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Though the New England Patriots have already clinched another AFC East title, Sunday’s Week 15 divisional matchup against the Buffalo Bills will still prove important to both teams. While the Pats are looking to secure a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Bills are fighting to make the postseason for the first time this Century.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast in select markets on CBS. When looking for a live stream, the first thing you want to do is to find out if the game is in your market or not, which you can do by checking a coverage map here.
If the game is in your market, you can watch on your computer or on another streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services. They cost a monthly fee but all come with a free trial, so you can watch today’s game at no cost:
CBS All Access: This service lets you watch a live stream of your local CBS channel (most markets included) for $5.99 per month. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can watch on your computer via the CBS website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the CBS app.
FuboTV: CBS (live in at least 20 markets) is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package, which gives you access to 70-plus channels and costs $19.99 per month for the first two months and $39.99 per month after that. It also comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via the Fubo website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If the game isn’t in your market, you may be able to watch via NFL Sunday Ticket.
Preview
In search of their first postseason appearance since 1999, the Bills enter Week 16 tied with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens for the two AFC wild-card spots. Per FiveThirtyEight, their current playoff odds are just 36 percent, but a win Sunday bumps that all the way up to 70 percent.
Only one problem: Getting a win Sunday would mean going into New England and knocking off a Patriots team that is 11-3. A team that beat the Bills in Buffalo by 20 points just three weeks ago. A team that is favored by 13 points.
The Bills have actually won two of their last three games in Foxboro, but the 2014 victory was a meaningless Week 17 contest in which Tom Brady played five series and several other starters sat out, and last year’s win was with Jacoby Brissett under center. You’d have to go back to 2011 to find the last time a full-strength Brady lost to the Bills.
Still, this isn’t necessarily a game to write off as a foregone conclusion. In the matchup a couple weeks ago, Brady threw for just 258 yards and zero touchdowns, and the Patriots’ 23 points was their fourth-lowest output of the season. And on the other side of the ball, while the Pats defense shut down the Bills in that game, that unit has been anything but consistent, as it ranks 31st in the NFL in yards per play allowed and 30th in Football Outsiders’ defensive efficiency ratings. Throw in this essentially being a must-win game for the Bills, and the Patriots coming off a physically- and mentally-draining matchup against the Steelers, and things could get interesting.
Then again, this is the Patriots, and the Patriots don’t like anyone else–especially divisional rivals–having nice things. Though it could be closer than expected, they should ultimately take another step closer towards earning the AFC No. 1 seed.