Patriots vs. Bills might be New England's biggest game since Tom Brady's finale

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. High stakes: The Patriots clinch the AFC East title if they beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), which makes this the franchise's highest-stakes game at Gillette Stadium since ...

• Jan. 1, 2023, when a 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins evened their record at 8-8 and kept slim playoff hopes alive (they lost the next week on the road and didn't qualify);

• Jan. 2, 2022, when a 50-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars improved them to 10-6 in quarterback Mac Jones' rookie season and they clinched a playoff berth (they lost in the wild-card round on the road);

• Jan. 4, 2020, when a 20-13 loss to the Mike Vrabel-coached Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round of the playoffs ended their season at 12-5, and was ultimately Tom Brady's final game with the franchise.

The answer might vary depending on one's viewpoint, but for those who picked Brady's finale, there is no argument that it's the most compelling choice. It's been a long five years for the Patriots since, with their 2025 resurgence sparked by Vrabel, whose presence on the home sideline Sunday completes the high-stakes circle.

"This is a great stage that we've put ourselves on," Vrabel said.

Vrabel, in his introductory news conference as Patriots coach Jan. 13, pinpointed the division title as the team's first goal. He also shared that with players.

"Coach said it at the beginning of the year: 'Win the division.' Everybody probably says that around the league in their own first squad meeting," quarterback Drake Maye said. "It's pretty cool how that's come to reality and we're here with the chance to do that this week."

That they could accomplish it against the reigning champs adds to the big-game atmosphere.

"They've won the division for five years, so we've got something we need to go take," Maye said. "We know it's going to be hard to do. But we're up for it."

Veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs added: "This game is a little different because you're playing for something. Got a lot to play for. Every team in the league can't say that this week."

By the time players left the locker room after their final practice of the week Friday, there was a mix of excitement and a reminder among themselves not to treat their preparation, or the game, differently than they have other weeks.

Outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, who joins offensive lineman Mike Onwenu as the Patriots' longest-tenured player at six seasons, touched on that balance while relishing the chance to play in such a big game.

"It feels good. It's very important to us because we set our goals at the beginning of the season of wanting to win the division and host playoff games. This would be another step in that direction," Jennings said. "We tried to prepare all offseason, but now it's also not make it too much of a bigger moment and just go out and do what we do and execute the game plan."

2. Landry and Watt: Patriots outside linebacker Harold Landry III spoke with CBS football analyst J.J. Watt on Friday via videoconference. Watt will provide the analysis for Patriots-Bills game alongside Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Evan Washburn (sideline), and Landry appreciated the conversation as part of CBS' standard production meetings leading into games.

"It's kind of surreal, because when I came into the league, he was still playing for Houston and I just remember us having to make sure he didn't wreck the game," he said. "You watch him from afar, a future Hall of Famer, so to be talking to him as peers it was cool."

Vrabel also touched on his chat with Watt, whom he coached as an assistant with the Texans (2014-17), noting his respect for him: "Hearing from former players about what we're doing and what they see, I think that's always a good perspective. To think that, 'Hey, we're heading in the right direction' and they kind of see what we're trying to do."

3. Growth mindset: Diggs, in his 11th NFL season, acknowledged the Patriots (11-2) came together faster than he expected.

"I've been on a lot of teams. I'd wholeheartedly say yes," he said.

4. Quiet Diggs: Diggs has fewer than 30 receiving yards in each of the last two games, which ties for the longest streak of his career. It happened five other times, most recently with the Bills in December 2023.

That could mean he's due for a breakout game against his former team, similar to Week 5 when he had a season-high 10 catches for 146 yards. Regardless, Diggs said he's not focused on personal stats, but instead on the unselfish nature of the team's receiving corps.

"I would never sit up here and act like a robot and act like I don't want the ball. Everybody wants the ball and to play at a high level, but it's like seven dogs and one bone," he said. "You see guys out there playing at a high level, and treating every play like their last, you just don't know when you're going to get it again. There's a lot of guys that can get open. It's an unselfish [group], and you're pulling for your brother."

