Week 9 closes tonight in Minneapolis, and the Bills are staring at a chance to do more than just keep pace in the AFC East. Buffalo and Minnesota both enter at 6-1, with the Bills riding three straight wins and the Vikings trying to bounce back after their first loss of the season in Week 8 against the Detroit Lions.
That backdrop matters even more after Sunday’s results around the division. The other three AFC East teams all lost, which leaves Buffalo with the only shot at a division win this week. The Jets and Dolphins both went down by double digits, and then the Patriots followed with an ugly one of their own.
New England’s 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers was the kind of game Bills fans could enjoy from start to finish. Drake Maye threw three interceptions, the Patriots turned it over four times, and he was sacked four times as well.
New England never got the game back to one score. Once Green Bay scored its second touchdown, the Packers were never in danger of letting go of a double-digit lead.
The timing made it even sweeter from Buffalo’s perspective. The Packers were in Foxborough on the same day the Patriots welcomed back members of the Super Bowl 51 team from the 28-3 comeback over the Atlanta Falcons, and tight end Rob Gronkowski was also inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. For Bills fans, it was a perfect storm of celebration for New England and collapse on the field.
And Buffalo has a real chance to turn that Patriots loss into something even more painful.
When New England beat the Bills in Week 4, it briefly tightened the race in the AFC East. But the Patriots have slipped since then. In Week 7, while Buffalo was on its bye, New England had an opening to close the gap further and instead lost to the Chicago Bears, leaving them more than a game back.
Now the Patriots sit at 5-4, and Buffalo can move to 7-1 with a win tonight. That would widen the cushion even more and give the Bills extra breathing room in the division.
So yes, Patriots fans will be pulling for Minnesota. But the Vikings have their hands full with a Josh Allen-led offense, and Buffalo has a golden chance to make New England’s miserable Sunday look even worse.
In Other News...
Josh Allen Returns To A Stadium Bills Fans Will Never Forget
Josh Allen is headed back to U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night, a place that still carries a lot of weight for Bills fans. It is the same building where one of the defining early moments of his career unfolded, and his return adds another layer to a matchup that already has plenty riding on it for Buffalo.
The setting figures to be a difficult one again, with Minnesotas fan base known for creating a tough road atmosphere. Allen acknowledged the challenge ahead while looking back on what that stadium has meant to his career, and Bills fans tuning in will also have a straightforward way to catch the game on broadcast and streaming platforms. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jacksons Message Just Raised The Stakes In The AFC Race
The AFC picture got a lot more complicated when Lamar Jackson went down with a fractured and dislocated thumb, forcing Baltimore to put its franchise quarterback on injured reserve after surgery. For a conference that already feels like a weekly shuffle, the Ravens losing Jackson for an extended stretch changes the temperature of every race theyre in, including the one Buffalo is trying to control.
Baltimore moved quickly to add Jacoby Brissett as its next starter, a clear sign the Ravens are trying to stay afloat while Jackson works back. But the bigger storyline for the Bills is the one Jackson himself added, since he believes he can return before the season ends. For Buffalo, that means the path through the AFC may not get any easier, even if Baltimore has to navigate the next several weeks without its most dangerous player. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Brady Faces His Biggest Bills Test Yet In Minnesota
Joe Brady has spent his first stretch as the Bills head coach building momentum, and Monday night in Minnesota brings another early checkpoint for a team that has looked comfortable under his direction. Buffalo enters the game 6-1, and the road setting adds a little more weight to a matchup that already carries plenty of intrigue for a first-year head coach still establishing his rhythm.
The Vikings present a different kind of stress test, though, because Brian Flores defense is built to force quick decisions and keep offenses off balance with pressure from unexpected places. For Brady, it is the sort of game that can say plenty about how far the Bills have come under his watch, even before the final result tells the rest of the story. [Read more 🡒]