These two squads are about to clash for the 134th time this Sunday, and while the New England Patriots hold an 80-52-1 overall lead, including playoffs, that record is starting to feel ancient. Division rivals since way back in 1960, the story here isn’t just about the past, but about Buffalo finally making some serious noise.
History Says One Thing, Recent Games Say Another
Look, for decades, this series was pretty balanced. But then the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era hit, and the Patriots absolutely owned it, going a wild 34-4. That’s how they racked up that massive overall advantage. Even in Western New York, the Patriots have a 39-27-1 record. But hold up, because since 2020, Buffalo has flipped the script, going 9-4 against their rivals. That’s a huge shift, and while they have a ton of ground to cover to even the whole series, you can feel the momentum changing. The playoff meetings between these two are still split 1-1, so Buffalo has a lot to play for to try and even things up.
From First Game Flops to Playoff Perfection (and Pain)
You wanna talk history? The very first official meeting back in Week 3 of the inaugural 1960 regular season was a wild one. Over 20,000 fans at Boston University Field saw the Patriots run for 173 yards and mostly shut down the Bills offense. But holy moly, the Patriots shot themselves in the foot with seven turnovers! That led to a 13-0 Buffalo win, their first franchise victory ever. Can you imagine the frustration?
Fast forward to the really memorable stuff. For Patriots fans, there’s the outright pain. O.J. Simpson setting a new single-game rushing record against them in 1973? Ouch. But the real gut-punch has to be the 2021 divisional round. The Bills played a perfect offensive game, hitting seven touchdowns on seven non-kneel-down drives. They stomped the Patriots 47-17. That game was Bill Belichick’s last and Mac Jones’ only playoff game with the Patriots. A total blowout.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom for New England. They’ve had their moments too. Remember that wild 2021 upset in Buffalo where Mac Jones only threw the ball three times all game? Or Randy Moss grabbing four touchdowns in a 56-10 national TV blowout? The 31-0 “evening-of-the-score” in 2003, or the Bills literally walking off the field in protest after a last-second loss in 1998. Classic! And let’s not forget the first ever AFL playoff game, won 26-8 by the Patriots in 1963.
But if we’re picking one, it has to be Tom Brady’s return from a torn ACL on opening day 2009. Down 24-13 late in the game, the man led two insane touchdown drives to snatch a 25-24 victory. Talk about a legendary comeback.
So, as these two prepare for their 134th showdown, remember that while the overall ledger leans heavily New England’s way, the Bills are absolutely making a statement since 2020. This Sunday isn’t just another game, it’s Buffalo trying to keep that momentum rolling and chip away at a long, long history. You gotta wonder if they can keep this recent trend going and really start to shift the balance even further.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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