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The Buffalo Bills managed to keep the New England Patriots from sweeping them in the season series, and also kept their rivals from clinching the division.
With the Bills now at 10-4, just one game behind the 11-3 Patriots, the race for the AFC East title is still very much alive as we look ahead to the final three games.
Buffalo's 35-31 win over the Patriots was huge, considering the team was down 21-0 early in the second quarter, but rallied back for a big win that now gives confidence to the rest of the locker room.
And for tight end Dawson Knox, who caught two touchdowns, there's no denying the win over New England has given the group confidence that they can overtake them for the division lead.
"Yeah, of course," Knox said. "I mean, beating a divisional opponent on the road against an incredibly talented team, we know very well we might see them again in the playoffs, whether it's here or there. Winning the division is huge, and winning this game was a huge part, and the hopes of doing that later."
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Bills must maintain AFC East rage
There's no denying that the Bills' win on Sunday was massive in the context of their season, but that will all be for nothing if they don't continue to take care of business down the stretch.
Losing to the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 would wash away all the good Buffalo did against New England, and it might even hand the division to their rivals.
So, while the win was just what was needed, there's no time to rest, because Buffalo knows it likely has to win out to have any hope of claiming the AFC East for a sixth-straight year, and pray the Patriots stumble again.
No matter how the division race ends, the Bills proved on Sunday that they can go toe-to-toe with the best in football, and as the playoffs come into focus, that makes them a very dangerous team.
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