After three consecutive 6-10 seasons, the Buffalo Bills were able to take a step in the right direction in 2014 by finishing with nine wins. The key to their team last year and moving forward is their young, talented defense, which only gave up 18.1 points per game last year.

The Bills' 2015 schedule consists of teams that went a combined 124-131 last season, so they certainly have a chance to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Home : Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

Away : Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

Here are three of the matchups to keep an eye on:

New England Patriots : The Bills handed the Patriots their only home loss last season, but it is important to keep in mind that New England had already wrapped up the division at that point. Buffalo would like to sweep this series for the first time since way back in 1999, but they will be satisfied with another split.

Miami Dolphins : This is still considered a rivalry even though both teams have struggled in recent years. The main reason why it is still a series to watch is because the games are very unpredictable. Since 2000, both teams have picked up 15 wins against the other and both have 6-4 home records.

Philadelphia Eagles : The Bills have one of the easiest road schedules in the league this season, so if they can pull off a win over the Eagles, their chances of making it to the postseason go way up. This game will probably come down to Buffalo's ability to stop the Eagles' high-scoring offense.

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn