The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills will face off in a huge AFC East matchup in Week 15.
The New England Patriots have enjoyed a much-needed by week during Week 14. Before heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the Patriots have been able to rest up and prepare for a massive showdown next week against the Buffalo Bills.
At this point in time, New England is leading the AFC East. With a an 11-2 record, a win over the 9-4 Bills would lock up the division.
Earlier this season, the Patriots were able to pull off a road victory over Buffalo by a final score of 23-20. It was a hard-fought matchup and will likely be just that this time around.
With the 11-2 record New England holds, the team is also tied for the best record in the AFC. Right now, the Denver Broncos hold the top spot due to tiebreakers, but the Patriots can get right back on track by defeating the Bills.
ESPN has weighed in on next week's game. Dan Graziano chimed in with his thoughts on the matter. For New England, it's a great reminder about how good of a position it is in.
"Let's say the Bills run the table and finish 13-4 overall, 4-2 in the division and 11-3 in common-opponent games. They'd still need the Patriots to win no more than one of their final three games, all of which are against teams that currently have losing records," Graziano wrote.
"Unless the Patriots go into a season-ending 1-3 or 0-4 tailspin, next week's matchup probably doesn't impact who ends up winning the AFC East, I'm sorry to say. The Bills still need to beat New England to keep pace in the wild-card race, but they'll need a miracle or two to extend their division title streak."
Having a chance to close out the division is a big opportunity for the Patriots. Prior to the start of the 2025 season, all of the talk in the AFC East was about Josh Allen and Buffalo. Mike Vrabel and company have completely stolen the show.
What is on the line for New England is a chance to send a massive message to the rest of the NFL. Sweeping the Bills would make a clear statement that the Patriots are indeed a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Regardless of what happens next week, New England is in a great position. The AFC East lead is in great shape. But, the Patriots want more.
Fans will be able to tune into next week's game at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon on CBS.