The Patriots will don their 1963 replica throwback uniforms tonight to celebrate the 50th season since the American Football League was founded, and they’ll try to turn back the clock on their divisional dominance. Since 2001, the Patriots have the best record against division opponents of any team in the NFL (39-11).
It’s easy to forget that even without their franchise quarterback, who has looked fully recovered from season-ending anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligament tears in his left knee, the Patriots went 11-5 a year ago and 4-2 in the division, tying Miami’s regular-season record.
It was two division defeats at home - Miami’s 38-13 Wildcat win and the Jets’ 34-31 overtime triumph - that kept the Patriots out of the postseason. If either of those games were wins, the Patriots would have been playing in January instead of sitting at home.
With that in mind, it’s important to come out of the gate this season with a division win against the reshuffled Bills.
“Oh, it’s very important,’’ said left guard Logan Mankins. “If you look at it, last year we didn’t make the playoffs because we didn’t win the division. Those games, it comes down to those games at the end of the year.
“You know those are very important games. They’re usually tough games because you’ve played those guys so many times, so coming down to it you would like to go 6-0 in your division, but we’re going to start this week trying to go 1-0.’’
The last time the Patriots played a game that actually counted was against Buffalo, a 13-0 win on Dec. 28, 2008. That’s not an usual result against the Bills.
The Patriots have beaten the Bills 11 straight times dating to 2003. Desperate to end that streak, Buffalo imported wide receiver Terrell Owens, implemented a no-huddle attack, and overhauled its offensive line, which will feature two rookies in left guard Andy Levitre and right guard Eric Wood, and just one returning starter, Brad Butler, who shifted from right guard to right tackle.
