National Football League

Patriots-Bills: Super Wild Card Weekend By The Numbers

Updated Jan. 12, 2022 5:22 p.m. ET

The opening weekend of the NFL postseason features a playoff-sized AFC East matchup between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills (8:15 p.m. ET Saturday, NBC).

Here are the numbers that define Patriots-Bills.

Matchup: The Patriots lead the all-time series 77-46-1 and are 36-8 against Buffalo in the Bill Belichick era. This is the first playoff matchup between these rivals since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. They faced each other once in the AFL playoffs, with the Patriots winning 26-8 in 1963. They split two games this season, with the Patriots winning 14-10 at Buffalo in Week 13 and the Bills winning 33-21 at New England in Week 16. This will be the first time the NFL's two best scoring defenses meet in the wild-card round — the Bills are No. 1, the Patriots No. 2.

The Patriots are 37-21 all time in the playoffs, including 8-11 in road games. Their 37 postseason wins are a record. The Bills are 16-18 in the postseason but 12-3 in home games. Buffalo has won 11 of its past 12 home playoff games, dating to the 1988 season.

QUARTERBACKS

Mac Jones (New England Patriots, rookie season)

22: Jones threw 22 touchdown passes this season, the most by a rookie in franchise history. He is the only rookie starting QB in the postseason and is the first to get there as a Patriot. No rookie QB has ever reached a Super Bowl.

3-9: This is the record for rookie starting QBs in the playoffs since 2011.

67.6%: Jones had the second-best completion percentage by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Dak Prescott's 67.8% in 2016.

8: Jones is the eighth QB to win at least 10 games in his rookie season (10-7).

Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills, fourth season)

763: Allen compiled 763 rushing yards and scored six touchdowns on the ground this season. He has 237 career rushing yards in the playoffs.

.650: Allen is 39-21 (.650) as a starter in regular-season games, the best winning percentage for a QB in Bills history (minimum 50 starts). He is 2-2 in the postseason.

6.3: Allen was tied for the NFL lead with 6.3 yards per rush this season.

1: He is the first QB in NFL history to pass for at least 4,000 yards (4,407) and rush for at least 750 (763) in a season.

OFFENSE

1: Bills receiver Stefon Diggs is the first player in franchise history to have at least 100 catches in back-to-back seasons. He ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in receptions (103, tied for ninth), yards (1,225, eighth) and touchdown catches (10, tied for sixth).

2: The Bills allowed only 27 sacks this season, second-fewest in the NFL. The Patriots allowed 28, tied for third.

3: The Bills had the third-best scoring offense (28.4 PPG) this season, while the Patriots ranked sixth (27.2 PPG).

9: The Pats' Hunter Henry and Bills' Dawson Knox tied for the NFL lead in touchdown receptions by a tight end, with nine each. For Knox, that's also a Bills franchise record.

15: New England running back Damien Harris scored 15 rushing touchdowns, tied for second-most in the NFL. That's the second-most in franchise history, behind only LaGarrett Blount's 18 in 2016.

46.4%: The Bills ranked third in the NFL in third-down conversion rate, at 46.4%.

381.9: The Bills were fifth in total offense at 381.9 YPG.

DEFENSE

1: For the first time in franchise history, the Bills had the NFL's stingiest defense, allowing only 17.0 PPG this season. They also led the league in total defense (272.8 YPG allowed), passing defense (163.0 YPG allowed) and opponent third-down conversion rate (30.8%).

2: The Patriots sit right behind Buffalo, ranking No. 2 in the league in scoring defense (17.8 PPG allowed). They were also fourth in total defense (310.8 YPG allowed) and second in passing defense (187.1 YPG allowed).

8: Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson had eight interceptions this season, second-most in the NFL. He is the first player in franchise history to have at least eight interceptions multiple times (nine in 2020). He also led the league with 23 pass deflections.

12.5: Matt Judon led the Patriots with 12.5 sacks, tied for seventh-most in the league. Mario Addison led the Bills with seven sacks.

30: The Patriots had 30 takeaways this season, tied for third-most in the NFL.

SPECIAL TEAMS

0: Neither team scored a touchdown on a kick return this season.

100%: Bills kicker Tyler Bass was a perfect 51-for-51 on extra points this season. He made 28 of 32 field-goal attempts (87.5%). Patriots kicker Nick Folk was 42-for-47 (89.4%) on PATs and 36-for-39 (92.3%) on field goals.

5: The Pats ranked fifth in the league with 11.3 yards per return on punts, thanks to Gunner Olszewski's 11.9 average, which was second in the NFL. The Bills ranked 14th as a team, at 8.5.

COACHES

254-99: Bill Belichick went 10-7 in his 22nd season as New England's head coach. He will be coaching in his 19th postseason (31-12), tied with Don Shula for the most playoff appearances by an NFL head coach. He holds records for the most playoff wins (31) and Super Bowl wins (six) by a head coach.

49-32: Sean McDermott went 11-6 in his fifth season as Buffalo's head coach. He is 2-3 in the playoffs. With one more win, he will join Marv Levy as the only Bills head coaches to win at least three playoff games. Levy has won 11.