Pats Pulpit
Sunday’s epic upset thriller in Buffalo became an instant classic. The undefeated Bills, wearing their spanking new Rivalry white ‘Cold Front’ uniforms, hosted New England for the final time at their old Highmark Stadium. Fans dressed to create a ‘white-out’ vibe, but the outfits weren’t enough. The Patriots prevailed 23-20, in a gritty, turnover-fueled nail-biter that snapped Buffalo’s perfect record and sent New England soaring from rebuilding mediocrity straight into the playoff conversation.
The win was far from flawless, especially early on, but the victory belonged to the whole team. The difference on Sunday was how they battled back. The defense was solid, and Drake Maye put together a game-winning drive to set up rookie Andy Borregales for a last-second 52-yard field goal. Stefon Diggs described it as “electrifying” and I agree.
What happens next? The Patriots travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The league already decided this matchup wasn’t worth a late afternoon time slot and flexed it back to 1:00 pm. The Saints 1-4 record should not be overlooked however, just as the Bills’ 4-0 record didn’t matter. If Mike Vrabel keeps his team motivated to face an opponent with only one win — and without the Bills division-rival energy — the Patriots will be fine. The Pats are favored by 3.5 points and I believe they will beat the Saints and improve to 4-2.
GO PATS!!
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Around the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (4-1) at Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
New England Patriots (3-2) at New Orleans Saints (1-4)
Miami Dolphins (1-4) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
New York Jets (0-5) vs. Denver Broncos (3-2)
AFC Matchups:
Indianapolis Colts (4-1) vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-4)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) vs. Detroit Lions (4-1)
Houston Texans (2-3) – Bye
Baltimore Ravens (1-4) vs. Los Angeles Rams (3-2)
Tennessee Titans (1-4) at Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
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13th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): Mike Vrabel has instilled a toughness on the defense and Drake Maye has arrived. They will be a tough battle every week and could push the Bills in the division. [+5]
14th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): Coupled with North Carolina getting blown out (again), it was the franchise’s best weekend since winning Super Bowl LIII. [+9]
15th – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots’ coming out party under Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels happened with Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs, the running game and defense coming through to make things interesting with the Bills in the AFC East again. [+6]
15th – Nate Davis (USA Today): Their next three opponents have a combined three wins. Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye seem on the cusp of resurrecting this franchise from its recent dormancy. [+7]
16th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): *Drake Maye had been playing quite well, and after Sunday’s performance in the upset over the Bills, everyone will start talking about him. That was his...