5. Elliss' emergence: Linebacker Christian Elliss' crunching hit on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in Week 13 energized the Patriots, as Elliss sprinted to the sideline before delivering the legal blow. The first-quarter play highlighted, in part, the growth that coaches have seen from the 26-year-old Elliss.

"I love his development right now," linebackers coach/defensive playcaller Zak Kuhr said.

Elliss is third on the team with 54 tackles and also leads the club with 14 special-teams tackles.

"He has truly gotten better week in and week out," Kuhr said. "The fact he cares so much can lead to growth, but also sometimes you have to be there with him and [say], 'Hey man, it's all right to make a mistake.' Early in the season, if he made a mistake, he got on himself hard. Nobody is going to grade out perfect. He's playing fast, free, aggressive and within the scheme."

6. Run D concern? Through the first nine weeks of the season, the Patriots allowed just 3.6 yards per rushing attempt, which ranked them third in the NFL. But since Week 10, they have allowed 4.9 yards per rush, which is 29th over that span.

So is trouble on the horizon against quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook III and the Bills, who rank first in the NFL in averaging 5.1 yards per rush?

The Patriots' slide has coincided, in part, with top defensive tackle Milton Williams landing on injured reserve (ankle). Getting back to building a wall, setting edges and swarming has been a focal point.

Kuhr also credited the Bills' scheme, saying: "They mix it up pretty well and they also do what they do well, and they'll repeat it. They have a cohesive offensive line, extremely talented running back and a quarterback that can take it the distance any time he wants to. They've committed to it and it makes it a tough game."

7. McDaniels sound bites: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was a guest on "The Schrager Hour" with ESPN's Peter Schrager, and he was asked for quick-hitting thoughts on players on the roster. His answers on the two former Bills receivers now in New England:

• Diggs: "Bulldog. Grinder. Competitive. An intensity about him that's hard to describe."

• WR Mack Hollins: "Chess piece. As unselfish of a teammate as I've been around."

8. Henderson and Dillon: Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, the second-round pick from Ohio State, has at least 50 rushing yards in each of the last six games. If he hits that mark Sunday against the Bills, he will become the first Patriots player since Corey Dillon (2004-2005) to total 50 or more rushing yards in seven straight games, according to ESPN Research.

McDaniels noted the "incredible attitude" of Henderson, who didn't reach 40 yards rushing in any of the first seven games of the season. "He's out there every day, every rep, and does it as fast as he possibly can -- which we know is explosive -- and he runs back and is ready to do it again. For a young player to have that mindset and approach, it's easy to see why you'd improve," McDaniels said of Henderson on "The Schrager Hour."

9. Pats-Jets to Fox: What led the Patriots' road game against the Jets on Sunday, Dec. 28 (1 p.m. ET) to be switched from CBS to Fox? Here's a quick recap, per communication with those familiar with the league's thinking, which shines a light on the complexity of TV scheduling:

• The NFL had five possible games that could be played Saturday, Dec. 27, and ultimately chose Texans-Chargers (NFL Network) and Ravens-Packers (Peacock). So that meant Giants-Raiders, which was one of the five possible games that could have been picked, was moved to Sunday.

• The Giants-Raiders game could have been on Fox at 4:05 p.m., but that would have required moving an early-afternoon game such as Cardinals-Bengals or Seahawks-Panthers to 4:05 p.m. on CBS.

• Instead, the call was made to put Giants-Raiders on CBS at 4:05 p.m., which meant the Patriots-Jets game had to switch to Fox so both New York teams could air in New York.

• A side benefit: It also allows fans in New York and Las Vegas to see the Eagles-Bills game on Fox at 4:25 p.m. that day.

10. Did you know? NFL teams coming off the bye week -- as the Patriots are entering Sunday -- are 87-68-1 over the past five seasons (.561), and 16-12 this year (.571).