The New England Patriots held a 21-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills in the second quarter, and it looked as if they were on their way to celebrating with hats and t-shirts after clinching their first AFC East championship since 2019.

The Buffalo Bills, fighting to keep their AFC East championship hopes alive, were sluggish offensively and out of sorts defensively. They looked lost, out of position and unprepared as the upstart New England Patriots smacked them in the mouth in taking a 21-0 lead with 5:53 left in the second quarter.

Concerns remain, but the Buffalo Bills earned their second necessary AFC victory in a row on Sunday afternoon and held onto their AFC playoff spot after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in one of the last remaining games at Highmark Stadium before moving across the street in 2026.