The Buffalo Bills managed to escape a snowy matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 with a 39-34 victory, pushing their record on the season to 9-4. Per usual, it was Josh Allen leading the way for the Bills, as he enjoyed another stellar outing to help keep Buffalo in the hunt for the top spot in the AFC East.
That sets the stage for a wildly important meeting with the New England Patriots in Week 15 that could determine who ends up winning the division. The Pats have proven themselves to be a formidable opponent this season, but they aren’t taking the Bills lightly, as their head coach, Mike Vrabel, recently offered some high praise of Allen ahead of the second meeting this year between these two teams.
Mike Vrabel Gushes Over Josh Allen
For much of the season, Buffalo has found itself trailing behind New England in the AFC East, thanks in large part to an ongoing 10-game win streak the Pats have rattled off. That started back in Week 5, when the Patriots announced themselves to the world by picking up a 23-20 victory over the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
Even with their win over Cincy in Week 14, Buffalo still needs to beat New England in Week 15 in order to have any shot of winning the division. If the Patriots beat the Bills again, they’d win the division and seemingly have a good shot at earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC. As a result, the stakes have literally never been higher for both teams this season.
The Pats may have beaten the Bills earlier this season, but a lot has changed since that game. Vrabel knows what Allen and Buffalo’s offense is capable of, and when speaking to reporters as New England returned to the facility from its week off on Monday, he made it clear just how much respect he has for the reigning MVP.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Josh and his ability to make something out of nothing,” Vrabel said on Monday. “Huge challenge going against a quarterback that’s under control, he’s got command, and he just doesn’t look panicked or rattled when you rush him or get into the right play call. Just an excellent MVP quarterback.”
Bills Looking to Get Revenge vs. Patriots in Week 15
GettyBuffalo Bills QB Josh Allen had a record-breaking performance against the Cincinnati Bengals
The Bills haven’t been perfect this season, but they have managed to stay afloat thanks to some truly great performances from Allen under center. Against the Bengals, Allen threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 78 yards and another score. Throughout the rest of the season, that’s pretty much the sort of performance Buffalo is going to need from its superstar quarterback.
Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye have helped turn the Patriots into a legitimate contender, and after taking down the Bills earlier this season, they will be motivated to punch their ticket to the playoffs by taking them down again. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon, and you can bet that this will be one of the games of the weekend based on how much is on the line.
Mike Vrabel Sends Message to Bills’ Josh Allen Ahead of AFC East Showdown