The Bills look to set a franchise record with 14 regular-season wins
The Buffalo Bills have clinched a playoff berth and the AFC’s No. 2 seed. The New England Patriots are 3-13, in last place in the AFC East, and currently in pole position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. These two franchises couldn’t possibly be in more different places at the moment, and yet, they’ll need to play a whole four quarters today in order to close out the 2024 NFL regular season.
For the Bills, the goals are easy: come out of the game as healthy as possible. Sure, they’d love to win, but quarterback Josh Allen won’t play much, as backup Mitchell Trubisky is expected to take most of the meaningful reps after Allen extends his consecutive starts streak to 105 regular season games. For the Patriots, the goals are a little murkier: you never want to lose, but in this case, the Pats might lose by winning, as a victory could remove them from the top spot in April’s NFL Draft.
This contest might have a bit of a preseason feel, but it’s very much a regular-season affair. Buffalo is without starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard, who is nursing a quad injury, and starting wideout Amari Cooper, who was excused for a personal family matter. The Patriots are down stud cornerback Christian Gonzalez, starting safety Jabril Peppers, and starting center Ben Brown. This one could be ugly.
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Go Bills!