The Sunday night game pits a pair of AFC East Division opponents when the New England Patriots visit the Buffalo Bills.
There was a time, not too long ago, when the Patriots owned this rivalry like LeBron James dunking on a fourth grader. Beginning in 2000, New England beat the Bills 35 times in 40 games through the 2019 season. Over the past five years, the Bills have had the upper hand, winning seven of ten games including dropping a last day of the season meaningless decision to the Patriots last January.
So, what was the difference for these two teams?
It is all about the quarterbacking. When Tom Brady was on the Patriots roster New England rolled, and after he left, it is Josh Allen who has the edge.
How does all this sift down to tonight’s matchup to give us an advantage.
The Buffalo Bills are in the race this year to win it all. It is amazing how long the Bills have been good, despite some bad seasons to open this decade, and still never won a Super Bowl. In fact, they haven’t been back to the last leg in the quest for a Vince Lombardi Trophy since their epic four game losing streak in a Roman numeral game beginning in 1990.
In recent seasons the Bills have been just short of representing the AFC in the title game. Their primary nemesis has been the Patrick Mahomes led Chiefs who pulled off one of the most amazing wins in the 2021 playoffs in a game that forced the league to change the rules. Allen had guided the Bills to an apparent winning touchdown with 17 seconds left on the clock.
That turned out to be enough time for Mahomes to engineer a drive that resulted in a game tying field goal and forced overtime. The Chiefs won the toss and went on to win the game, 42-36. The last play Allen ran that year was a touchdown that staked his Bills to a 36-33 lead. He never got back on the field, and his team ended up losing.
It was then determined that the overtime rule that if a team scored a touchdown on their first possession the game is over was not fair. Today, both teams have at least one offensive possession in overtime … a little late for the 2021 Bills.
Is this the year the Bills breakthrough with a Super Bowl win?
The AFC race appears more in their favor than in recent seasons. Their primary conference competition coming into the season were considered to be the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Neither of those teams have a winning record after four weeks of play and the Bills have already beaten the Ravens in their regular season matchup. They did it in dramatic fashion, coming from 15 points back to edge the Ravens during the opening weekend, 41-40.
Following the Philadelphia Eagles loss earlier today to the Denver Broncos, the Bills are looking to be the only undefeated team in football after five weeks.
The Patriots are under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Vrabel. He was a star athlete and has multiple Super Bowl rings from his playing days with the Patriots. He spent his apprenticeship as an NFL head coach with the Tennessee Titans, who for some reason let him go while he seemed to be doing a good job.
Now, with the Patriots, he is looking to restore the winning ways for the New England franchise. Since Brady retired, the Patriots have not been a postseason participant … something they were every year their former quarterback was running the team on the field. In Brady’s old spot the Patriots are led by second-year pro Drake Maye. Under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Maye ranks near the top statistically this season in quarterback numbers.
What he needs to do now is lead the Patriots to more wins, they have split their first four games and are coming off a 42-13 trouncing of the woeful Carolina Panthers. The question is this, do they have the Bills attention?
If they do, if Buffalo is buoyed by thoughts of a 20-year streak of getting hammered by this New England team, they will win tonight by double-digits. If, on the other hand, the Bills roll though this contest like they have the past two weeks, the generous line with more than a touchdown on the spread is the way to go.
I see both sides.
Buffalo is too good to bet against, and the Patriots good enough to cover a generous line.
This game is for viewing purposes only.