It was less than six weeks ago that the Patriots went into Buffalo and handed the Bills a 14–10 loss on Monday Night Football, leaving many to view New England as a dark horse Super Bowl contender.
Saturday night’s wild-card rematch dissuaded anyone of that notion.
The Bills ran the Patriots off the frigid Highmark Stadium field, controlling the game from the opening possession en route to a 47–17 victory. That margin represented the second-largest for New England in the Bill Belichick era, with Buffalo scoring touchdowns on their first seven possessions of the game.