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FOXBORO - Reporters didn't have to bring notepads or recorders to Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, just good memories.

The quotes have all been used before, although not for some time.

Taking care of business was the theme of the day for the New England Patriots, their speaking representatives confirming that scoreboard watching would have to wait until their business with the Buffalo Bills was concluded around 4 p.m. Sunday.

"I don't think anybody looks at whether we're going to get in (the playoffs) or not," linebacker Mike Vrabel said Tuesday. "We're just trying to get prepared to play our best football, and hopefully we can win on Sunday. Then if we win, we'll see what happens after that."

Fortunately, the National Football League has already limited the amount of "scoreboard watching" the Patriots can do Sunday. They will be playing the Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium (1 p.m., Ch. 4, 12) with an 11-5 record and continued life in the AFC playoff hunt at stake. But the league changed the times of the other games affecting the Patriots' chances to make the playoffs - Miami at the New York Jets and Jacksonville at Baltimore - to 4:15 p.m.

As a result, the Patriots can be solely focused upon what they're doing without seeing either positive or negative outcomes taking shape elsewhere. Later in the day, the Jets, Dolphins and Ravens will all know whether the Patriots have forced them to maintain their end of the battle at a level of high intensity.

The playoff scenario is relatively simple. The Patriots must win in Buffalo, then hope that the Jets (losers of four of their last five games) can win or tie at home against the Dolphins (winners of eight of their last nine) to make the Patriots the AFC East champion and the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, hosts of a wild-card playoff game on Jan. 3 or 4.

Should Miami prevail, the Patriots would need for Jacksonville to win or tie Baltimore to make them the No. 6 seed and heading on the road for that wild-card game against No. 3.

The best scenario puts the Patriots in the unenviable position on their flight back from Buffalo of "rooting" for the Jets to win - although Vrabel made that sound as if it would be as distasteful to the Patriots as it is to most members of Patriot Nation.

"We're not in a 'rooter' mode right now," he said Tuesday. "We're just going to go out there and play hard. We've got plenty to worry about with Buffalo."

"None of the other stuff matters unless we take care of business and we play well against Buffalo," wide receiver Wes Welker said. "And they showed last week (in a 30-23 win over AFC West-leading Denver) that they're a resilient team. We're definitely going to have to play our best game."

Tackle Matt Light, who managed to play close to half of his team's 47-7 blowout of the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday despite a mild separation of his left shoulder, said it would behoove the Patriots to get out to another fast start against the Bills.

"We did that last week, and I think that's been pretty key for us when we've had some of these victories to go out and have success early, running the ball or throwing it," he said.

Weather, as always, could play a factor in a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium. A weekend snowstorm dumped 14-18 inches of the white stuff on Orchard Park, and the Bills have been advertising in local media for snow shovelers to clean out Ralph Wilson Stadium for $10 an hour. Temperatures will be on the rise in Buffalo this week with anticipated highs of 50 on Saturday, but long-range forecasts for Sunday indicate temperatures in the mid-30s and snow or rain showers - just another factor that makes the Bills the most dangerous opponent the Patriots could face at this juncture.

"They're a team that's relentless," Light said. "They're always there to the very end, and they're not going to give up and take plays off. That's just their style."

"Once our game's over, then maybe we can start worrying about the other stuff," Welker added. "Right now, we're just concentrating on Buffalo and making sure we're getting ourselves prepared for them."

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.