough schedule."I understand the expectations that come with the job and I accept that challenge," the new head coach said in January. "I am looking to build a culture of winning, and that starts inside these walls and extends to our community."More specifically, look toward the meetings with the division-rival New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. The Bills went 0-4 in those matchups last season. Flipping that record to 4-0 or 3-1 would go a long way toward bringing the diehard fans of Western New York playoff football again.
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