It feels like it has been forever since the Patriots played a meaningful game in the NFL, as the last five years haven't been the greatest in the franchise's history, but their luck is finally changing this Sunday, when they host the Bills in what could be the biggest game of New England's 2025 season.
Besides continuing their win streak to 11, a win would also make the Patriots the newest AFC East Champions, something they haven't accomplished since Tom Brady was under center. It adds even more pressure to this young, rebuilt team, even though they can still win the division if they lose.
The stakes are high, and all eyes will be on this presumed game of the week, but there might be more pressure on the Bills, who are at risk of losing the grasp they have had on the division for the last five years.
That's not lost on the team, and some players, like superstar lineman Dion Dawkins, aren't too concerned about what this game could mean for the Patriots, especially if they can leave with a championship hat and t-shirt.
Dion Dawkins is not going to applaud the Patriots for their successful 2025 season any time soon
While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Dawkins expressed his feelings about the possibility that the Bills' biggest rival could steal the division from them with a win this week.
To say he doesn't care about that possibility, beyond the obvious reasons he doesn't want to see it happen, would be an understatement.
#Bills OL Dion Dawkins today on the Patriots being able to clinch AFC East with win vs. BUF Sunday:
— Jonathan Acosta (@JAcostaTV) December 11, 2025
"If this is their hats and t-shirts game, then our job is to win a football game and stop a hat and t-shirt game. But, good for them."#BillsMafia @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/Bj2rLDn1TX
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To be fair, this is the kind of attitude they should have, and Patriots fans would expect that of their players, too, if they were in that position going into this matchup.
But it is kind of funny to see how unthrilled the Bills players are about not having more time to own the division, since they haven't able to accomplish much since being gifted the AFC East in Brady's absence. In fact, they lost in the AFC Championship to the Chiefs twice during that time.
Hoping their Super Bowl window was still open this season, the Patriots sweeping them for the first time in five years would surely put Buffalo in panic mode and remind them of the dynasty years once again.
It would surely be a nice response to Dawkins' lack of enthusiasm.