WEEK 18
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-8) @ BUFFALO BILLS (12-3)
DATE: Sunday (1/8/23)
STADIUM: Highmark Stadium
TIME: 1:00 PM ET
REFEREE: Clay Martin
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY
LEADER Patriots lead all-time series, 76-47-1
STREAKS Bills have won 4 of last 5
LAST GAME 12/1/22: Bills 24 at Patriots 10
LAST GAME AT SITE 12/6/21: Patriots 14, Bills 10
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
LAST WEEK: W 23-21 vs. Miami
COACH VS. OPP. Bill Belichick: 36-11
PTS. FOR 21.3
OFFENSE 312.9
PASSING Mac Jones: 262-402-2,753-11-8-85.8
RUSHING Rhamondre Stevenson: 204-986-4.8-5
RECEIVING Jakobi Meyers: 64-771-12.0-5
PTS. AGAINST 19.5
DEFENSE 321.7
SACKS Matthew Judon: 15.5
INTs Jonathan Jones: 4
TAKE/GIVE +5 (25/20)
PUNTING (NET) Michael Palardy: 42.6 (36.2)
KICKING Nick Folk: 123 (30/33 PAT; 31/36 FG)
PATRIOTS NOTES
• QB MAC JONES passed for 203 yards with 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 98.4 rating last week. Aims for 4th in row with 0 INTs & 3rd in row with 2+ TD passes. Passed for 195 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs in Week 13 meeting. Has 0 INTs in 2 of 3 career starts vs. Buf. Needs 247 pass yards to become 1st QB in NE history with 3,000+ pass yards in each of 1st 2 seasons.
• RB RHAMONDRE STEVENSON aims for his 3rd in row vs. Buf. with 75+ scrimmage yards. Has 100+ scrimmage yards in 3 of his past 4 on road. Needs 121 scrimmage yards to become 6th NE player ever with 1,500+ scrimmage yards in season & 1st since Wes Welker (1,599 in 2011).
• RB DAMIEN HARRIS has 316 rush yards (105.3 per game) & 5 rush TDs in 3 career games vs. Buf. with 100+ rush yards & rush TD in each game.
• WR JAKOBI MEYERS aims for 3rd in row with 6+ catches & rec. TD. Has 55+ rec. yards in 5 of 6 road games this season.
• WR TYQUAN THORNTON (rookie) had career-high 60 rec. yards & rec. TD last week.
• LB MATTHEW JUDON had FR in Week 13 meeting. Aims for his 3rd in row at Buf. with sack. Ranks 3rd in NFL with career-high 15.5 sacks & joins HOFer Andre Tripett (1984-85) as only NE players with 15+ sacks in single season since 1982.
• LB JOSH UCHE had 2 sacks & FF in Week 13 meeting. Aims for his 5th in row on road with 0.5+ sacks. Since Week 8, ties for NFL lead with 11.5 sacks.
• LB JA’WHAUN BENTLEY aims for 5th in row with 9+ tackles. Has TFL in 2 of past 3.
• DB KYLE DUGGER had 39-yard INT-TD last week, his NFL-leading 3rd defensive TD of season. Has INT-TD in 2 of past 3. Had 2 PD in Week 13 meeting.
• DB JONATHAN JONES had 2 PD & career-high 4th INT of season in Week 17.
BUFFALO BILLS
LAST WEEK Game Postponed at Cincinnati
COACH VS. OPP. Sean McDermott: 5-7
PTS. FOR 28.0
OFFENSE 402.3
PASSING Josh Allen: 340-536-4,029-32-13-96.1
RUSHING Devin Singletary: 170-790-4.6-5
RECEIVING Stefon Diggs: 101-1,325-13.1-10
PTS. AGAINST 17.5
DEFENSE 317.7
SACKS Greg Rousseau: 7
INTs Jordan Poyer: 4
TAKE/GIVE 0 (24/24)
PUNTING (NET) Sam Martin: 48.1 (41.9)
KICKING Tyler Bass: 124 (43/45 PAT; 27/31 FG)
BILLS NOTES
• BUFFALO clinched AFC East division title for 3rd-consecutive season.
• QB JOSH ALLEN aims for 3rd in row with 2+ TD passes. Has rush TD in 2 of past 3. Has 10 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 107.2 rating in in his past 4 starts vs. NE. Has 0 INTs in 4 of 5 games vs. division this season. Is 1 of 2 QBs (Patrick Mahomes) with 4,000+ pass yards & 30+ TD passes in each of past 3 seasons.
• RB DEVIN SINGLETARY aims for 3rd in row with 70+ scrimmage yards. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. NE with rush TD.
• RB JAMES COOK (rookie) had 105 scrimmage yards (64 rush, 41 rec.) in Week 13 meeting. Aims for 3rd in row with TD.
• WR STEFON DIGGS aims for 3rd in row vs. NE with 7+ catches, 85+ rec. yards & rec. TD. Ranks 4th among WRs with 101 catches in 2022 & is only player with 100+ catches in each of past 3 seasons.
• WR GABE DAVIS aims for his 4th in row vs. NE with rec. TD, incl. postseason.
• TE DAWSON KNOX aims for 4th in row with rec. TD.
• LB TREMAINE EDMUNDS aims for 5th in row with 6+ tackles.
• LB MATT MILANO aims for 9th in row with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 2 of past 3. Has 0.5+ sacks in 2 of his past 3 at home.
• DT ED OLIVER aims for 3rd in row overall with TFL & has TFL in 3 of his past 4 vs. NE.
• DE A.J. EPENESA has sack in 3 of past 4. Had 2 TFL & sack in Week 13 meeting.
• S JORDAN POYER had 5 tackles, TFL & PD in Week 13 meeting. Aims for his 4th in row vs. NE with TFL. Aims for his 5th in row at home with 5+ tackles. Is 1 of 4 in NFL (Kevin Byard, Rasul Douglas & Justin Simmons) with 4+ INTs in each of past 2 seasons.
