Buffalo Bills Wild Card Opponent Preview: New England Patriots
By Aaron Tully
In Week 18, the Buffalo Bills clinched their second consecutive AFC East title with a 27-10 win over the New York Jets where the defense dominated, notching nine sacks. This week, the Bills will host the New England Patriots for their third matchup this season, in what is their most important game of their long, often one-sided rivalry.
Buffalo Bills’ All Time Record vs New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills are 46-77-1 all-time against the Patriots. The Bills and Patriots have split their season in 2021, with each team winning on the road.
Last Meeting
The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots last met three weeks ago in Foxborough in a high stakes matchup that gave the Bills a chance to right their mishap in Orchard Park three weeks prior. The Bills led 17-7 at halftime and extended their lead to 13 after halftime with a Tyler Bass field goal.
Both teams would trade scores for the rest of the game, and the Bills would go on to win 33-21 and take control of the AFC East. The Buffalo defense shut Mac Jones down, allowing him to complete just 14 of 32 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions. They did however struggle to stop Damien Harris again, allowing him to rush for 103 on 18 carries and three scores.
Last Week’s Result
In Week 18, the Patriots lost 33-24 in Miami to the Dolphins. The Patriots went down 17-0 right away but battled back to bring the game within three with 2:53 to go. Miami would drain the clock and score a touchdown on a bitched New England lateral.
Mac Jones was decent, completing 20 of 30 passes for 261 yards, a touchdown, and a pick-six in the first quarter. New England also ran for 134 yards on 27 carries in the loss.
The Patriots outgained Miami by 81 yards but found themselves behind due to three costly turnovers without forcing any of their own.
Final Thoughts
After their Week 16 showdown, it seemed like it was inevitable that the Bills and Patriots would meet again. These two teams come in on two opposite trajectories at the moment. The Bills are winners of four in a row and humming on both sides of the ball, while the Patriots have lost three of their last four games, and find themselves reeling entering their playoff game.
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This is the rubber match between two teams that clearly do not like each other, and it would be a true statement win for the Bills if they can knock New England out of the playoffs.