The Patriots have won 35 of the last 41 meetings and haven’t been swept by a division rival since the Jets and Dolphins did it in 2000, an NFL record 19 consecutive seasons.
Why Doug Flutie, Thurman Thomas, Steve Christie don't recall Bills sweeping Patriots in 1999
The last time the Buffalo Bills swept the New England Patriots it was such a nonevent that Doug Flutie, Thurman Thomas and Steve Christie, who kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime, don’t even remember it.
Flutie completed his final 12 passes, Thomas churned out a team-high 115 yards from scrimmage and Christie ended it with a 23-yarder with 1:48 remaining in the extra session, but not before Adam Vinatieri missed three field goals for New England, including one at the end of regulation and another in OT.
Scouting Report: Bills, Patriots on different planets when it comes to QB play
When the Bills throw: Quarterback Josh Allen completed 15 of his 16 passes that traveled 9 yards or less last week against the Broncos, according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. Those completions went for 136 yards and had a completion percentage over expected (CPOE) rating of plus-17, according to Next Gen Stats. Allen has made a huge jump in his accuracy on short passes this year. His CPOE in 2020 is plus-5.8%, which is a big improvement from last season, when it was minus-3.2%. Against the Broncos, Allen’s 55-yard completion to Stefon Diggs traveled 62.8 yards in the air, according to Next Gen, making it the fifth-longest completion in the league this season and the second longest of Allen’s career. While Allen was accurate on short throws in Denver, he also looked to push the ball down the field, averaging 10.7 air yards per attempt, which ranked second in Week 15. Allen got some help from his wide receivers, too, as he had to throw into tight windows on just 7.5% of his attempts, according to Next Gen. That was seventh-lowest among quarterbacks in Week 15. EDGE: Bills.
When the Bills run: Sticking with Next Gen Stats, Devin Singletary’s 51-yard touchdown run against Denver was the most remarkable of the week as measured by rushing yards over expected (RYOE), picking up plus-50.The Bills rushed for 190 yards in Week 8 when the Bills and Patriots met on a windy day. New England was even worse last week against the Dolphins, giving up 250 rushing yards on the ground to a weak Miami rushing attack. That’s the most the Patriots have allowed since 2013 and the fourth most under Bill Belichick. New England ranks 27th against the run, allowing 133 yards per game. While primarily a pass-first team, the Bills have run well to close out games in the past two weeks, with drives of 7-plus minutes against Pittsburgh and Denver. EDGE: Bills.
How will the Bills fare against New England on Monday Night Football?
Members of the Buffalo News sports staff present their picks for Buffalo Bills trip to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots on Monday night.
3 matchups to watch: Bills at Patriots on Monday Night Football
Three matchups to watch when the Buffalo Bills visit the New England Patriots on Monday night.
Bill Belichick vs. Josh Allen. In the first meeting in Week 8, Belichick’s defense sat back and essentially begged the Bills to run the ball. "Here: Take our rushing yards," the Pats offered. Rather than try to throw into the teeth of a dime defense (which the Pats played almost the entire game), the Bills complied. They ran 38 times for a season-high 190 yards. Allen, averaging 36.5 passes a game, threw just 18. In the process, the Patriots succeeded in shortening the game. They got one interception, which stymied a Bills scoring chance. And they kept themselves close, hoping to steal it in the end. It almost worked. The Bills’ needed a fumble recovery with 31 seconds left to avoid overtime (or a defeat). Running on the Pats was the right thing to do. Chances are, Belichick will try to limit Allen’s two favorite weapons. That means play a safety over the top of Stefon Diggs and devote a lot of bracket coverage to Cole Beasley. The run game should be available in chunks again for the Bills.
In the latest edition of One-on-One Coverage, The News spoke with Spikes about his time with the Bills and his other NFL stops, how he got interested in photography and writing, and the story behind his name
Bills defensive end Mario Addison gets his first taste of a true Buffalo snowfall
Mario Addison knew what he was signing up for.
While we Western New Yorkers may sometimes bristle at our national reputation as the snow capital of the country, sometimes Mother Nature delivers. One of those times was Saturday, as the region got pummeled with its first real accumulation of the year.
Inside the Bills: What Josh Allen gave to his offensive linemen for Christmas
Josh Allen gave his offensive linemen a Christmas gift he hopes they don't plan on using any time soon.
The Buffalo Bills’ third-year quarterback is an avid golfer. He shared his passion with the big guys up front by giving each of them custom-fit golf clubs, complete with Callaway Mavrik woods and irons, an Odyssey putter and an Ogio golf bag in red, white and blue Bills colors, of course.
Inside the Bills: Behind the scenes of hit Steve Tasker-narrated hype video
Moments after the Buffalo Bills won the AFC East for the first time in 25 years Saturday, the team released a hype video on its social media channels to commemorate the occasion.
With more than a million combined views in the days that have followed, that 2-minute, 24-second video has been praised by fans and outside observers alike.
Tre White fulfilling Bills' expectations – as usual – in wake of new contract
Great expectations don’t seem to be a burden on Tre’Davious White.
The Buffalo Bills’ star cornerback lived up to his billing as a first-round draft choice with his play during his first three seasons. He made first-team NFL All-Pro last year.
If this were any other franchise, we’d be saying the New England Patriots are staring at two years, probably three, before they’re relevant again, writes Mark Gaughan.
Members of the Buffalo News sports staff present their picks for Buffalo Bills trip to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots on Monday night.
Stefon Diggs on Bills Mafia at the airport: 'I can't imagine what the stadium would be like'
Stefon Diggs didn’t believe his teammates on the flight back from Denver.
The Bills had just obliterated the Broncos on Saturday to clinch their first AFC East division championship in 25 years, and the team’s veterans were discussing the size of the crowd that would meet them to celebrate once they landed at the airport.
