The Patriots and Bills will line up for the 134th time on Sunday, and this one comes with a long backstory. These two have been locked together since the AFC came into existence in 1960, and while Buffalo has its share of big moments in the rivalry, New England has owned the overall series.
Including the playoffs, the Patriots are 80-52-1 against the Bills, with the postseason split 1-1. The early decades were more balanced, but the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick years blew the doors off the ledger, with New England going 34-4 in that stretch.
Buffalo has pulled ahead 9-4 since 2020, though it still has a long climb to close the gap. In games played in Western New York, the Patriots are 39-27-1.
The first official meeting came in Week 3 of the 1960 regular season, even though the clubs had already met in the first AFL preseason game, a 28-7 Patriots win. That regular-season debut at Boston University Field drew more than 20,000 fans and ended in frustration for the home side. New England ran for 173 yards and kept Buffalo’s offense mostly quiet, but seven turnovers sank the Patriots and opened the door for a 13-0 Bills win, the first victory in Buffalo franchise history.
When it comes to the most painful Buffalo moment in this rivalry, the 2021 divisional round is hard to top. The Bills were flawless on offense, scoring touchdowns on all seven of their non-kneel-down drives in a 47-17 rout. It was Bill Belichick’s last playoff game with the Patriots and Mac Jones’ only one.
There have been plenty of memorable New England wins too. The list includes the 2021 upset in Buffalo in which Mac Jones threw just three passes, Randy Moss’ four-touchdown explosion in a 56-10 national TV blowout, the 31-0 shutout in 2003, the 1998 game that ended with the Bills leaving the field in protest after a last-second loss, and the Patriots’ 26-8 win in the first ever AFL playoff game in 1963.
The game that stands out most, though, is Tom Brady’s return from a torn ACL on 2009 opening day. Trailing 24-13 late, Brady pushed the Patriots to two touchdown drives and a 25-24 victory.
In Other News...
Patriots Head To Buffalo With A Problem They Cant Afford
The Patriots are heading into a pivotal AFC East trip with an injury report that already looks longer than they would like, and Christian Gonzalez is the name that stands out most. New England listed 11 players ahead of its Week 4 matchup with the Bills, and the top cornerback missed practice with a shoulder injury after getting hurt in the previous game but finishing it.
Drake Maye is dealing with a shoulder issue of his own, though offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said it has not forced the Patriots to alter the game plan. Even so, heading to Buffalo with one of the rosters key defensive pieces banged up and the rookie quarterback less than full strength adds another layer of urgency to a game New England could use to steady its season. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Brady And Julian Edelman Just Had Fun With Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlins latest off-field reveal has turned into an unexpected source of amusement for some familiar Patriots voices. The former Steelers coach, now an NBC broadcaster, posted a 20-minute YouTube video showing off a long-running Minecraft project, one he said he had been building for 12 years as an intricate city. The clip spread quickly on social media, and it did not take long for Julian Edelman and Tom Brady to chime in with the kind of lighthearted teasing that tends to follow anything involving Tomlin and the Patriots.
For New England fans, the jokes land because the rivalry history is baked in. Brady and Edelman have both had plenty of success against Tomlins Steelers in the postseason, including that memorable 2017 AFC Championship Game win, and the back-and-forth added another small chapter to a familiar matchup. Tomlins football rsum against those two still matters, but the reaction to his Minecraft obsession showed that even after all these years, the old Patriots-Steelers edge is alive and well. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Backlash Is Getting Ugly As Drake Maye Frustration Grows
The Patriots have spent the first few weeks of the 2026 season dealing with more noise than they probably wanted, and the 1-2 start has only made it louder. Mike Vrabels offseason controversy with former reporter Dianna Russini already stirred up plenty of attention after photos of the two led to her resignation from The Athletic, following an internal investigation that found a violation of newsroom standards.
Now the frustration is spilling over onto the field, with sports analyst Bill Simmons relaying his fathers harsh view that the offseason drama has helped drag the team down. He also expressed disappointment in Drake Mayes play, adding another layer to a start that has left the Patriots trying to quiet both the backlash and the growing unease around their young quarterback. [Read more 🡒]