How good are the Buffalo Bills? We’re going to find out this week.
There are currently six teams with a 3-0 record, and the Buffalo Bills are the most unexpected of those teams. Quarterback Josh Allen is not a superstar by most people’s standards, but so far, Allen has been good enough to let his defense win games for him. Star cornerback Tre’Davious White led the team with two interceptions last week, and even the role players on Buffalo’s D have played very well to start the season.
Allen has improved his abysmal 52.8% completion rate from last year. Through three weeks, he is above 60%. While that’s a nice improvement, he’s done that by throwing mostly safe short passes. Allen might be able to squeeze out a lot of wins as a game manager QB, but he’s not likely to do that against the Pats.
So far, the running attack of Frank Gore and Devin Singletary has made up for the Bills’ play-it-safe passing game. This has been a fine tradeoff against bad teams, but against the pass-happy Patriots, it might not be enough.
Much to the chagrin of the rest of the league, the Pats look like, well, the Pats.
While this is not one of quarterback Tom Brady’s most talented group of skill players, the future Hall of Famer is still averaging 300 yards passing per game and has not thrown any interceptions.
As per usual, it isn’t just Brady who is playing well. Coach Bill Belichick has turned his defense into one of the league’s best units. New England has not allowed an offensive touchdown yet this season.
Even though the Bills have done a lot well so far this season, this is likely going to be their first loss. However, if they put in a decent effort, there is still plenty of reason to keep hope alive in Buffalo.
| HOW TO WATCH PATRIOTS VS. BILLS WITHOUT CABLE | |
| SLING TV | TRY NOW |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| FUBOTV | TRY NOW |
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
- When: Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1pm ET
- Where: New Era Field in Buffalo, New York
- Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Patriots vs. Bills on streaming platforms that carry CBS. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Patriots vs. Bills live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Both Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels and NBCSN—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
For $10 extra per month, you can get NFL RedZone via the Sling Blue Sports Extra package.
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of the Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels. While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV.
2) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone, (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
3) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
4) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings, including ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV. There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
TRY NFL SUNDAY TICKET ON AMAZON PRIME
Fantasy Football: Who should I start?
Patriots
Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver: Though there have been flashier performances from other pass catchers, Edelman remains the most dependable option in New England. Against a tough Bills defense, even Tom Brady might need a safety blanket, and Edelman is Mr. Dependable.
Bills
Stephen Hauschka, Kicker: For the most part, you should sit your Bills this week if you can against this excellent Patriots defense. Maybe a receiver will go off in garbage time, but we don’t know who that will be. As this offense will likely largely be limited to field goals, however, Hauschka could prove a worthy starter in 12-team or deeper leagues.
Patriots vs. Bills: Why it matters
Even an optimistic homer can’t love the Bills’ chances here, but how well these teams play matters.
Considering the Steelers have been a huge disappointment, the Patriots have actually played one of the softest schedules to date. If the Bills can give the Pats a little trouble, New England might suddenly seem mortal.
If Buffalo can stay competitive, that will go a long way to keep hope alive in upstate New York, where hope has so often gone to die. Win or lose, the Bills could still compete for a wildcard berth.
In the next six weeks, the Bills get the Redskins, Titans, Eagles, and the Dolphins twice. A team that can compete with New England could win every one of those games.
While the Patriots look towards another Super Bowl, the Bills are just looking to turn things around. Though New England will likely win on Sunday, the game should be a nice litmus test for both teams.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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