Pats Pulpit
Falcons fans at Gillette Stadium waved their “Rise Up” signs to rally the visiting team on Sunday, but it was the Patriots who took it to heart. Another win gave them six in a row plus another boost up the power rankings. New England is showing consistency in a chaotic NFL year. Last week, seven games were decided by one score or less. The Patriots currently control their own destiny and that’s mind-boggling considering how low they’ve been ranked the past five years.
Up next the Patriots are on the road to Tampa Bay to face the 6-2 Buccaneers, followed by a Thursday Night game vs. the Jets at home. The Baker Mayfield-led Bucs are coming off their bye and it will be a tough matchup. Mayfield is a competitor who won’t give up, so the Pats will need all 60 minutes — no napping. I’ll be hoping to see another fast start from New England and a stout defense to allow the Patriots to play with a lead — we saw how valuable that was against the Falcons. The Bills have an easier challenge, facing the Dolphins in Miami this week.
Pats head into this game as an underdog (2.5), but if they win the turnover battle, I believe they’ll win straight up. Christian Gonzalez cleared concussion protocol and his team plays well on the road.
GO PATS!!
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (7-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
Buffalo Bills (6-2) at Miami Dolphins (2-7)
New York Jets (1-7) vs. Cleveland Browns (2-6)
AFC Matchups:
Indianapolis Colts (7-2) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-5)
Denver Broncos (7-2) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3) at Houston Texans (3-5)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) – Bye Week
Baltimore Ravens (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) – Bye Week
Tennessee Titans (1-8) – Bye Week
5th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): They have beaten up on a bad schedule, but they have impressed in doing so. They have a prove-it game this week at Tampa against the Bucs. [+4]
7th – Nate Davis (USA Today): The only team that has yet to allow a running back to rush for 50 yards − and the Pats have faced the likes of Bijan Robinson, James Cook III and De’Von Achane. [+3]
8th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): DeMario Douglas had a good game, but the Patriots still need more at receiver. Stefon Diggs is probably best in a secondary role at this point in his career. New England has the resources to make a strong move before the deadline. [+1]
8th – NFL Nation (ESPN): *Most important game remaining: Week 15 vs. the Bills. The Patriots already beat Buffalo in Week 5, and sweeping the season series would give them the edge in a potential tiebreaker in the AFC East standings. The Bills have won the past five division titles. On the day New England coach Mike Vrabel was hired in January,...
