The Buffalo Bills were 2-0 and coming off a thrilling comeback against the Oakland Raiders when they hosted the New England Patriots on Sept. 25, 2011.
There was but one reason for cynicism entering that Sunday afternoon: The Bills had not beaten the Patriots since 2003, a 31-0 blowout in which Tom Brady matched his career-high four interceptions. That streak looked primed to continue as Brady led the Patriots to a 21-0 lead.
Bills fans can relive the magic of what happened next when the classic contest re-airs this Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 p.m. on WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo and WROC Channel 8 in Rochester. It will be the third of four Legendary Bills games presented by Connors and Ferris.
Here is everything you need to know.
The matchup
While Brady marched the Patriots to touchdowns on their first two drives, Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick – one week removed from releasing his iconic "Fitz Scream" during the win over Oakland – threw interceptions on the Bills' first two possessions. A third touchdown from Brady put the Patriots up, 21-0, with 6:06 to play in the first half.
Fitzpatrick and the Bills began to mount their comeback with a touchdown to Stevie Johnson at the two-minute warning. Bryan Scott intercepted Brady on the ensuing Patriots drive, setting up a Rian Lindell field goal that cut the deficit to 21-10 and shifted momentum going into halftime.
"That was a 10-point swing, stopping them from scoring, and then we put three points on the board. We just fed off that," Scott told The Buffalo News. "Going into halftime, we were thinking, 'Guys, we're still in this.' There's nothing to be afraid of. Guys bought into it and we came out of the locker room fired up."
The Bills parlayed that energy into an unforgettable second half in which they intercepted Brady three more times. Drayton Florence returned the fourth interception for a touchdown that put the Bills ahead, 31-24, and produced an image that would live on the following week's cover of Sports Illustrated.
The Patriots had one last response of their own, tying the score with a Wes Welker touchdown with 3:25 remaining. We'll let you tune in to see how it ends.
Where to watch
Tune in this Sunday, Sept. 6, at 12 p.m. ET to WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo and WROC Channel 8 in Rochester.
Where to Follow Along
For more information and for additional Bills content, follow along with the team on buffalobills.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, the Bills Mobile app, presented by M&T Bank, and the My One Buffalo app.
