There's a new leader in the AFC East. For the better part of this decade, the Buffalo Bills have had an iron grip on the division. With the New England Patriots entering a rebuild, Buffalo filled the void left by the former dynasty. Josh Allen has been the overlord of this new AFC East team.
However, this season, the Patriots have risen back to the top of the pecking order. Drake Maye emerged this season as not only a franchise quarterback but as a true MVP candidate. New England's ascent also coincided with a dip in the Bills' form, leading to the Patriots taking control of the AFC East again.
The Patriots first announced their arrival in Week 5, when they upset the Bills 23-20 in Buffalo. Now, Allen and Buffalo are looking to get their revenge when they take on New England in their home turf. Allen, the reigning MVP, is primed and ready to have a revenge game for the ages.
Bills' first game against Patriots was one to forget
The Bills first faced off against the Patriots in Week 5. Buffalo came into the game with an undefeated record, while New England had a 2-2 record. On paper, this should have been an easy win for Josh Allen and co.
Instead, what we saw was the arrival of Drake Maye. Despite not throwing a touchdown in the game, Maye had perfect control of the game. The Patriots quarterback threw for 273 yards and completed 22 out of his 30 passes, not throwing an interception in the game as well. He made mincemeat out of the Bills defense.
Allen, on the other hand, was his usual dominant self for the Bills. He completed 22 of his 31 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception during the game and had a fumble during the game, but he was otherwise great for the team.
That being said, the two turnovers, along with James Cook's fumble, left some points on the table for the Bills. Those points would have been valuable for them, as Maye led the Patriots on a comeback drive in the final quarter to win 23-20. It was a tough outing for the Bills, who have since relinquished the division to the former dynasty.
Why Josh Allen is due for a revenge game against Bills
As has been the case for the entirety of Allen's tenure with the Bills, the star quarterback is the heart of the team's offense. They have gotten good production from Cook in the backfield, but outside of him, the Bills' offense runs through Allen. All throughout the season, we've seen Allen put his team on his back and carry them to victory.
Allen is now extra motivated to play his heart out. With the Bills' playoff spot not guaranteed this season, every game from here on out has major implications. One slip-up, and that's precious ground in the playoff race that Buffalo will be ceding to their rivals. A loss to the division-leading Patriots, after they've already lost to them once this season? That will completely shut down one avenue for their success.
That means that the Bills will likely go all out in this game, and Allen is coming off one hell of a performance. Against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, Allen fought tooth and nail to will Buffalo to a win. He completed 22 of his 28 passes for 251 yards, throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. Allen also added a rushing touchdown for good measure to lead the Bills to a comeback win against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Now, the Bengals' defense is nothing like the Patriots. New England has one of the best defenses in the league (296.4 yards allowed, seventh-least in the league), after all. However, Allen has the talent to overcome any defense in the league. Expect a great quarterback duel between Maye and the reigning MVP when they face off this Sunday.
