The Buffalo Bills aren’t going to the playoffs, but still have the chance to pick up a monumental win this Sunday in New England.
Picking up a sixth win at the end of December is not something Buffalo Bills fans would usually celebrate.
It means the team is not headed to the postseason and the focus is once again on next year. But getting win No. 6 in 2018 would be huge if it comes tomorrow in New England.
The Bills are set to take on Tom Brady and the Patriots in what hasn’t exactly been an even rivalry since Brady joined the NFL.
He is personally 29-3 against the Bills in his career, and the only home loss came in 2014. That came in the final game of the season when Brady sat out the second half to stay healthy for the postseason.
But Sunday’s game in a meaningful one for the Patriots. The team still hasn’t technically clinched a playoff spot and may be making a rare appearance on Wild Card weekend this year. A loss to the Bills could make that a reality.
Beating the Patriots and Brady doesn’t change the past. What it does do is signal that the Bills are no longer an automatic victory for the Patriots and it could foreshadow the changing ways of the AFC East.
It would also be a huge confidence building win for Josh Allen. He has never lost to the Patriots so it’s not like the past is weighing heavy on him. That is the benefit of a young team. They don’t worry about the past the same fans worry about it. They expect to win every week regardless of the opponent.
At the end of the day, the Patriots are likely going to the postseason once again while the Bills are not. Still, a Bills victory would show results for Brandon Beane’s process and build some early hype for the 2019 season.
The Bills are such big underdogs on the line I don’t necessarily have specific keys to winning. The Patriots have thwarted so many prior attempts, so I’ll just hope for the best. And for about three or four Patriots turnovers.