Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots – NFL Week 13 Preview
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – The Buffalo Bills meet the New England Patriots in the first of two games between the AFC East rivals over the next six weeks.
Buffalo Bills Gameday Basics
Teams: Buffalo Bills (8-3) at New England Patriots (6-5)
Time: Thursday at 8:15 p.m.
Where: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
Network: Amazon Prime
Bills Players Out
- Baylon Spector, LB
- Dean Marlowe, S
- Dion Dawkins, OL
- Kaiir Elam, CB
- Quintin Morris, TE
Patriots Players Out
- Carl Davis, NT
- Damien Harris, RB
- Isaiah Wynn, OT
- Jalen Mills, CB
- Joshuah Bledsoe, S
- Shaun Wade, CB
- Yodny Cajuste, OT
What’s At Stake?
Need I say more than an AFC East clash?
Whenever the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots get together, things GO DOWN. It’s no different this time in Foxborough, where the Bills have underperformed at 8-3 and the Pats are looking to make a late-season push at 6-5 and still very much in the thick of things.
You can bet Bill Belichick and the Patriots haven’t forgotten about what happened last year – a 47-17 thrashing put on by the Bills in the AFC Wild Card round.
For New England, a win puts them in great position for the playoffs with the division title not out of reach. For Buffalo, it keeps momentum going forward and helps them stay in gear with the Miami Dolphins for the AFC East crown.
Last Time Out: Bills – 28, Lions – 25
Buffalo won their second straight game at Ford Field in Detroit, something the Lions hadn’t even accomplished since 2016.
Josh Allen showed improvements from the Browns game, throwing for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
Defensively, Ed Oliver stole the show, notching six tackles, a sack for a safety, a forced fumble, and a recovery. Oliver’s play earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors from the NFL.
Even with the strong play, Buffalo still had to escape more overtime drama. Allen took his team down the field 48 yards in 10 seconds, setting up a Tyler Bass game-winning field goal from 45-yards out.
Bass’s heroics for a second week in a row helped him earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.
Bills Player To Watch
Stefon Diggs
Josh Allen’s top wide receiver target has had some of his best games against the New England Patriots.
In four regular season games with Buffalo (including the playoffs), Diggs has averaged 6.5 receptions, 93.2 yards, and 4 total touchdowns. One of those stands out above the rest though, as Diggs went hauled in 9 catches for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns when the teams faced off in December 2020.
In the playoffs last year, Diggs was held to 3 catches for 60 yards. That didn’t matter much, as the Bills wound up winning by 30 points.
In fact, since he came to Buffalo in 2020, Diggs has more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns against the Patriots than any other player in the league.
Extra weight may be on Diggs shoulder for this game. Injuries have not been kind to Buffalo Bills players this season, and there has also been a lot said about Allen’s receiving core – or lack there of – compared to last season.
Diggs has been healthy all season long and has a unique connection with Allen. With the important of tonight’s AFC East game, Diggs is one player the Bills will be looking to for a major game.