It’s been a decade since Bills fans could cheer on their team at home on Monday Night Football, and nearly two and a half decades since Bills fans have seen their team win at home on Monday Night Football. With the Patriots coming to town, fans might have to wait a bit longer for that home MNF win.

“They were in the Super Bowl last year and have won the division X amount of years,” said Bills head coach Sean McDermott. “I’ve been in this position before, and until you beat them, they’re going to be favored. That’s how it works.”

That’s how it works and that’s how it’s been as long as Tom Brady’s been under-center for New England. The 5-2 Patriots are averaging 30.6 points per game while the 2-5 Bills are last in the league in that department, averaging just 11.6 points per game. So if the Bills want their first home MNF win since 1994 they’ll need to score — a big task and big ask for quarterback Derek Anderson who will start for the second time this season.

“They got a good defense,” Anderson said. “They’ve got a good scheme to try and take away guys and who they think they are going to be our biggest threats and take away the things that we do well. They are a good football team, but I just have to focus on their defense.”

A good sign for Anderson and the Bills offense, running back LeSean McCoy is expected to play has he was removed from concussion protocol. The star running back has been in evaluation since the second play of the game last Sunday against the Colts. He has practiced all week on a limited fashion and could provide a much needed boost for a group struggling to muster points.

Another impactful player managing an injury is Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. The Amherst native missed last week’s game with a back injury. Although his numbers have dipped this year, a healthy Gronk is always a challenge for opposing defenses to stop.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. at New Era Field, but as Bills fans know, the festivities will start much earlier, especially with the hometown team in the national spotlight. The camper lot opened Sunday and there were already plenty of fans setting up their tailgates. For traffic, Abbott Road will close at 3:15 p.m. Monday. If you plan on parking in a Bills lot, be patient, because they don’t open until 4:15 p.m. with stadium gates opening at 6:45 p.m.

Halloween is Wednesday so some fans may decide to wear a costume, but take notice of some prohibited items listed on the Bills website. No weapons, hats or other clothes that would block others’ views of the field are allowed in, as well as clothes with profane language.

Local restaurants and bars are also preparing for the first MNF game in WNY since 2008.

“They’re there at 8 in the morning. We’ll be stretching all the pies,” said Mark Greico, Johnny’s Pizzeria and Restaurant. “And if it’s super busy we’ll blanch the wings for five minutes and then cook them another 10 minutes, and we’ll get a lot of pies dressed up ahead of time.”

“Mondays are usually a slower day during the football season, unless the Bills are playing on a Monday night, which totally helps. We can double, triple sales sometimes, on a Monday, just from a Bills game,” said Scott Peters, Mia Mangia Pizzeria owner.

There will be some added fanfare at halftime when the Bills will officialy retire No. 34 for Thurman Thomas. Fans will have the chance to remember this occasion with special hats available at the team store. Jim Kelly and Bruce Smith are the only other plays to have their numbers retired. Hats are $35 each and available at the stadium.

The Bills haven’t won a MNF game since a 1999 road win against Miami and haven’t won a home MNF game since a 1994 matchup against the Broncos — streaks that the Bills will hope to reset tonight.