ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- It has been almost 20 years since the Buffalo Bills met the New England Patriots this late in a season with this much on the line.
The clocks must be turned back to Dec. 26, 1999 to find the last time before this season the Bills had more than a prayer of making the playoffs when facing the Patriots in a December or regular-season January game.
Doug Flutie was the Bills' quarterback that day in 1999. Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were all in their final weeks of their Hall of Fame careers with Buffalo.