New England also struggled to shed blocks or cause enough restriction at the point of attack to get a penalty flag thrown (like Buffalo’s coverage unit did on Marte Mapu) which all piled up to allow 41.0 yards per return.

The Pats may yet dethrone the Bills as division kings but the cliché of having to "go through" someone or some team to win is accurate.

The Athletic’s Ravens and Steelers beat writers expect the Week 18 game in Pittsburgh to be for the division title. Is a breakout game for T.J. Tampa coming?

The Patriots' matchup with the Ravens on Sunday night will be big for narratives, but not that vital to their playoff positioning.

Find single game tickets to the Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots NFL Week 16 matchup on Sunday, December 21, 2025 at M&T Bank Stadium.

The suddenly-phenomenal Patriots are a huge test for the ravens, especially when New England's offense is on the field.

The Patriots receivers have been vastly improved from last year's unit, but they will need to step up even more as the playoffs approach.

But Allen and Buffalo were undeterred. Ray Davis had a huge kick return to open the second half, and Allen capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown to Dawson Knox. Then, the maligned Buffalo defense, shredded throughout the first half, got a three-and-out, and the Bills marched down the field again, with Cook powering in from 3 yards out.

Fourteen games in, Jack Gibbens has played 351 defensive snaps and another 262 on special teams. Those numbers represent 42% and 73% of the team's total snaps, respectively. He has played well, collecting 61 tackles, six TFLs, a sack, and two pass breakups. He has produced the second-highest number of tackles from the team's linebacker corps.

Even though the Patriots appear to be the superior team based on their record, Sunday's bout will likely be a close one. In fact, because of New England's banged up defense (five starters battling injuries),