Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills beat Mac Jones and the New England Patriots in Week 16 with a final score of 33-21, knocking the Patriots down from the number one spot in the AFC East division.
The Bills and Patriots have the same 9-6 record, but Buffalo takes the top spot thanks to their better record in the division.
While talented, the Bills offense struggled to connect with the ball and remain consistent this year, despite Allen’s precision and strength, making many people wonder if they would be able to pull it off after a couple of humiliating losses.
AFC East
Tom Brady and the Patriots dominated the division from 2003- 2019.
When Brady left the Patriots in 2020, the Bills jumped at the opportunity and ended up leading the division.
The Patriots have enjoyed a respectable season and maintained the top spot for a majority of 2021, even beating the Bills earlier in the season, but Buffalo stayed close behind in second place.
In Week 15, the Patriots lost against the Indianapolis Colts and allowed the pressure to follow them into Week 16.
After Week 16 of the 2021 season, the Bills own the top spot in the AFC East.
Standings thru the early games pic.twitter.com/obkjv4LUIG
— Howard WGR (@hsimon62) December 26, 2021
The Week 16 Showdown
Allen and receiver Isaiah McKenzie worked off of each other to showcase their unique talents.
Allen accumulated 379 passing yards, with three of those passes turning into touchdowns.
McKenzie caught 11 passes throughout the game, achieving a new career-high.
The Patriots, on the other hand, struggled to get their feet off the ground with zero points in the first quarter.
They didn’t pick up much more momentum throughout the game, only earning seven points apiece in each of the next three quarters.
Their defense also couldn’t seem to get a stop and didn’t do anything about it when they couldn’t cover McKenzie properly.
Bills dominate time of possession & produce on offense.@Imtamarabrown breaks down what went wrong in today’s game. pic.twitter.com/nN0coDl13j
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 27, 2021
Will The Bills Maintain Their Lead?
Both the Bills and Patriots are currently in the hunt with two weeks left to go.
The Bills next two games are against the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Jets, while the Patriots will play the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As long as the Bills win both games, they will maintain their lead over the Patriots.
Both teams should make the postseason, but Buffalo has officially taken the upper-hand in a division so often dominated by New England.
NEXT: 2 Bills Receivers Who Must Step Up With Cole Beasley Out