The Patriots and the Bills meet for the second time this season on Sunday. The stakes are high for New England as it can clinch the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
Buffalo goes up against a Patriots team that has won 10 straight and coming off a bye week as it tries to keep its AFC East championship hopes alive.
A lot is on the line for both teams. Drake Maye admitted he tries to get his “juices flowing for every game,” but when he’s going up against Josh Allen, it’s a bit different.
“It’s a little different when you’re playing the MVP, one of the best players in the league,” Maye said during his weekly appearance on WEEI. “He plays at such a high level. Shoot, I hate to say, but he’s fun to watch when he’s playing. Big fan of him off the field. He’s been great to me.”
Maye added the Patriots are calling this week “championship week” because of what’s on the line.
“We gotta play at a high level and know that on the other side of the ball, (Allen) gives them a great chance every Sunday,” he said.
The Patriots defeated the Bills in Week 5 in Buffalo, and go into Week 15 rested. The Bills, who have won the AFC East every year since 2020, are 9-4 going into Sunday’s matchup and have won three of their last four.
Mike Vrabel also had high praise for the Bills and Allen on his WEEI appearance.
“Since the last time we’ve played, they’ve changed. We’ve changed. Hopefully it’s going to be a fantastic game,” he said. “That team’s not going away. They have a quarterback who is an MVP quarterback that, under any circumstances, is going to be ready to either win the football game with whatever running or throwing that he has to do. And then whenever they need a play, he seems to make it.”