The Patriots continue to shift the narrative from “cute story” to “legitimate contender” and the rankings reflect the ambivalence. While the majority of NFL writers have bought in to Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel as the real deal, they’re not quite sold on the rest of the roster. Others still credit the team’s ‘soft schedule’ for the wins.
New England was so bad the last few years it’s understandable that the experts want to poke a bit at the strength of the resurgence. How solid really, is that 8-2
record? The Patriots have won seven in a row with two of those wins against the Bills — who are still favored above the Pats, despite the fact that Buffalo sits behind them in the standings — and the Buccaneers, leaders of the NFC South. No gimme-games there.
Up next the New York Jets come to Foxborough on Thursday night. Short weeks can be equalizers, and division games are a crapshoot. Just ask the Bills after whiffing to the 2-7 Dolphins last week. The Jets sent two of their top players away at the trade deadline, CB Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams, and were able to beat the Browns without them. In another blow, WR Garrett Wilson’s availability is in doubt due to re-injuring his knee. What propelled the Jets to victory was their special teams: Kene Nwangwu’s 99-yard kickoff return TD and Isaiah Williams’ 74-yard punt return TD, coming only 36 seconds apart. QB Justin Fields was awful enough against the Browns, the New York media is suggesting head coach Aaron Glenn should turn to backup Tyrod Taylor. Glenn has chosen to not entertain any questions about the quarterbacks or which one will get the nod. I’m guessing the Pats will be fine either way.
Early odds have the Patriots as 11.5 favorites but I personally wouldn’t trust the spread in a division game. Taking the not-enough-rest-and-recovery short-week into consideration I still think Patriots win handily, especially if they get on the board early and limit turnovers. Must-see TV!
GO PATS!!
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (8-2) vs. New York Jets (2-7)
Buffalo Bills (6-3) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
Miami Dolphins (3-7) vs. Washington Commanders (3-7)
AFC Matchups:
Indianapolis Colts (8-2) – Bye Week
Denver Broncos (8-2) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
Baltimore Ravens (4-5) at Cleveland Browns (2-7)
Houston Texans (4-5) at Tennessee Titans (1-8)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) vs. Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)
3rd – Nate Davis (USA Today): Coach Mike Vrabel proclaimed them “NFC South champs” after they completed a four-game sweep of the division with three touchdowns Sunday at Tampa that covered at least 50 yards. But the Pats, who have won seven straight, should have much bigger prizes in their sights. [+3]
3rd – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): Drake Maye for MVP. It’s possible. The schedule gets really soft the next three weeks to help bolster his chances. [+2]
4th – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots had some worries in Tampa Bay but Drake Maye came through again, this time with the defense taking over the spotlight for Mike Vrabel. New England is a real threat to win the AFC and hold off the Bills in the AFC East. [+5]
4th – Conor Orr (SI): Here’s a column on Robert Kraft and a decision he made on Mike Vrabel that I don’t think he’ll ever get the proper credit for. [+4]
4th – NFL Nation (ESPN): Non-QB MVP: WR Stefon Diggs. There’s the stat line: 50 receptions for 554 yards and three TDs. And then there’s the leadership, as Diggs has been a force multiplier to help bring out the best in others. In Sunday’s win, running back TreVeyon Henderson credited Diggs with an inspirational halftime talk that sparked the rookie’s touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards in the second half. Diggs also recovered the game-sealing onside kick, reflecting how he has mostly come through in the critical moments. — Mike Reiss. [+4]
6th – Ralph Vacchiano (FOX Sports): Seven straight wins are impossible to ignore. Yes, most were against bad teams. But wins over the Bills and Bucs count for a lot. Plus, they’ve got the favorite now for Coach of the Year and MVP. [+3]
7th – Eric Edholm (NFL.com): Clearly, these Power Rankings have triggered Patriots fans, many of whom have let it be known that I’ve been too slow to get on the bandwagon. Following a shaky win over the Falcons at home, the Patriots stepped up in weight class on the road and earned one of their bigger victories of the season at Tampa, and I have no choice but to hop aboard now. Drake Maye made some big plays, per usual, but this team is about so much more than the QB. Rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson had his best game as a pro by far, and the defense made several clutch stops, none bigger than the fourth-down stuff in the final minutes. Mike Vrabel showed his coaching chops with some brilliant game management before the half, going from down 10-7 to leading 21-10 in the span of a few plays after getting the ball first in the third quarter. He’s also coaching up a smart, hard-nosed team. [+4]
7th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): Could they be on the front end of a new dynasty? [+2]
8th – Diante Lee (The Ringer): By the time we get to mid-December, the Patriots could have a dozen wins, the AFC East title, and an avenue to the top seed in its conference. New England’s already 8-2 on the year, and its next three opponents are the Giants, Jets, and Bengals. Quarterback Drake Maye has been phenomenal this season; his defense has beaten up on below-average opponents; and Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers unearthed an explosive element to the run game. I still don’t think the Patriots fit the billing of true contenders yet, but this franchise clearly made the right moves in the offseason–bringing in head coach Mike Vrabel and building a better infrastructure around Maye. Those are paying dividends. [+3]
8th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): The Patriots have played the easiest schedule this season and it’s bound to get tougher, right? Not really. The Patriots have the second-easiest remaining schedule, according to DVOA. There’s a good reason they’re the new favorite in the AFC East. [nc]
AVG RANK: 5.4 [+3.1]
