Photos: The Associated Press

By Matthew Fairburn and Ryan Talbot

Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills enter the 2017 season with low expectations. Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane have turned over much of the roster that went 7-9 in 2016 and started loading up on 2018 and 2019 draft picks.

Fans in Buffalo are bracing for what could be a struggle this fall. While Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy are back with the offensive line intact, the team will have an entire new group of wide receivers after Sammy Watkins was shipped out.

The Bills' brass had stressed its desire to be a competitive team in 2017, but the roster might make it tough to do so. Maybe the Bills can exceed expectations, though. If they do, it will take one heck of a coaching job from McDermott.

Here is a game-by-game outlook for the Bills season from NYup.com writers Matthew Fairburn and Ryan Talbot, along with a prediction for their final record.

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Week 1 vs. New York Jets

Fairburn's pick: Win

If the Bills can't beat the Jets at home, 2017 could get ugly fast. Buffalo is a heavy favorite to win Sean McDermott's first game as head coach. The Jets' roster has been stripped of most of its veteran talent in what is a clear rebuilding effort.

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Talbot's pick: Win

The Sean McDermott era starts with a very winnable matchup. Much like Buffalo, the Jets appear to be in a full-blown rebuild. Both of these teams will likely be in contention to select one of the 2018 draft's top quarterbacks. The Bills' defense shuts the Jets' offense down and Tyrod Taylor or Nathan Peterman do enough offensively for the team to earn the victory. Fans at New Era Field witness the first win of McDermott's tenure.

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Week 2 at Carolina Panthers

Fairburn's pick: Loss

McDermott, Brandon Beane and a handful of Bills players will return to Carolina in Week 2. The former Panthers will have their hands full against a Carolina team that reloaded on offense in the draft. Cam Newton appears to be healthy heading into the season, so this will be a tough game for Buffalo to win.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

McDermott knows the Panthers well after spending six seasons as their defensive coordinator. It's possible that he draws up a great game plan that attacks the Panthers' weaknesses, but the Panthers certainly appear to be the more talented team entering the year. The Bills keep it close, but fall to Carolina.

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Week 3 vs. Denver Broncos

Fairburn's pick: Win

The Broncos aren't as impressive a team on paper as they have been in recent years. Their quarterback situation is suspect, and the defense has lost some pieces. The Bills should have a chance when the Broncos visit town.

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Talbot's pick: Win

There's always an early season win that comes as a bit of a surprise. This year, it comes against the Broncos. Denver has to travel across the country and play in an early 1 p.m. game. Buffalo will keep the Trevor Siemian led Broncos offense in check and leave New Era with their second win of the season.

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Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons

Fairburn's pick: Loss

Playing the defending NFC champs on the road is no easy task. The Bills are going to be outmatched all over the field in this game. The Falcons are a particularly tough out at home.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Bills defense gets a big test on the road in Week 4 against the Falcons. Atlanta has more weapons than the Bills can handle and wins by a comfortable margin.

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Week 5 at Cincinnati Bengals

Fairburn's pick: Loss

At this point, we don't know how the Bills will handle playing on the road under Sean McDermott. The Bengals have their offensive stars back healthy, and that should help them get off to a decent start in 2017. This game is a bit of a tossup, but the home team gets the edge.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Bills were able to steal a 16-12 win against the Bengals last season, but Cincinnati gets their revenge in Week 5. Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and their trio of running backs give the Bills more than they can handle.

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Week 6: Bye week

The Bills get an early season bye week, which should give them a chance to regroup after a tough early season schedule.

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Week 7 vs. Tampa Buccaneers

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Buccaneers are going to have Doug Martin back from suspension by the time this game rolls around. If Jameis Winston takes the next step this season, Tampa Bay is going to be a tough team. The Bucs also played well on the road last season, so that shouldn't be a huge factor here.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Bills come off their bye week against a Buccaneers team that appears ready to compete for a playoff spot in the NFC. The extra week of game planning and rest helps Buffalo keep things close, but Tampa Bay wins in a close matchup.

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Week 8 vs. Oakland Raiders

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Raiders benefited from winning a ton of close games in 2016. They aren't an unbeatable team by any stretch, especially considering their defensive struggles a year ago. That said, the Bills won't have an easy time slowing down Derek Carr.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Raiders, much like the Broncos, have to travel across the country for the game. However, Oakland will be fresh for the matchup as they play on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. The extra rest and preparation leads to a big win for the Raiders. Buffalo's losing streak goes to four games.

