FOXBOROUGH Limited Kevin Faulk Jersey ,  regular season for the Patriots have included the celebration of an AFC East title and typically an accompanying first-round bye in the playoffs.New England can lock up a 10th consecutive division crown Sunday with a win or tie against Buffalo, or a Miami loss or tie when it hosts Jacksonville. The Patriots would also become the first franchise in NFL history to earn a playoff berth in 10 straight seasons.But they enter the final two weeks of the regular season needing help to avoid playing in the wild-card round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009.Following back-to-back losses at Miami and Pittsburgh , New England (9-5) began Week 16 on track to be the No. 3 seed in the AFC behind Kansas City (11-3) and Houston (10-4).The Patriots have not been a wild-card team since 2009, when they were blown out by Baltimore. They also failed to make it to the Super Bowl the other two times under coach Bill Belichick (2005 and 2006) that they played during the opening weekend of the postseason. New England has never started the postseason on the road with Belichick the coach and Tom Brady the quarterback.The first step to New England avoiding those fates is by continuing its dominance against the Bills (5-9), a team it has beaten four straight times — including a 25-6 win at Buffalo in October. It was one of the few successes the Patriots had on the road this season, where they’ve gone just 3-5.While they will be at home Sunday and for their regular-season finale on Dec. 30 against the Jets, coach Bill Belichick is not counting it as an advantage.“I think playing well creates an advantage,” he said.New England is as healthy as it’s been all season, but will have to adapt after receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Thursday for violating an agreement that allowed him to play after multiple drug suspensions.Gordon was thriving in New England, where he landed in September in a trade after the Browns felt it was time to cut ties. In 11 starts with the Patriots, he had 40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns, five years removed from an All-Pro season in 2013 with 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns.Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said Buffalo Antonio Garcia Jersey , which is coming off a close win over Detroit last week, is embracing the role of spoiler.“It’s huge,” Alexander said. “Obviously, they’ve been the standard of our division for the last 15 years, and they’re in the division chase. So for us to go up there and be able to beat them would be huge obviously for this city, for our team and organization. Because they’re a team that’s really had our number since I’ve been here.”Here are some things to watch for in Sunday’s game:WHO STEPS UP?With Gordon out, Brady will be looking for someone to fill his production for the remainder of the season. That will likely mean a lot more will be put on veteran receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski, though both struggled at times this season. Edelman has 63 catches for 711 yards and four touchdowns, while Gronkowski has 45 catches for 658 yards and three TDs.But Gronk was limited again this week by ankle and back issues. And between them, they have just two touchdowns over the past three games.OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTWith rookie quarterback Josh Allen back on the field for four games since missing four with a sprained right elbow, the Bills’ offense is improving despite RB LeSean McCoy’s ongoing struggles.Allen is 57 for 114 for 801 yards, four TDs and four INTs in in his last four starts. Meanwhile, the Bills have topped 100 yards rushing in five straight games, matching last season’s high.McCoy has topped 100 yards just once — 113 yards and two touchdowns — in a 41-10 win at the New York Jets on Nov. 11. Otherwise Dont'a Hightower Jersey , with 479 yards rushing, he’s in jeopardy of finishing with the lowest production of his career. He had 637 yards as a rookie in 2009, when he had four starts in 16 games.CHARTING BRADYBrady owns a 29-3 record against Bills. His 29 wins against Buffalo are the most victories by a quarterback against a single opponent. Next is Brady’s 26 wins against Jets.Brady passed for 324 yards in the last meeting with Buffalo and needs 21 to join Peyton Manning (14) and Drew Brees (12) as quarterbacks with 10 seasons of 4,000-plus yards passing. Tom Brady didn't have any trouble finding receivers to throw to in the New England Patriots' opener.The reigning NFL MVP completed passes to eight players in a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, connecting with Rob Gronkowski and Phillip Dorsett for seven receptions and a touchdown apiece."We try to spread it around quite a bit," said Brady, who was 26 of 39 for 277 yards and three scores. "If you're out there, I trust you, the coaches trust you, the team trusts you. That's why we're putting you out there."After losing Danny Amendola to free agency and Julian Edelman to a four-game suspension, the Patriots were expected to be hobbled by a lack of targets for the three-time NFL MVP. This year's corps was being compared to the one in 2006, when Reche Caldwell led the team with 63 receptions (and caught only 15 more the rest of his career).Brady hit Gronkowski for 123 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown three plays after Deshaun Watson fumbled a handoff at the Texans 19 on Houston's first offensive play . They also connected on a 28-yard pass during a 2-minute drill that left the Patriots with a 21-6 halftime lead."It's very important that they came out and played the way they did. They're our leaders," said Dorsett Authentic Joe Thuney Jersey Salute to Service , who had 66 receiving yards, including a 4-yard score. "When they play well, they give an adrenaline boost to the rest of the team."It was Gronkowski's 31st career regular-season or playoff game of 100 yards or more, tying Tony Gonzalez's NFL record."We've been playing together for a long time," Brady said. "I know his body language. I know his ability to run and what routes. He can do it. He can do really all the routes. It's just a matter of giving him a chance, and it came with a big touchdown today."The 41-year-old quarterback also found James White for a touchdown; he also had an interception on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who missed the final nine games last season with a torn right ACL, completed 17 of 35 passes for 176 yards, one score and one interception.Watson struggled to move the team in the first 40 minutes, managing just a pair of field-goal drives before Alfred Blue ran it in from 1 yard to make it 24-13 in the last two minutes of the third period. Lamar Miller ran 20 times for 98 yards for Houston.A muffed punt by New England's Riley McCarron with under five minutes left set up Watson's 5-yard TD pass to Bruce Ellington and cut the deficit to 27-20. But after getting the ball back at their 1 with 43 seconds left, the Texans failed to reach midfield.BACK FROM INJURIESWatson, defensive lineman J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus returned after finishing 2017 on injured reserve. Watt had two quarterback hurries, but D.J. Reader had the only two sacks of Brady, both late."It's good to play a full game to know it lasts Limited Brandon Bolden Jersey , to know it holds up," said Watt, a three-time defensive player of the year. "I didn't think about it once. So, that's all you can ask for."UNDER PRESSUREWatson, who threw for 301 yards in a 36-33 loss to New England last year in his second NFL start, botched a handoff with Miller in the first quarter, setting up the Patriots for their first touchdown. In the second quarter, Watson inexplicably chucked the ball into the end zone for a double-covered Vyncint Smith on a second-and-3 from the New England 42.Stephon Gilmore brought it down for the interception."I think it was terrible, on my part," Watson said. "I just feel like you can put the 'L' on me."INJURIESTexans: DE Christian Covington injured his thigh in the first quarter. T Seantrel Henderson left after getting his left ankle rolled a few plays later. Kevin Johnson left with what the team said was a concussion and did not return.Patriots: RB Jeremy Hill left with a right knee injury on the Gronkowski fumble in the third quarter.LATE SERIESAfter the Texans forced New England to punt in the final minute, Ryan Allen landed the ball inside the 5-yard line and Jonathan Jones downed it at the 1. Houston advanced to the 16 on a penalty for leading with the helmet and Watson found DeAndre Hopkins for 14 yards before scrambling for 13 more.From his 43 with 5 seconds left, Watson chucked the ball as far as the 10, but it was knocked away.