Bills DE enjoyed returning ‘punch in the face' to Pats

Share
0:00
0:00 / 1:20

Albert Breer talks about the difference in talent between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots

The Buffalo Bills' long-awaited victory lap has commenced.

The Bills dismantled the New England Patriots 38-9 on "Monday Night Football," completing the first season sweep of the (former) AFC East titans since 2000.

New England has bullied Buffalo for most of the last 20 years, entering Monday with a 35-6 record against its division "rival" in the Bill Belichick era.

Curran: Is this what rock bottom looks like for Patriots?

But the AFC East guard officially has changed, with the 12-3 Bills soaring to their first division title since 1995 and the 6-9 Patriots stumbling to their first losing season since 2000.

After so much losing, it's no surprise that Buffalo's players are taking a victory lap -- with defensive end Jerry Hughes leading the way.

"I was telling some of the guys on the sideline, I haven’t had this feeling in Foxboro ever," Hughes told reporters after the game, via Syracuse.com. "This was a nice feeling to come back here in this stadium and return a nice punch in the face. It felt good."

New England Patriots

Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.

The Case For Travis Hunter: Only debate is if Patriots should trade up

Do Pats need more bang for their buck in RB room? Curran, Perry discuss

Hughes' teammates clearly felt the same way about the Bills' first win in New England since 2016, even if they were a bit more subtle about it.

"This is my first win here and there's a lot of guys in the locker room that it's their first win," safety Micah Hyde said. "It's a big win for our organization."

"This team has been on the top of the AFC for 25 years," safety Jordan Poyer added. "The last time the Bills swept the Patriots was 1999. I've never won in Foxboro, I know a lot of the guys here have never won in Foxboro. So just coming out here with the right mindset, understanding the circumstances -- we came to play today."

The Patriots spared few teams during their two-decade reign atop the AFC East. Now that their reign is over, the Bills certainly won't be the last team to delight in serving Belichick's club some payback.

Contact Us