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Week 9 at New York Jets

Fairburn's pick: Win

The Bills shouldn't lose to the Jets, regardless of where or on which day of the week the game is played.

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Talbot's pick: Win

The Bills will have to get over the Raiders loss quickly as they head to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. At this point in the season, the Bills and Jets may be neck-and-neck for the first overall pick in the draft. Buffalo ends their losing streak, but increases the Jets' odds of finishing the year with the draft's top overall pick.

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Week 10 vs. New Orleans Saints

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Saints tend to struggle in road games, so this game could be close. But the Saints' offense is scarier than ever with Drew Brees still under center and Adrian Peterson and rookie Alvin Kamara joining Mark Ingram in the backfield. New Orleans shouldn't struggle to put up points.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

Buffalo will have some extra time to prepare for their Week 10 matchup against the Saints. The Bills could have success moving the ball down the field against the Saints' defense, but can the Bills slow down Drew Brees? The high scoring affair ends in a Saints win.

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Week 11 at Los Angeles Chargers

Fairburn's pick: Loss

Traveling across the country is never easy. The Chargers are a team who could bounce back in a big way if they manage to stay healthy. Sean McDermott's defense should be able to keep this game close, but the edge goes to the Chargers, who have an established veteran at quarterback in Philip Rivers.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Bills will make their cross country trip in Week 11 when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Former interim coach Anthony Lynn will be looking for a win against Buffalo in his first season with Los Angeles. The Bills look sluggish against the Chargers and move to 3-7 on the year.

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Week 12 at Kansas City Chiefs

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Chiefs consistently give the Bills problems, and Arrowhead Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. McDermott would love to get a win against the coach who brought him into the league, but Andy Reid won't make it easy.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

Buffalo hopes that the Chiefs have a down season so the first round pick they added from Kansas City turns into a high draft pick. This, however, is most likely a game that Kansas City wins. Alex Smith is efficient and the Chiefs' defense helps them pull away from Buffalo in the second half.

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Week 13 vs. New England Patriots

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Patriots look even better than they did a year ago when they won the Super Bowl. Tom Brady has dominated Buffalo over the years, and 2017 should be no different.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

Tom Brady is 26-3 against the Bills. Despite losing Julian Edelman, the Patriots look as strong as ever. Brady moves to 27-3 versus Buffalo in a blowout.

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Week 14 vs. Indianapolis Colts

Fairburn's pick: Win

The Colts are a tough team to figure out. Andrew Luck still isn't healthy. While he should be back by this point in the season, the Colts haven't done much to address to issues around him. This is one of the most winnable games on Buffalo's schedule.

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Talbot's pick: Win

You never know what type of weather you'll have in Buffalo when December hits. The elements work in Buffalo's favor with LeSean McCoy running wild on the Colts' defense.

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Week 15 vs. Miami Dolphins

Win

The Dolphins swept the Bills last season, but now they have Jay Cutler at quarterback. Maybe Cutler will be enough of a game manager to get the Dolphins to the playoffs for a second straight season, but it seems more likely he'll be his old erratic self. If that's the case, the Bills should manage at least one win against Miami.

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Talbot's pick: Win

Even if the Bills' season is realistically over at this point in the season, the team should play hard in a rivalry game. Much like the previous week, Buffalo's weather plays a role in the game and the Bills go on a two game win streak.

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Week 16 at New England Patriots

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Bills beating the Patriots this season in Foxborough would be a massive upset.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

The Bills' two game win streak ends against the Patriots. New England wins comfortably as they once again prepare to make another Super Bowl run.

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Week 17 at Miami Dolphins

Fairburn's pick: Loss

The Dolphins aren't going to be an easy team for the Bills to sweep. If Miami is still fighting for something late in the season, it should be able to beat Buffalo at home.

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Talbot's pick: Loss

Miami could be fighting for a Wild Card spot here while the Bills may sit many of their starters to evaluate their young talent. The Dolphins avenge their Week 15 loss with a win at home to end the 2017 season.

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Final record

Fairburn's pick: 5-11

The Bills have made it clear they are striving for long-term, sustained success. That could come at the expense of on-field results in 2017. The Bills' roster has undergone major turnover with just 26 players still on team who were in Buffalo for the 2016 season. The lack of depth at multiple positions means the Bills are an injury or two away from being in rough shape. The schedule isn't going to do the Bills too many favors, either. This looks like a team that will take some lumps in 2017.

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Talbot's pick: 5-11

Buffalo's 2017 season ends with the Bills among the worst teams in the league. It's a long season for Bills fans, but the silver lining is that the team finds themselves with a top five pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

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