Bills' veteran LB proclaims 'division is still open' as pivotal Week 15 matchup looms

The Buffalo Bills are chasing the New England Patriots for the AFC East crown, and there's plenty of belief that they can win the race

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas gets tackled by Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Shaq Thompson during first half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 7, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills did it in 2023, and there's definitely a thought that they can do it again in 2025.

Two years ago, Buffalo needed a late-season surge to maintain its run as AFC East champions. The Bills (6-6) trailed the Miami Dolphins (9-3) by 3.0 full games in the standings with five weeks remaining. Buffalo closed the 2023 regular season by winning five consecutive games, including a head-to-head matchup over the Dolphins in the finale.

With only four weeks remaining in the 2025 regular season, the Bills (9-4) trail the New England Patriots (11-2) by 2.0 full games. Buffalo can cut the deficit in half with a head-to-head victory on December 14.

"We're just taking one game at a time. The division is still open. We still got four games left. Anything can happen," said veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson. "Right now, we're just taking one game at a time, and this week we got the Patriots."

Thompson, who spent his first 10 NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers, joined the five-time reigning AFC East champions as a free agent this past spring. The 2015 first-round draft pick has brought both energy and production to the Bills' linebacking corps, moving into a starting role over the past month.

Bills need help

Even with a head-to-head win in Week 15, the Bills will still need to win out while the Patriots lose one of their two remaining games against AFC East teams.

Should Buffalo and New England wind up with identical overall records, AFC East records will be used as the tiebreaker. The Patriots are currently 3-0 against divisional foes.

RELATED: What are the chances Buffalo Bills overtake New England Patriots, win AFC East?

After visiting the Patriots, the Bills visit the Cleveland Browns (Week 16) before coming home to close out the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles (Week 17) and New York Jets (Week 18) at Highmark Stadium.

New England will visit the Baltimore Ravens (Week 16) and New York Jets (Week 17) before hosting the Miami Dolphins (Week 18) in the finale.

Nov 9, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) talks to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) after defeating the Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Head coach's take

The Bills have qualified for the playoffs in seven of head coach Sean McDermott's eight full seasons at the helm. Even if they come up short in their quest for a sixth straight division crown, Buffalo is highly likely to earn a postseason berth again this winter.

MORE: Bills rocket toward top of SI’s power rankings, putting AFC on notice

“[Winning the division is] certainly one of our goals every year. We also have other goals amongst that goal as well. So, we go into every game with the mindset of playing our best football," said McDermott as he prepares his team to face the Patriots in Week 15.

Nov 9, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott looks at a scoreboard replay during the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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