Supremacy in the AFC East will be at stake in Week 16 as division leaders New England host the Buffalo Bills in a pivotal showdown at Gillette Stadium. Who will prevail in this key divisional matchup? Here's a breakdown of the Bills vs Patriots game.
Buffalo Bills installed as +2.5 underdogs
The Buffalo Bills finally snapped their two-game losing skid on Sunday with a comprehensive 31-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers. It was a big win for the Bills, who improved their slate to 8-6 and remained in the hunt for the AFC East title. They trail the New England Patriots by just one game heading into their clash this weekend.
Buffalo was embarrassed the last time it faced New England, with the Bills suffering a gut-wrenching 14-10 defeat at home in tough and nasty conditions. The Bills had no answer for the Patriots' running game, with New England racking up 222 yards rushing.
Josh Allen had difficulty navigating the windy conditions at Highmark Stadium, completing just 15 of 30 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Week 13 loss. Allen bounced back the week after in the game against the Bucs but suffered a foot sprain in the fourth quarter.
Allen managed to play against Carolina despite the left foot injury, throwing for 210 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in Week 15. The Bills will need more of the same from Allen for them to keep their division title hopes alive. A loss for Buffalo in Week 16 will hand New England another AFC East crown.
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New England Patriots enter Week 16 as -2.5 favorites
The New England Patriots had their seven-game winning streak snapped in Week 15 with a stinging 27-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. It was a costly defeat for the Pats, who relinquished the top seed in the AFC standings to the surging Kansas City Chiefs. New England is currently ranked second in the AFC with a 9-5 slate.
The Patriots will look to get their season back on track this Sunday when they host the Bills in a marquee divisional matchup. For New England to grab the critical win, it needs to start strong against Buffalo. The Pats had a horrible start against the Colts, trailing Indianapolis 20-0 after the first three quarters. That ended New England's record 99-game streak of scoring in the opening half.
Mac Jones showed steely resolve in that game, though, as he nearly led New England to a dramatic come-from-behind win. He threw two touchdown passes to Hunter Henry in the final quarter to spark a 17-0 run. New England's rally fell short, however, as Jonathan Taylor iced the game with an epic 67-yard touchdown run just before the two-minute warning.
Expect Jones to throw the football more in his second career meeting with the Bills. Jones hurled just three passes in the Week 13 win against Buffalo, with Bill Belichick opting to call run plays 46 times in that game.
Writer's Prediction
Buffalo wins over New England.
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