ORCHARD PARK - The calendar has flipped to December, and in the NFL, that means it’s crunch time as the battle for division titles and wild-card berths really starts to heat up.
It wasn’t supposed to be a real challenge for the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East this year, at least that’s what the prognosis was back in September. But after a one-year hiatus, the New England Patriots are back with a vengeance and when they visit Highmark Stadium Monday night, Bill Belichick’s team is the one sitting in first place in the division, a half game ahead of Buffalo.