The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills received a slight change to their schedule on Wednesday when the league announced the two division rivals will play their Week 16 matchup at 4:30 on Saturday, December 21st. This game was initially scheduled for Sunday, December 22nd at 1:00.
#BUFvsNE has been scheduled for Saturday, December 21, at 4:30 PM on @nflnetwork & @wbzsports.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 12, 2019
New England Patriots – Buffalo Bills Week 16 Schedule Change
When the NFL first released the schedule, they probably didn’t think much of this matchup. Everyone knew the Patriots were going to be in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt, but not many expected the Bills to be this good. After nine games, the Bills boast an impressive 6-3 record, giving them a commanding lead for second in the division and placing them in the thick of the wild card race.
These two teams faced off earlier in the season in Buffalo. While the Patriots narrowly escaped with a victory, this one could have easily gone either way. Tom Brady had one of the worst games of his career, completing just 18 of his 31 passes for 150 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. Josh Allen left said matchup early with a concussion and New England scored an additional touchdown off of a blocked punt. Despite all this, the Bills still had a chance to win the game with a last-second touchdown. However, all hopes of victory went out the window when Jamie Collins intercepted a game-ending Matt Barkley interception.
Even if the Bills can’t challenge for the division, this matchup should have significant playoff implications. The Patriots are fighting the Baltimore Ravens for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and Baltimore holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Bills, meanwhile, are one of five AFC teams who currently have either five or six wins. This should be one of the more interesting wild card races in recent memory, and this game could very well decide who earns the final wild card spot. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the fifth seed and face off against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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