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A16 sports
Wednesday 30 december 2020
Bills earn 1st sweep of Patriots since ‘99 with 38-9 win

By KYLE HIGHTOWER Their absences were
AP Sports Writer most glaring in the pass-
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ing game. New England
— The Buffalo Bills put a struggled to put pressure
cherry atop the changing on Allen, allowing him time
of the guard in the AFC to find open receivers. The
East. Patriots allowed a season-
A week after unseating the worst 474 yards overall.
Patriots as division cham- “They outplayed us across
pions, Buffalo became the the board, outplayed us
first AFC East team in two and out-coached us,”
decades to sweep New Belichick said.
England in a season series The Patriots closed to 10-9
with a 38-9 victory Monday on Newton’s 9-yard TD run
night. in the second quarter, but
Josh Allen passed for four Nick Folk missed the extra
touchdowns to help the Bills point and the Bills pulled
stay in the mix for the No. 2 away from there.
seed in the AFC playoffs. Buffalo used its passing
The Bills (12-3) last swept the game to march down the
Patriots in 1999. The last di- field on the ensuing drive.
vision opponents to sweep Allen completed 5 of 7
the Patriots were the Jets Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) celebrates his touchdown with teammates in the throws for 59 yards and a
and Dolphins in 2000. The second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in 4-yard TD to Lee Smith.
Patriots’ 19 straight seasons Foxborough, Mass. After a quick three-and-out
without losing both games Associated Press by New England, the Bills
to a divisional opponent to 13-3 and give ourselves an ankle injury. Cam New- about who will start the Pa- went right back to work.
was an NFL record. New a chance in the playoffs. It ton had a touchdown run triots’ finale Sunday against Allen misfired on his first pass
England (6-9) will finish with doesn’t mean much if we but was just 5 of 10 for 34 the New York Jets. of the drive, and then con-
its first losing record since can’t get it done.” yards passing before being “It was the opportunity nected with Diggs for 17
coach Bill Belichick’s first Stefon Diggs had nine pulled in the third quarter to give him a chance to yards to get the ball to mid-
season in 2000. catches for 145 yards and for backup Jarrett Stidham. play,” Belichick said of in- field. Diggs got free again
Allen was 27 of 36 for 320 three touchdowns, setting Newton’s 34 yards passing serting Stidham. “Cam did on the next play, slipping
yards. He now has 34 touch- a Bills single-season record are the fewest by a Patriots a good job for us. I mean, behind J.C. Jackson on a
down passes, surpassing for receiving yards. starting quarterback since that wasn’t the problem. slant and sprinting the final
Jim Kelly to set a franchise “I’m new to this team so I’m 1993. He said the season We were just not very com- 32 yards for the touchdown
single-season record. With basking in (the) ambience has been frustrating be- petitive in the beginning.” to make it 24-9.
his eighth 300-yard game, of everybody,” Diggs said. cause the work he has put The Bills had no trouble The Allen-Diggs connection
he also surpassed Drew “I’ve got a young quarter- in hasn’t translated into moving the ball against a worked again on the open-
Bledsoe’s single-season back who’s balling.” wins. “I’ve sacrificed so depleted Patriots defense ing drive of the second half.
team record of seven. The Patriots struggled to much this year, and it hurts that was missing linebacker Allen found Diggs three
“We’ve got one game left. move the ball for most of when you have an outing Ja’Whaun Bentley and de- times during an eight-play,
And all that, it’s cool, the re- the night with running back that you have tonight,” fensive tackle Lawrence 75-yard drive that ended
cords, this and that,” Allen Damien Harris out for the he said. Belichick said he Guy due to shoulder inju- with an 18-yard TD play by
said. “But the plan is to get second straight game with hasn’t made any decisions ries. the star receiver.q
Swiss skier Gisin ends Shiffrin-Vlhova

winning slalom streak

of 28 slaloms that were won women’s team since Marl- was 16th in the Italian’s
by either Shiffrin, who tri- ies Oester shared victory weakest discipline. Shiffrin’s
umphed 19 times, or Petra with Kristina Koznick of the American teammate Nina
Vlhova. That streak started United States at a race in O’Brien scored a person-
in January 2017. Berchtesgaden, Germany, al best in slalom, finishing
“I broke the incredible run in January 2002. ninth.
of two giants,” Gisin said. The Swiss drought lasted for The floodlit slalom took
“It’s a perfect day.” 162 slaloms. Gisin had nine place a day after strong
Vlhova was nearly nine- previous podium results winds had destroyed parts
tenths off the pace in sixth on the World Cup but was the finish area between
Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin gets to the finish area after after the first run before im- lacking a victory. However, two runs of a giant slalom
completing an alpine ski, women’s World Cup slalom, in proving to fourth. she won Olympic gold in as gusts blew away safety
Semmering, Austria, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. Vlhova had won all five the combined event in Py- fencing and sponsor ban-
Associated Press slaloms since Shiffrin last eongchang in 2018, four ners.
SEMMERING, Austria (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin by two-hun- won in Lienz, Austria, one years after her sister, Domi- Workers rebuilt the setup at
Michelle Gisin earned her dredths of a second but year ago. Katharina Liens- nique Gisin, shared victory the bottom of the Zauber-
maiden World Cup win on posted the second-fastest berger posted the fastest with Tina Maze in the Olym- berg course early Tuesday.
Tuesday, becoming the first time in the final run as the time in the final run and pic downhill from Sochi. The women’s World Cup
Swiss skier to win a women’s American dropped to third, the Austrian trailed Gisin by Federica Brignone, who continues with another sla-
slalom in nearly 19 years. 0.57 behind. 0.11 in second. It was the dethroned Shiffrin as over- lom in Zagreb, Croatia, on
Gisin trailed first-run leader Gisin’s win ended a streak first slalom win for the Swiss all champion last season, Sunday.q