FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For just the fourth time since Bill Belichick became Patriots coach in 2000, New England won’t end the season as AFC East champions.
The Buffalo Bills improved to 10-3 overall and 7-2 in the conference with their 26-15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. It eliminated the hopes of New England (6-7, 5-4) to extend its NFL-record run of 11 straight division titles. The Los Angeles Rams own the NFL’s second-longest streak of division titles, winning seven straight from 1973-79.
The Bills also beat New England 24-21 in Buffalo last month, though with their records now, the Patriots can’t catch Buffalo in the standings.