Will Sunday’s Bills-Patriots game be a snow game?

If Sunday’s Payments-Patriots sport already wasn’t thrilling sufficient, Mom Nature would possibly present some further enjoyable to the motion at Gillette Stadium.

Most climate projections name for snowfall in Foxborough on Sunday. Foxborough and the encompassing areas are anticipated to get two to 3 inches of snow Saturday night time into Sunday forward of the 1 p.m. kickoff, the Nationwide Climate Service initiatives.

AccuWeather projects that there’ll be an 86 percent chance of snow in Foxborough on Sunday. It’s additionally projecting as much as three inches of snow in Foxborough someday between Saturday night time and Sunday afternoon.

The Climate Channel, in the meantime, is projecting that there will be “light snow” on Sunday morning, which “will give solution to some clearing through the afternoon.”

As for the temperature, the projected excessive is 32 levels, in response to AccuWeather.

If it does snow at Gillette Stadium throughout Sunday’s sport, it’d mark the Patriots’ first snow sport since 2023. That was when the Patriots misplaced to the Jets, 17-3, within the 2023 season finale, which wound up being Invoice Belichick’s closing sport as New England’s head coach.

So, Sunday may mark the primary time that Drake Maye will play within the snow in his NFL profession. However the North Carolina native has been cognizant of the potential of enjoying within the snow this 12 months, as Maye and the Patriots voted to have a observe in November outdoor as an alternative of indoors to get used to the weather.

“I had some cold-weather video games final 12 months and this crew is up right here, enjoying, and we’re attempting to make it exhausting to play up right here in December and late within the season,” Maye told reporters in November. “I feel now we have the benefit. Simply attempting to embrace it. I feel a part of it’s simply mentality, simply getting on the market, out of the locker room, and making a selection. What sort of participant do I wish to be at the moment?

“Good to get used to enjoying in that climate,” Maye added. “It’s simply a part of enjoying up right here and making it one thing that was vital for us to get on the market and embrace being on this climate. I feel it’s good to have the ability to observe in it. I feel it’s a bonus.”

As for the Payments, they performed within the snow simply final week. Josh Allen was capable of thrive within the flurry circumstances as nicely, scoring 4 complete touchdowns of their 39-34 victory over the Bengals. So, the Patriots received’t have a lot of a bonus if it does snow, or may even be at an obstacle contemplating how nicely the Payments’ offense performed final week.

If it does wind up snowing, Sunday’s sport has an opportunity to hitch the checklist of memorable snow video games in Patriots historical past. There was the 59-0 win over the Titans within the snow in 2009. Each of the Patriots’ playoff victories over Peyton Manning’s Colts got here in a snowy Foxborough (2003, 2004) as nicely.

There was additionally the memorable “Snowplow Recreation,” which happened 43 years in the past on Friday. In fact, one of many video games that began the Patriots’ dynasty run happened within the snow, too. The snow was entrance and middle within the “Tuck Rule Recreation,” with the Patriots coming again to beat the Raiders within the 2001 playoff matchup as Adam Vinatieri needed to make a pair of clutch kicks within the robust circumstances.

Even when it doesn’t snow on Sunday, the Payments-Patriots matchup is likely to be the largest at Gillette Stadium since Tom Brady’s departure. A victory for the Patriots will safe them their first division title since 2019.