Bills vs. Patriots preview: Late AFC East clash
ORCHARD PARK, NY (WHEC) – The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots in a late-season AFC East Clash on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills gameday basics:
- Teams: Buffalo Bills (11-3) and New England Patriots (3-11)
- Kickoff: 4:25 pm, Sunday
- Location: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, NY)
- Network: CBS
What’s at stake?
The Bills have already clinched an AFC East title, but still have plenty to play for, trailing the Kansas City Chiefs by 1.5 games for the top spot in the AFC standings. The Chiefs play the Houston Texans on Saturday at 1 pm so the Bills will know if they can earn a game back on Kansas City by Sunday’s kickoff. If KC loses two out of their final three regular-season games and Buffalo wins out, the Bills would earn the one seed over the Chiefs. Buffalo can also earn a stronger hold on the two-seed over the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) with a win on Sunday.
The Patriots hold the all-time record over the Bills with a 78-50-1 record, but Buffalo holds a 7-2 in their last nine meetings–which is also the first nine meetings after the Tom Brady era. Last year, the two squads split the regular-season series with the Patriots beating the Bills 29-25 in week seven, Buffalo avenged the loss at home on New Year’s Eve.
The matchup also marks the Bills first game against Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. Mayo, 3-11, was hired after the team mutually parted ways with legendary head coach Bill Belichick this past offseason. Maye was the third-overall draft pick earlier this year and has 14 total touchdowns (12 passing, two rushing) with nine interceptions on the season.
Buffalo Bills player to watch: Josh Allen
The Bills are still on the hunt for the one seed, but trailing the Chiefs by two games with just three weeks to go does not bode well for Buffalo’s chances. That doesn’t mean the Bills have nothing to play–every game matters, but the stakes this week or a lot lower than they were this time last year, when Buffalo was 8-6 and needed to win out to make the postseason.
This year, the Bills have already earned a spot at the dance and a lot of that has been thanks to the play of quarterback Josh Allen. Allen currently leads the race for MVP, but could use a couple more stellar late-season stellar performances to solidify his case. In his last seven games against the Pats, Allen has thrown for 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions while adding another three scores on the ground. New England owns the 23rd-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, allowing 24.1 points per contest while Allen’s 37 total touchdowns is tied for the NFL lead heading into week 16.
Josh Allen has had a stellar season and especially a stellar December (14 touchdowns in three games), but could really hammer home his claim for MVP with another big performance on Sunday at home.
The Bills offense could set an NFL record for most-consecutive 30+ point performances in a single season if they can pass said threshold against the Patriots. The streak, at eight games currently, is tied with the 2000 Rams, 2007 Patriots, 2010 Patriots and 2013 Broncos currently.
Injury update as of Friday, December 20
The Bills were without defensive starters-Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin, and Rasul Douglas for last week’s win against the Lions. As of Friday’s injury report, all three are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Linebacker Matt Milano joins that group as well, with a questionable injury designation. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel and linebackers Baylon Spector and Dorian Williams are also in the questionable group.