Who faces off tonight on Monday Night Football in Week 13? A showdown for the AFC East takes center stage as the New England Patriots take on the Buffalo Bills. After sprinting to a 5-2 start and being labeled as one of the AFC’s top contenders, the Bills have fallen on hard times as of late. Can the Bills earn back-to-back victories for the first time since Week 5, or will the Patriots continue their resurgence to lead the division? Continue reading below for more information regarding the start time, channel, and live stream options for Monday Night Football in Week 13.
Who plays on Monday Night Football tonight?
- Game: New England Patriots (3-7) at Buffalo Bills (4-6)
- Location: Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Monday Night Football | Channel, start time, live stream
- Channel: ESPN, ESPN2 Manningcast
- Time: 8:15 PM ET
- Monday Night Football Live Streams:
- ESPN App
- Hulu + Live TV
- fuboTV
- YouTube TV
- NFL Mobile App
What to expect from tonight’s Patriots vs. Bills game?
The Patriots currently hold a half-game lead on the Bills for the AFC East crown. That lead comes courtesy of New England still awaiting their Week 14 bye. The Bills’ Week 12 victory over the Saints on Thanksgiving was a much-needed bounce back after their Week 11 41-15 loss. However, Buffalo’s inconsistency has completely changed expectations for this team.
Will the Bills offense show up tonight on Monday Night Football?
Since Buffalo’s Week 7 bye week, the offense’s switch has flipped with every week. QB Josh Allen threw for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 55 yards and a score against the Dolphins in Week 8.
The following week, Buffalo’s offense was eviscerated by DE Josh Allen and the Jaguars’ defense. The pattern continued with their 45-17 win over the Jets in Week 10.
If the Bills want to prove to the NFL they are the AFC East’s new top dog, a win tonight at home against the Patriots on Monday Night Football is paramount in that conversation. The 4 touchdowns against a quality Saints defense looked promising, but they were accompanied by 2 interceptions.
The Patriots’ defense has been playing well this season. They’ve held opponents to 6.5 points per game over the past four weeks. If the Bills offense from the divisional games they’ve already played this season shows up, Buffalo sits in a good position. Unfortunately, the Patriots’ offense and defense are vastly better than both New York and Miami.
Is Mac Jones up to the challenge?
New England’s offense has been rolling during the Patriots’ six-game winning streak. Can they extend it to seven tonight on Monday Night Football? Heavily aided by a suffocating defense, rookie QB Mac Jones has stepped up to the challenge of leading this Patriots offense.
During the win streak, Jones has thrown for 1,375 yards and 9 touchdowns. More importantly, Jones is taking better care of the football. After throwing 6 interceptions the first six weeks of the season, the young QB has only thrown 2 during the streak.
However, this offense has found success in the passing game through the success of the rushing attack. RB Damien Harris has proven to be a strong anchor, rushing for 643 yards and crossing the goal line 8 times on the ground. Fellow running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Bolden have also been critical factors in the rushing and receiving plans.
The Patriots are playing complete football right now, but divisional matchups bring out the best in everyone. You better believe the Bills know who’s first in the AFC East, and they would love nothing more than to regain that title. The Bills squeak out a close divisional game tonight despite the Patriots’ best attempts on Monday Night Football.
Patriots vs. Bills Prediction: Bills 24, Patriots 20
Monday Night Football Schedule: September
- Baltimore Ravens at Las Vegas Raiders – September 13
- Final: Raiders 33, Ravens 27 (OT)
- Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – September 20
- Final: Packers 35, Lions 17
- Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys – September 27
- Final: Cowboys 41, Eagles 21
October
- Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers – October 4
- Final: Chargers 28, Raiders 14
- Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens – October 11
- Final: Ravens 31, Colts 25 (OT)
- Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans – October 18
- Final: Titans 34, Bills 31
- New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks – October 25
- Final: Saints 13, Seahawks 10
November
- New York Giants at Kansas City Chiefs – November 1
- Final: Chiefs 20, Giants 17
- Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers – November 8
- Final: Steelers 29, Bears 27
- Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – November 15
- Final: 49ers 31, Rams 10
- New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – November 22
- Final: Buccaneers 30, Giants 10
- Seattle Seahawks at Washington Football Team – November 29
- Final: Washington 17, Seahawks 15
December
- New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – December 6
- Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – December 13
- Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears – December 20
- Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints – December 27
January
- Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – January 3