Game Preview: Patriots Travel to Buffalo to Take on the Bills

The New England Patriots will begin AFC East divisional play this Sunday when they travel to face the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The teams will meet in a rematch in Foxborugh on Monday Night Football on Nov. 23. Last season, the teams split the series, with the Patriots taking a 37-22 win at Buffalo on Oct. 12, before the Bills pulled out their first ever win at Gillette Stadium with in a 17-9 win over the Patriots in the 2014 regular-season finale.

The Patriots own a 67-19 (.779) record in regular-season AFC East games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any NFL team. Indianapolis is second with a 63-23 (.733) record.

QB Tom Brady is 23-3 all-time against Buffalo. He has more wins against Buffalo than any other NFL team. The New York Jets are second with 20 wins. Brady's 23 wins against Buffalo are tied for the second most wins by a quarterback against an opponent. Brett Favre had 23 wins against Chicago and 26 wins against Detroit.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZTV Channel 4 in Boston. Kevin Harlan will handle play-by-play duties with Rich Gannon as the color analyst. The game will be produced by Kevin Mack and directed by Mark Grant.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience on Compass Media Network. Chris Carrino and Brian Baldinger will call the game.

LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. Produced by Marc Cappello.

SERIES HISTORY

The Patriots and Bills will meet for the 111th time and for the first of two 2015 meetings. The Patriots will host the Bills on Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 23.

New England holds a 67-42-1 edge in the series. The teams split the season series last year with Buffalo winning at Gillette Stadium for the first time in 13 tries.

New England has swept the series 23 times and has won 26 of the last 30 games between the clubs, dating back to the 2000 season.

The Patriots are 35-20 all-time in home games against Buffalo, including 12-1 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are 32-22-1 all-time at Buffalo, including 25-16 at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960. The Patriots' 67 wins over the Bills are their highest victory total over any opponent, nine more than they own over the New York Jets (58).

After seven straight series sweeps and 15 straight Patriots wins, Buffalo ended the streak with a 34-31 victory Ralph Wilson Stadium in the first meeting of the two teams in 2011 on Sept. 25. The 15-game win streak is the third longest winning streak over a single opponent in NFL history. The Patriots avenged that loss in the 2011 regular season finale on Jan. 1, 2012 by overcoming a 21-0 first quarter deficit and scoring 49 unanswered points en route to a 49-21 victory.

The teams have had many memorable matchups over the years, including a five-game span from 1999 to 2001 where four of the five contests were decided in overtime.

Home Record, 35-20
Record in Foxborough, 29-15
Foxboro Stadium, 17-14
Gillette Stadium, 12-1
Record in Boston, 6-5

Away Record, 32-22-1
War Memorial Stadium, 7-6-1
Ralph Wilson/Rich Stadium, 25-16 Read

Largest Margin of Victory, 46 points (2007)
Largest Margin of Defeat, 35 points (1970)
Longest Win Streak, 15 games (2003-2010) Read

Bill Belichick vs. Buffalo Bills, 26-5 (26-4 with N.E)
Rex Ryan vs. NE, 3-9 RS (1-0 in the PS)

QUICK HITS

• The Patriots have recorded 67 wins over the Bills, the most by the Patriots against any one opponent. The Jets are second with 58 wins.
• The Buffalo Bills snapped a streak of 13 straight home wins by the Patriots, including 12 straight wins by the Patriots at Gillette Stadium with their 17-9 win in the 2014 season-finale on Dec. 28, 2014.
• Bill Belichick has a 69-25 (.734]1) all-time regular season record against the AFC East as head coach of the Patriots.

BRADY VS. AFC EAST

As a starter against the AFC East, Tom Brady owns a 63-16 (.797) record. He is 23-3 against Buffalo, 20-5 against the New York Jets, 18-8 against Miami and was 2-0 against Indianapolis when they were in the AFC East (2001 season).

BRADY VS. BUFFALO

Tom Brady owns a 23-3 record against the Buffalo Bills. He has more wins against Buffalo than any other NFL team. The New York Jets are second with 20 wins on Brady's list. Brady's 23 wins against Buffalo are tied for the second most wins by a quarterback against an opponent.

CONNECTIONS

NEW ENGLAND TIES

• Bills CB Corey Graham attended New Hampshire from 2003-06, starting all 42 games and recording 302 tackles, 12 INTs, 31 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also holds the New Hampshire school record with 1,787 kickoff return yards on 65 returns and three touchdowns.
• Bills WR Marcus Easley attended Bunnell HS in Stratford, Conn., and won a pair of state playoff berths in his final two seasons before playing collegiately at the University of Connecticut, where he finished his career with 53 catches for 997 yards and eight touchdowns.
• Bills TE Matthew Mulligan grew up in Enfield, Maine, and attended the University of Maine in 2006-07 after transferring from Husson College.

BUFFALO TIES

• Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski attended Williamsville HS just outside Buffalo, N.Y., for three years, earning first-team All-Western New York honors and second-team all-state as a junior in 2005.
• Patriots DE Chandler Jones was born in Rochester, N.Y., and attended Union-Endicott HS in Endicott, N.Y., where he was a 2007 SuperPrep All- North- east and PrepStar All-East Region selection. He went on to play collegiately at Syracuse University, where he was an All-Big East selection as a junior in 2011 after posting 39 tackles and 41 1/2 sacks.
• Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia attended Vernon-Verona- Sherrill HS in Sherrill, N.Y., before going on to serve as a graduate assistant at Syracuse from 2001-03.
• Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll is a Buffalo, N.Y., native who attended St. Francis HS before playing collegiately at the University of Rochester. As a senior safety in 1997, Daboll once recorded three interceptions in a game.
• Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears coached the wide receivers at Syracuse from 1980-90.

FORMER BILLS

• Patriots DL Alan Branch played all 16 games with 13 starts for the Bills in 2013.
• Patriots TE Scott Chandler spent four full seasons (2011-14) with the Bills. Last yeah, Chandler posted a career high 105 receiving yards against the Patriots on Oct. 12, marking the first 100-yard performance of his career.

FORMER PATRIOTS

• Bills QB Matt Cassel began his NFL career with the Patriots in 2005. During his final season with the Patriots in 2008, Cassel took over for the injuredTom Brady and led the team to a 10-5 record.
• Bills TE Matthew Mulligan played in 15 games with four starts for the Patriots in 2013.

FORMER NFL TEAMMATES

• Patriots RB Dion Lewis and Bills RBs LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brownshared a backfield in Philadelphia when they were offensive teammates for the Eagles in 2012-13.
• Bills TE Charles Clay was tutored by Patriots tight ends coach Brian Dabollin 2011, when Daboll served as offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins.
• Patriots WR Danny Amendola and TE Michael Hoomanawanui were offensive teammates with Bills OL Richie Incognito in 2009 when they played for the St. Louis Rams.
• Patriots CB Tarell Brown and Bills DE Manny Lawson were defensive teammates for the 49ers from 2007-10.
• Patriots offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo worked under Bills head coach Rex Ryan when both coaches held the same roles with the New York Jets in 2012.

FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES

• Patriots C David Andrews and Bills T Cordy Glenn played on the offensive line together at Georgia in 2011.
• Patriots TE Michael Williams and Bills T Cyrus Kouandjio were offensive teammates at Alabama, where they helped the Crimson Tide capture a BCS National Championship in 2013.
• Patriots DB Jordan Richards and Bills LB AJ Tarpley were defensive teammates for all four years at Stanford (2011-14).
• Patriots C Bryan Stork (2011-13) and G Tre' Jackson (2011-14) blocked for Bills QB EJ Manuel (2009-12) at Florida State.

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