Getty
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 02: Stefon Diggs #8 of the New England Patriots looks on against the Atlanta Falcons before the game at Gillette Stadium on November 02, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs is back in a familiar spot, even if it’s new to many of his New England Patriots teammates — the top of the AFC East standings.
Diggs has been part of a sudden resurgence in New England, with the Patriots seizing a two-game lead over the Bills in the division ahead of the showdown between the teams this week. Despite the Patriots owning the best record in the conference and beating the Bills in their first meeting in October, oddsmakers don’t have much faith that Diggs and company will repeat.
The Bills are listed as slight favorites for the game, which Diggs didn’t seem to mind.
Stefon Diggs Embraces Underdog Mentality
When Diggs was told this week that the Patriots are underdogs for Sunday’s game, he embraced the idea.
“Good,” Diggs said when he was told about the point spread.
Diggs added that it could take some pressure off the Patriots.
“I feel like that’s good for us,” Diggs said. “Being an underdog, people like us have been an underdog our whole life, we’re going to have something to prove regardless of it. The main thing is, it gets exciting when you’re the underdog, when you’ve got a lot to prove, when you’re playing with that edge and playing aggressive. Nobody believes in us but us. The record is surprising to everybody and we just take it one game at a time and we’ll do the same thing with this one.”
The Bills are just 1.5-point favorites for the game, which gives the Patriots a chance to sweep the season series from Buffalo for the first time since Tom Brady left New England.
The Patriots would also be able to clinch the division title with a win over the Bills on Sunday, which would allow them to turn their attention to earning the No. 1 overall seed and a bye week to start the playoffs.
The Bills would keep their division hopes alive with a win, but would still need help down the final stretch to catch the Patriots.
Patriots Preparing for James Cook Game
While the Bills are led by reigning MVP Josh Allen, who is coming off a four-touchdown performance in last week’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots know they have some other players to account for as well.
Running back James Cook already has a career-best 1,308 rushing yards this season and has added a strong ground component to Buffalo’s air attack.
Patriots rusher K’Lavon Chaisson said this week that his team would need to stay disciplined and eliminate cutback lanes, which Cook has exploited often this season.
“Staying gap sound, for sure,” Chaisson said, via MLive.com. “That’s going to be most important as a defense. There’s going to be times when you’re going to be eagerly wanting to get over and cross over and make a play. But as a d-line, we’ve been talking about that all day. Staying gap sound and trusting guys behind you.
“…and attacking the ball. He had some trouble with that last week, so continuing to go after the ball and slow him down for sure.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
More Heavy on Bills
Loading more stories