Hotels for Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

An AFC East rivalry that always carries weight, whatever the standings say when December comes around. Both teams have made deep playoff pushes off the back of games like this one, and division matchups in the final month of the season tend to be tighter and meaner than the schedule suggests. Expect a loud, packed stadium and a crowd that treats this one differently to an ordinary Sunday.

Boston joined the AFL as a charter member in 1960 as the Patriots, honouring the region's revolutionary war history, and the team took the New England name in 1971 to reflect its broader regional fanbase. The Patriots were a middling franchise for four decades until quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick built a dynasty from 2001 onward, winning six Super Bowls together, the most of any quarterback-coach pairing in NFL history.

Their partnership included an unlikely comeback from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough has been home throughout that era, and the Patriots' run remains the benchmark against which sustained NFL success is measured.

Home to the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium sits at Patriot Place in Foxborough, a large retail and entertainment complex roughly midway between Boston and Providence. Shops, restaurants and a hotel wrap the stadium, making it a self-contained destination. MBTA commuter rail runs matchday trains from Boston's South Station directly to Foxborough, a genuine rarity for a suburban US stadium. Booking a room nearby or in Boston lets you ride the train in and enjoy the Patriot Place complex before and after.