New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots are in a pretty good spot as they enter Week 11 of the 2025 campaign. Thanks to an ongoing seven-game win streak, the Pats have an 8-2 record, which is tied with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos for the best record in the league.
In the process, the Patriots have taken complete control of the AFC East. They essentially have a two-game lead atop the division thanks to the fact that they own the tiebreaker over the Buffalo Bills currently after they took them down back in Week 5. Assuming New England keeps taking care of business, it should be able to hold on and win the division.
Why not aim for bigger goals, though? The Patriots are firmly in the mix for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and according to Pro Football Focus’ latest playoff odds, they have the best shot of earning the top spot in their conference heading into Week 11.
There are several factors that have helped the Patriots earn these odds. There’s obviously been a lot of chatter about their schedule, and while the team has faced an easy slate of opponents so far this year, that isn’t going to change down the stretch. Matchups against the Bills and Baltimore Ravens are really the only “difficult” games left on their schedule.
There’s no such thing as an easy game in the NFL, though. New England has benefited from a lighter schedule, yes, but it has still been winning on a consistent basis. Going out and beating teams you are supposed to beat isn’t always easy, but that’s something they have specialized in.
While they won’t have a tiebreaker over the Colts or Broncos when it comes to their strength of schedule, the Patriots have a legit shot of finishing with the best record in the AFC. They can take another step towards achieving that goal on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 by taking down the New York Jets.
