Patriots Announce Start Time Change For Week 16 Matchup Vs. Bills

The NFL decided to flex the start of the Week 16 matchup between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills.

Initially slated for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff, New England and Buffalo will get underway at 4:25 from Highmark Stadium, the Patriots announced Monday. The game will remain on CBS.

The 3-11 Patriots are coming off a 30-17 loss against the Arizona Cardinals. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is looking forward to the challenge of facing the Bills for the first time in his career, according to MassLive’s Karen Gueregian.

“I think any time you’re facing the Bills twice — we’ll see them a lot down the road, I’m sure, and we’ll have a lot of challenges,” Maye said, per Gueregian. “Any time you face a division opponent like that it gets you ready for years to come.”

The high-powered Bills offense defeated the Detroit Lions 48-42 on Sunday. Quarterback Josh Allen has led Buffalo to its fifth straight AFC East division title.

Two games were originally scheduled on CBS in the late window — the Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers and the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. The start times for both games have not changed, and they will most likely be available on CBS in their respective markets.