The New England Patriots will revisit familiar faces in Orchard Park.
In addition to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and assistant offensive line coach Ryan Wendell, there are four former Patriots players between the active roster and practice squad of the Buffalo Bills.
And there is the reigning NFL Defensive Player on the other side of the AFC East meeting, as well.
Here’s a rundown of those ties entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
BUFFALO
Jake Kumerow, wide receiver – Kumerow, who joined Buffalo’s practice squad at its formation in September, spent two weeks on New England’s practice squad in the fall of 2017. The Wisconsin-Whitewater wideout finished that campaign with the Green Bay Packers, and went on to catch 20 passes for 320 yards with a pair of touchdowns in green and gold up through last campaign. Kumerow, now 28, first entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Lee Smith, tight end – The Patriots called Smith’s number in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL draft. The blocking tight end out of Marshall would be waived after his rookie preseason and claimed by Buffalo. And since then, Smith, 23, has appeared in 125 games and made 71 starts. He stands with 61 receptions for 424 yards and notched ninth career touchdown last month. Smith, who has also been a member of the then-Oakland Raiders, returned to the Bills on a three-year, $9 million pact an offseason ago. He spent Week 7 on the Covid-19 reserve list.
Jordan Devey, guard – The Bills have frequently protected Devey on the 16-man practice squad since the tuba-playing lineman by way of Snow College and Memphis signed in September. And Devey, 32, was elevated last weekend against the New York Jets. Now on his sixth NFL stop, Devey stopped by Foxborough for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He saw the field for seven games and four starts while earning a Super Bowl XLIX ring. The Patriots traded Devey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for tight end Asante Cleveland in August 2015.
Corey Bojorquez, punter – In the company of Ryan Allen, Bojorquez stayed on New England’s sideline for four preseason games after his invite to rookie minicamp in 2018 gave way to an offer. The left-footed punter from Cerritos College and New Mexico would not stay past Labor Day weekend, however. Buffalo claimed Bojorquez off waivers instead. Bojorquez played in eight games during his rookie regular season with the Bills, going on injured reserve following a Patriots matchup. But he remained for every game in 2019, and age 24, has averaged 50.8 yards per punt thus far into 2020. A long of 72 yards being among them.
NEW ENGLAND
Stephon Gilmore, cornerback – The South Carolina product, taken No. 10 overall by Buffalo in 2012, agreed to terms with New England on a five-year, $65 million deal as 2017 free agency opened. Gilmore had started 66 games as a Bill, and went to the Pro Bowl during his final run on the cornerback depth chart. The 30-year-old has started each of his appearances from openers to Super Bowls since then with New England. A total of 13 interceptions, with a pair returned for touchdowns, have been accrued along the way for Gilmore. So have consecutive first-team All-Pro selections and the aforementioned 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.