Bills focus on themselves, not defending their AFC East title that's on the line against New England

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — For Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, the expectation of winning at New England on Sunday is more important than the motivation to prevent the Patriots from wrenching the AFC East title away from Buffalo.

Of course, Dawkins on Wednesday said “it’s very important” for the Bills (9-4) to stop Drake Maye and the upstart Patriots (11-2) from ending Buffalo’s divisional run of dominance. But the Bills' expectation to win every week isn’t any different.

“We play the game to win. So our goal is to win everything,” Dawkins said.

“But it ain’t about defending the title,” he added, pumping his fist and pretending to shout the final three words in a loud whisper. “We just got to be the best version of ourselves.”

Dawkins’ comments about this weekend's matchup were echoed by numerous teammates and coach Sean McDermott.

With a win, the Patriots would sweep the season series and clinch their first AFC East title since 2019, while relegating Buffalo to chasing a wild-card playoff berth. Even if the Bills win, they would still need help to catch the Patriots over the final three weeks.

“We think we understand as a team what’s at stake. But I don’t think that’s going to influence anything,” Josh Allen said.

“At the same time, (an AFC East title) doesn’t guarantee you anything other than making the playoffs,” the reigning MVP added. “At the end of the day, that’s our main goal. And we have an opportunity to put ourselves in a better position.”

The Bills have little to show for winning five straight division titles. The closest they’ve come to a Super Bowl berth is a pair of losses to Kansas City in the AFC championship game in 2020 and last season.

And yet, should the Bills make the playoffs as a wild card, they’d have to start on the road, where Buffalo has lost six straight postseason games. That run includes three losses under Allen and dates to 1992, when the Bills defeated Miami in the AFC championship before a 52-17 loss to Dallas in the Super Bowl.

After a stretch of four losses in seven games, the Bills have looked better the past two weeks, winning at Pittsburgh and beating Cincinnati at home. McDermott says his team has begun to show its toughness.

“We’re getting there. I think we’re moving in the right direction,” McDermott said. “It’s maybe happened a little bit later than we would have liked, but I really appreciate how the players and the staff have persevered through it all.”

Against Pittsburgh, the Bills finished with a season-high 249 yards rushing while playing without their two starting offensive tackles. Against Cincinnati, Buffalo's injury-depleted defense — top pass rusher Joey Bosa was out — manufactured a blitz that led to cornerback Christian Benford's game-changing interception return for a touchdown.

Receiver Gabe Davis was among the few Bills players willing to address the stakes for this weekend head-on.

“Can we still go to the playoffs if we’re not the AFC East champs?” Davis asked rhetorically.

“Now do I believe that we are going to be AFC East champs? Yeah. I believe that,” he added. “And I believe everyone here still has the goal to be an AFC East champ.”

RT Spencer Brown said he's ready to return after missing two games with a right shoulder injury. Bosa resumed practicing on Wednesday in a limited capacity. TE Dawson Knox missed practice for personal reasons.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott watches from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) runs for a touchdown after intercepting a pass by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. Also seen are Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (52), Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) and Buffalo Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau (50). (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Trump administration announced plans Wednesday to add another militarized zone to the southern border — this time in California — as part of a major shift that has thrust troops into border enforcement with Mexico like never before.

The Department of Interior said it would transfer jurisdiction along most of California's border with Mexico to the Navy to reinforce “the historic role public lands have played in safeguarding national sovereignty."

The Interior Department described the newest national defense area in California as a high-traffic zone for unlawful crossings by immigrants. But Border Patrol arrests along the southern U.S. border this year have dropped to the slowest pace since the 1960s amid President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations.

The move places long stretches of the border under the supervision of nearby military bases, empowering U.S. troops to detain people who enter the country illegally and sidestep a law prohibiting military involvement in civilian law enforcement. It is done under the authority of the national emergency on the border declared by Trump on his first day in office.

The military strategy was pioneered in April along a 170-mile (275-kilometer) stretch of the border in New Mexico and later expanded to portions of the border in Texas and Arizona.

The newly designated militarized zone extends nearly from the Arizona state line to the Otay Mountain Wilderness, traversing the Imperial Valley and border communities including the unincorporated community of Tecate, California, across the border from the Mexican city with the same name.

More than 7,000 troops have been deployed to the border, along with an assortment of helicopters, drones and surveillance equipment.

The zones allow U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and others who are accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force or Navy bases. Those apprehended also could face additional criminal charges that can mean prison time.

U.S. authorities say the zones are needed to close gaps in border enforcement and help in the wider fight against human smuggling networks and brutal drug cartels.

“By working with the Navy to close long-standing security gaps, we are strengthening national defense, protecting our public lands from unlawful use, and advancing the President’s agenda,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a news release.

The new militarized zone was announced the same day a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to end the deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles and return control of those troops to the state.

The state sued after Trump called up more than 4,000 California National Guard troops in June without Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval to further the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

FILE - Concertina wire lines the interior of a border wall separating Tijuana, Mexico, from the United States, June 4, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)