The Buffalo Bills take on the New England Patriots in a huge matchup that carries significant weight in both the AFC East division and the conference. The Patriots are currently the No.2 seed in the AFC, level with the Denver Broncos on 11 wins, and two wins ahead of the 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars behind them.
The Bills need a win to pull within a single win of their rivals, especially with New England already having won the teams’ first encounter in Week 5. With so much at stake, here’s a brief look at the weather forecast, the potential impact it could have on the game, and what it could mean for fantasy football.
Will the Bills-Patriots Game Be Played in the Snow?
As of 2:00 a.m. on the morning of the game, snow is forecasted for almost the entire day at Foxborough and isn’t expected to stop until the early evening. Snow is expected to fall throughout Saturday night and continue through the morning and for most of the afternoon. The forecast for kickoff looks like this:
- Kickoff: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
- Expected Temperature: Low 30s
- Showers: 55%
- Wind: 8 mph NNW
- Snow
Neither team will be put off by that, with Buffalo more accustomed to the wintery weather than most teams. In fact, given the fact that only two teams have allowed more rushing yards per attempt this season than Buffalo, the Bills will hope that the snow could help level the playing field.
The Bills rushed for 183 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in the snow in Week 14, and 220 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in the snow last season. The snow isn’t expected to be that heavy in Foxborough today, but the Bills know how to get the job done in the elements.
Unfortunately for them, so does Mike Vrabel, who spent eight successful years with New England as a player and has guided his team to 10 straight wins ahead of this one. The Patriots have also had extra time to prepare, having had a Week 14 bye, and will be confident of making it 11-straight at Buffalo’s expense on Sunday.
Fantasy Football Impact of the Winter Weather
Snow forecast in Foxborough for the majority of this game, if not all of it, which could further impact an already-leaky Buffalo run defense. Only two teams have allowed more yards per carry than Buffalo (5.1) this season, making TreVeyon Henderson a must-start, and Rhamondre Stevenson a tempting flex.
The New England Patriots (four yards per carry allowed) have been much better against the run, but James Cook remains a potential week-winner due to his immense usage. The Bills are ranked third in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, and will feel right at home in the cold, in a must-win game for their division-title hopes.
Both quarterbacks remain among the most likely to lead the position in fantasy this week, with both likely to score some points with their legs.
