Think Sunday's game meant a little more to the Buffalo Bills?
The Bills earned a convincing 33-21 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium that vaulted them past New England into first place in the AFC East. More importantly, the win was payback for the demoralizing loss the Patriots handed them in Buffalo three weeks earlier. And they weren't shy about taking a victory lap.
According to The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn, Bills quarterback Josh Allen delivered a gleeful shot at New England while running through the Gillette Stadium tunnel after the game.
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Curran: Josh Allen's Bills expose a hard truth in stomping of Pats
"I don’t know who the f--- they thought I was!" Allen yelled at Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, per Fairburn.
As our Tom E. Curran explained, the Patriots appeared to show plenty of respect for Allen with a conservative defensive game plan designed to take away big plays from the QB in the running and passing game. But Allen still torched his division rival, throwing for 314 yards with three touchdown passes while rushing for a team-high 64 yards on 12 carries.
Meanwhile, Bills safety Jordan Poyer took aim at another supposed doubter by calling out The Niagara Gazette's Jerry Sullivan, who irked Poyer and safety Micah Hyde after Buffalo's Week 13 loss to New England by asking them if their defense's performance was "embarrassing."
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"Where that Jerry Sullivan at? What the f---'s he got to say? That s--- was embarrassing!" Poyer shouted as he walked to the locker room, according to Fairburn and Tim Graham of The Athletic.
Defensive end Jerry Hughes put things a little more succinctly.
"It would suck to be in Boston tonight!" Hughes said while walking to the locker room, per Fairburn.
The Bills had good reason to be prideful: The Patriots bullied them in a Dec. 6 loss in Buffalo that could have derailed their season, but they turned the tables on New England on Sunday with a win that allows them to control their own destiny in the division.
Then again, the 9-6 Patriots now have plenty of motivation following back-to-back losses. So if these teams happen to meet in the playoffs for Round 3, expect Bill Belichick's club to remember how this one went down.