“Game Day Countdown: Exciting Insights and Tidbits for Patriots vs. Bills in Week 18”

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots will wrap up a lackluster 2024 season on Sunday as they take on the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. The Bills have secured the No. 2 seed in the East and have nothing at stake, while the Patriots might benefit more from a defeat in the regular-season conclusion.

Will the Patriots adopt a full tank strategy to end the season? While a 3-14 record is not what anyone envisioned in Jerod Mayo’s inaugural season (possibly only season?) as head coach, the silver lining is that a loss would guarantee the Patriots the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

For a team with multiple gaps on the roster, the top pick could significantly aid in bringing an influx of skill to New England. The Patriots cannot afford to botch this opportunity, unlike the Giants who surprised everyone with their win over the Colts last weekend.

That losing mindset is foreign to New England, but that No. 1 selection carries too much weight. The Patriots seem to have their future quarterback in Drake Maye, meaning that choice could enable the team to secure a left tackle to protect Maye for years ahead. Alternatively, they could draft a transformative receiver to enhance the offense. Or the Patriots might opt to trade down for a substantial collection of picks to address the numerous needs throughout the roster.

With so much at stake, we might not see Maye at all against the Bills. He offers the team its optimal chance of victory, and the Patriots cannot afford that on Sunday. Maye also sustained a significant hit in last Saturday’s rout against the Chargers, which sidelined him for a series, so why jeopardize the future of the franchise in a game the Patriots intend to lose?

So prepare for a potential Joe Milton-Mitch Trubisky face-off at Gillette Stadium. (Josh Allen will only play briefly in Week 18.) Mayo stated that everything is being considered for New England, though he also mentioned that his priority is defeating the Bills. If there’s one match Patriots supporters hope their team loses, it’s this Sunday’s clash against the Bills. (In a cruel twist of fate, those “Fire Mayo” chants from last week will likely intensify if the Patriots somehow hold a lead late in Sunday’s contest.)

Here are all the updates, notes, and entertaining facts you should know about New England’s concluding game of the 2024 season.

Patriots vs. Bills

• The Patriots hold a 17-5 record against the Bills at Gillette Stadium and a 40-24 overall record in home contests against Buffalo. New England won 13 consecutive home games against Buffalo from 2001-2013, a run that ended when the Bills triumphed, 17-9, in the 2014 regular-season finale at Gillette Stadium.
• Sunday’s contest will mark the 131st encounter between the AFC East rivals, with the Patriots leading 78-51-1 over Buffalo. Those 78 victories are the most the Patriots have achieved against any opponent.
• This Sunday is the second occasion the Patriots and the Bills will face each other in a three-week span, after New England lost 24-21 in Buffalo during Week 16. This marks the fifth time the two teams have met twice within three weeks, similar occurrences were in 1977 (the teams split the two games), 1983 (the Patriots won both), 1998 (split), and 2021 (split).
• Buffalo ranks second in the NFL, averaging 31.8 points per game. New England is 30th at 16.6 points per game and has not exceeded 25 points in any game this season.
• The Bills lead the NFL with a plus-23 turnover differential, while the Patriots sit at 28th with minus-10.

Patriots-Bills Connections

There are no former Patriots on the Buffalo roster, but three former Bills are currently part of the New England squad.

• Cornerback Alex Austin was selected by Buffalo in the seventh round of the 2023 draft.
• Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell previously held the same position in Buffalo from 2010-11 and was the Bills’ wide receivers coach in 2012.
• New England’s offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has a history in Buffalo. He played quarterback for the Bills from 1994-2003, then joined the coaching staff as an offensive quality control coach from 2006-07. He ascended to quarterbacks coach in 2008 and held the positions of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2009.

Patriots-Bills Fun Facts

• Even though we may not see Maye, the rookie would be in a position to further his Patriots franchise record if he steps onto the field. Maye threw a touchdown pass for the eighth consecutive game last weekend with a 36-yard scoring pass to DeMario Douglas, marking the longest such streak by a rookie in New England franchise history. This is the longest streak by a rookie QB since Justin Herbert accomplished a TD pass in 10 consecutive games in 2020. The NFL rookie record remains at 13 straight games with a touchdown pass, set by Peyton Manning with the Colts in 1998 and matched by Baker Mayfield with the Browns in 2018.
• Last Saturday’s touchdown throw was Maye’s fourth of at least 30 yards this season, the highest total by a Patriots quarterback since Mac Jones recorded five such touchdowns in 2022.
• Maye’s 66.8 completion percentage (225-of-337) is just one point shy of Dak Prescott’s record for the best completion percentage for an NFL rookie quarterback, established in 2016 with the Cowboys.
• The record for the highest completion percentage in a season for New England is held by Tom Brady, who completed 68.9 percent in 2007.
• With 3,066 rushing yards, running back Rhamondre Stevenson requires 115 yards to surpass Corey Dillon and enter eighth place on New England’s all-time list.
• Tight end Hunter Henry is looking for just one more reception to become the fifth Patriots tight end to achieve 200 career receptions.

Catch Sunday’s Patriots-Bills matchup on WBZ-TV — the TV home of the New England Patriots. Coverage kicks off Wednesday night with Patriots 1st Down at 9:30 p.m. on TV38 and streaming at CBSBoston.com, and continues Friday night with Patriots All Access at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV. Pregame coverage starts Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay on WBZ-TV and streaming at CBSBoston.com, then switch to TV38 post-game for complete reactions and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter.