The Patriots' rematch against the Bills might not have been flexed into primetime as many fans hoped, but that doesn't mean the stakes are any lower or that either team doesn't have something to prove.
New England wants to lock up the division as soon as possible, a feat they haven't accomplished since Tom Brady was under center, and Buffalo will, of course, want to make sure that doesn't happen on their watch. That inevitably gives them more time to catch up and secure a playoff spot, and maybe even steal the division in the process.
But that's not going to be easy, especially when looking at how their first matchup in Week 5 went down for the Bills' defense. It was Stefon Diggs' return to Buffalo for the first time since he was traded to the Texans a year before, and it is still his most productive game with the Patriots.
They hope to replicate that this weekend, despite being considered the underdogs, and that alone is already a big reason analysts like ESPN's Stephen A. Smith give the Patriots the edge on Sunday.
WR Stefon Diggs on Patriots as underdogs: “Good.”
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 10, 2025
Diggs says the Patriots play with an edge, in part because of how the roster has been assembled.
“This team is full of (players) that were castoffs, people who were cut or that didn’t necessarily get the opportunity,” he says.
Stefon Diggs has a big chance to really put the dagger in his former team with a Patriots win on Sunday
Despite the magnitude of this upcoming matchup and the fact that Diggs hasn't been able to put up the same kind of performance in the weeks since his impressive return against the Bills, Smith believes he's still going to make a massive impact for the Patriots' offense.
If we can see the Bills' defense fail at shutting him down again, it might be an easier showing for Drake Maye and the Patriots to sweep their biggest divisional foes than anyone might have thought.
.@stephenasmith thinks the Patriots will defeat the Bills in Week 15 because of Stefon Diggs' impact ✍️ pic.twitter.com/0v1OKrW5pe
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 10, 2025
The added motivation to put his former team in misery with another loss, especially at home, is probably enough for Diggs to feel good about going into this game.
But also, as Smith said, knowing that this time around, things are a lot different, as the Patriots are on the brink of putting an end to the Bills' five-year streak of owning the division, and he could be a massive reason for that to happen, will only put him over the top.
Making it even better is how much better the offense has been since their last matchup. We've seen the rise of WR DeMario Douglas, becoming a secret weapon of sorts, and TreVeyon Henderson forming into exactly what the Patriots hoped he would when they drafted him in the second round earlier this year.
All of that, on top of what has been a mostly improved defense, could be the biggest difference on Sunday, which will only be better if Diggs can put up 100+ yards again, and hopefully get into the end zone this time.
If he can, maybe we should thank Smith for providing the fuel to motivate Diggs even more.