NFL Week 18 schedule released as New England Patriots could land No. 1 pick in NFL Draft
BOSTON – New England Patriots fans now know when they'll be watching their team play its final game of the season as the NFL released its full schedule for Week 18.
Week 18 schedule
The Patriots host the Buffalo Bills for the second time in three weeks to close out a disappointing campaign in the first season for both head coach Jerod Mayo and rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
New England put up a strong fight in the first meeting with the Bills before eventually falling 24-21 on the road.
The game, which is taking place at Gillette Stadium, will kick off Sunday at 1 p.m., the league announced.
Patriots draft pick
While the Patriots have no postseason implications to play for, there is plenty on the line for New England. With one more loss, the Patriots would clinch the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
There's just one problem for Patriots fans. Buffalo has nothing to play for, and as a result could play their reserves for an extended period of time – or the whole game. The Bills are locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC and won't move in the standings no matter what happens.
The Patriots have the chance at the No. 1 pick thanks to a shocking Sunday win by the New York Giants over the Indianapolis Colts. If New England wins on Sunday, it can't fall any lower than the No. 4 pick.
We'll get you ready for this weekend's Patriots-Bills game Sunday morning with Patriots GameDay at 11:30 a.m. (which you can also stream on CBSBoston.com). Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on WBZ-TV.
