New England Patriots - NESN.com
The sports media landscape has spent Monday celebrating the New England Patriots after their Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Most analysts agree the Patriots are a real title contender, but not everyone is on board.
Former tight end Greg Olsen veered from the pack when asked about New England’s legitimacy as a Super Bowl contender on Monday’s “Wake Up Barstool.”
“No,” Olsen answered.
When pressed to elaborate, the Fox broadcaster insisted he’s impressed by the Patriots. Olsen said Drake Maye could win MVP and Mike Vrabel is a deserving Coach of the Year candidate, but he’s not ready to consider New England a championship squad.
“I think the Patriots are very good,” Olsen said. “I think Drake Maye can potentially be an MVP guy down the stretch. I don’t think the roster is quite there yet.”
Olsen hesitated when asked if he sees the Buffalo Bills as a Super Bowl contender. While they’re not his top choice after Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, he still gives them a better shot than the Patriots.
Oddsmakers also aren’t pegging the Patriots as a top-tier title threat. They have the 10th-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl on ESPN Bet (+1600) and DraftKings (+1900) and 11th (+2200) on FanDuel.
On the other hand, The Athletic’s Playoff Simulator is far more optimistic. The projection model gives New England more than a 99 percent probability of reaching the postseason and an 11 percent chance to win the Super Bowl, the second-highest behind the Los Angeles Rams.
Defeating the 2-7 New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football” probably wouldn’t change Olsen’s mind.
