Best NFL games of Week 16: Zeke returns against Seahawks
By Joe Schiller
4. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
The Patriots got the better of the Bills 23-3 in Orchard Park just three weeks ago but this game is even more important. While the Patriots will look to secure up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Bills need this win in hopes of staying alive in the wild-card race.
Even if the Bills win out, there’s no guarantee they make the playoffs. If the Ravens also win out, they will jump the Bills because of common-opponent tiebreakers. That makes this game a must-win for Sean McDermott’s team. A 17-year playoff drought is on the minds of every member of Bills Mafia and they want to break tables and act like hooligans one extra week than they normally do. That’d be the ultimate Christmas present in Buffalo.
This is going to be a chippy game. Gronk returns to face the Bills shortly after he threw a cheap shot at cornerback Tre’Davius White and gave him a concussion. You can bet the Bills’ defense hasn’t forgotten about that. The Patriots typically dominate AFC East matchups but I could see a slow start on Sunday after a draining win over the Steelers last week.
Ultimately, it should be business as usual for Bill Belichick at home but you just never know in these games. The Bills can’t afford to lose and are going to bring out the entire playbook to come away with the upset win. Even if this game does end in a blowout, it’s still a matchup to tune into on Sunday.