Battle for the AFC East: Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

When Do the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots Play Next?

Buffalo Bills tickets and New England Patriots tickets can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots Rivals?

Yes, the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots are rivals within the National Football League. As both teams are members of the AFC East, the Bills and Patriots play one another twice each regular season, once at each team’s home stadium. Between 2009 and 2022, either the Bills or the Patriots were winners of the AFC East, receiving an automatic berth into the NFL playoffs every year. The Patriots won the division 10 straight years from 2009 to 2019, and the Bills won the next three years in a row.

Who are the Buffalo Bills’ Biggest Rivals?

As an established member of the National Football League, the Buffalo Bills have tallied a number of rivals since 1960, their first season in the league. The Bills’ historic rivals are the Tennessee Titans. More recently, they’ve developed rivalries with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs. Finally, the Bills have divisional rivalries with their counterparts: the New England Patriots, the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.

Who are the New England Patriots’ Biggest Rivals?

The New England Patriots are one of the most successful franchises not only in the NFL, but perhaps all major American sports leagues. With 17 divisional titles, eight conference championships and six Super Bowl victories between 2000 and 2022, they’ve had an unprecedented run of success in the NFL. As such, the Patriots have acquired a number of intense rivalries with other franchises. The Patriots have divisional rivalries with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. They also have conference rivalries with the Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans.

Game Results Between the Bills & Patriots

Between 1960 and 2024, the Patriots and Bills have played 129 times, with New England holding the edge in the series head-to-head: 78-50-1. They’ve also played twice in the postseason in that time, splitting the head-to-head. However, the Bills currently have the edge, winning seven out of nine since 2020.

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots History

While the Bills vs. Patriots rivalry runs deep, with the first playoff match occurring in 1963, the stakes ramped up in the 1990s, when the Bills had a dominant run behind the stellar play of hall-of-fame quarterback Jim Kelly. During that run, the Bills won eight out of nine games, but New England struck back with the acquisition of Drew Bledsoe at quarterback. Kelly retired in 1996, and the Bills pivoted to Doug Flutie, who played for the Patriots for two seasons, adding contention between the two teams.

At the turn of the millennium, New England went on a historic run behind legendary coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Between 2001 and 2019, New England won 34 out of 38 games against Buffalo. In every year that New England lost to Buffalo in the regular season, they went on to play in the Super Bowl, winning in 2003, 2014 and 2016 (and losing in 2011).

Fortune turned for Buffalo in 2018 when the Bills drafted quarterback Josh Allen, who has been a perennial MVP candidate since taking the reins. One season later, Brady left the Patriots for Tampa Bay, and Buffalo immediately took control of the head-to-head series. Buffalo has beaten New England six times in seven games since 2020, including a 47-17 display in the 2021 Wild Card Round of the playoffs.

Where Do the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots Play?

The New England Patriots play in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. As the home of the Pats since 2002, Gillette Stadium is viewed as one of the best home field advantages in football, especially in postseason play, going 19-5 at home in playoff games. Gillette Stadium has a maximum capacity of 65,878 and also plays host to the MLS franchise New England Revolution.

The Buffalo Bills call Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, their home. Commonly known as “The Ralph,” Highmark has been the home of the Bills since 1973, making it one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. The stadium currently has a 71,608 fan capacity and cost a mere $22 million to construct.

Other NFL Rivalries