The Buffalo Bills and their fanbase will welcome a familiar division rival today, the New England Patriots. The Bills haven’t feared the Patriots ever since Tom Brady left them in 2020 and it opened up the gates for Buffalo to take control of the AFC East for the last five seasons.
The Bills have a long way of catching the Patriots in head-to-head series, but the Bills are clearly the better team present day. At the same time, the Bills cannot underestimate the Patriots. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye looks to have promise as the future of the Patriots and he plays a little bit like Josh Allen as well. However, Maye has little to no help coming into this game. While there are some headlines to keep an eye on, there is one fact being overlooked about some connections between the Bills and Patriots.
Two former members of Bills, now current Patriots, return to Buffalo today
There are two current members of the Patriots, who were with the Bills in some capacity at one point, who will be returning to Buffalo today. For starters, cornerback Alex Austin is in second year as a pro and was drafted by the Bills in 2023 but never made the roster. He was waived by the Bills prior to the start of the 2023 season and spent time with the Houston Texans before ultimately landing with the Patriots.
Austin has only played in six games this season but he could be playing a good amount against Buffalo due to the injuries the Patriots have in their secondary.
In addition to Austin, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is making his return to Buffalo. Van Pelt was with the Bills as a quarterback from 1995-2003 where he only started 11 total games and his time in Buffalo is an experience to forget about. He finished with a record of 3-8, throwing for 2,985 yards, 16 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Van Pelt wasn’t just a player for Buffalo, be also served as a coach on the team from 2006-2009. He was in charge of offensive quality control before becoming the quarterbacks coach, and then eventually becoming the Bills’ offensive coordinator. His stint as the Bills’ play caller last just one year as Van Pelt was fired after the 2009 season.
Since then, Van Pelt has spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and now the New England Patriots.
Tune in for an AFC East Week 16 showdown between the Bills and Patriots on CBS for a 4:25PM EST kickoff.