Despite Loss, Bills Prove They’ll Be a Tough Out in the Playoffs

For a second time this season, the Bills played the Patriots to a one possession game, but for the second time this season, it was a loss for Buffalo. The AFC East still hung in the balance on Saturday afternoon when the two teams met at Foxboro but a vintage, fourth quarter game-winning drive from Tom Brady gave the Patriots their eleventh straight division title.

The win for Brady was also his 32nd career win over the Bills, compared to only three losses, and it has the Patriots in prime position for a first-round bye and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs. That's good news for a New England team that is 6-1 at Gillette Stadium this season.

There's good news for the Bills, too, who look like more a potential playoff problem for opponents than when they broke their postseason drought two years ago and exited with a 10-3 loss to the Jaguars in the Wild Card round.

John Wawrow covers the Bills for the Associated Press and he joined Big Board Sports on Monday morning: