Previewing the Buffalo Bills Week 13 matchup with the New England Patriots
By Aaron Tully
In Week 12, the Buffalo Bills rebounded from their blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts by routing the New Orleans Saints 31-6 on Thanksgiving night. This week, the Bills will be playing their most important regular season game in years when the New England Patriots come to town on Monday Night Football.
Buffalo Bills All-Time Record vs Patriots
The Buffalo Bills are 45-76-1 all-time against the Patriots. In 2020, the Bills swept the Patriots for the first time since 1999. Prior to 2020, the Bills had won just five of the last 40 meetings between the two teams. The average margin between the Bills and Patriots since 2000 is 11.2 points.
Last Meeting
The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots last met in Week 16 of the 2020 season. The two teams were in opposite roles than they usually were in late season matchups.
The Bills entered the game at 11-3 after clinching their first AFC East title since 1995 the previous week in Denver, while the Patriots entered the game at 6-8, eliminated from playoff contention.
The Bills led 24-9 at halftime, and never looked back. Buffalo would win 38-9, with Josh Allen throwing for 320 yards, four touchdowns, and a 138.7 passer rating. Stefon Diggs had a field day on J.C Jackson, catching nine passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
Last Week’s Result
In Week 12, the Patriots decisively defeated the AFC’s top seed in the Tennessee Titans in a one-sided 36-13 affair. Despite surrendering 270 rushing yards to the Derrick Henry-less Titans, the Patriots forced three fumbles, and four turnovers overall on the day in yet another impressive day for the defense.
Mac Jones had another efficient outing against Tennessee, completing 23 of 32 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns and a 123.2 passer rating. The Patriots will continue to be successful if Jones continues to be this efficient.
The Patriots shut Tennessee down through the air in Week 12. They held Ryan Tannehill to just 11 of 21 passes completed for only 93 yards, and an interception courtesy of J.C Jackson. New England has overtaken Buffalo as the league’s top-scoring defense, allowing just 15.8 points per game.
Final Thoughts
Due to a combination of their own shortcomings, as well as an unprecedented hot streak from New England, the Bills find themselves half a game back of the Patriots entering this game.
This is certainly the most consequential regular season meeting between these two teams in a long time, and the winner of this matchup will be in the driver’s seat until their next matchup in Week 16 in Foxborough.
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The Bills should be getting Spencer Brown and Star Lotulelei back for their Monday night, which should sure up their presence in the trenches. Bills fans should be encouraged by their domination of the Saints, but the Patriots on their current run are a completely different animal and a dangerous one at that.