Pats Pulpit
Two quotes from the rankings stuck out this week:
“They just keep on winning,” and also,
“…the Patriots have the No. 1 defensive strength of schedule in the NFL to date.”
Those who continue to harp on the soft schedule when conjuring up reasons to dismiss the Patriots winning streak and record ignore two points. 1. Teams can only play the teams on their schedule, and 2. The Patriots have played some of the toughest defenses in the league en route to 9-2. Drake Maye has put together MVP-caliber stats against some strong blitz-heavy and pass rush teams — and without bonafide stars to bail him out on offense. This roster as a unit is playing well above the sum of its parts, and it’s been a glorious ride.
With the 9-2 Denver Broncos on a bye week, the Patriots have a chance to leap into first place in the AFC. New England needs to take care of business in Cincinnati and come home with a win. The loss of defensive standout Milton Williams will be felt, but the team is hoping Christian Barmore and others will step up to fill his role. The Bengals are dealing with their own injuries plus the potential loss of top WR J’Marr Chase, who will learn later today if his suspension will be reduced to a fine.
Two other games to keep an eye on will be Bills at Texans and Colts at Chiefs. The Patriots currently control their own destiny and can literally win their way to the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Broncos, Colts, and Bills are right on their heels as shadow opponents each week. WR Kayshon Boutte (toe) and RB Rhamondre Stevenson are expected to return to practice Wednesday, but it’s unclear if they will be ready to make the trip to Cincinnati. The Pats are currently favored by 7 points. I believe they will pull out another win – and cover – on the road to return to Foxborough at 10-2.
GO PATS!!
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (9-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-7)
Buffalo Bills (7-3) at Houston Texans (5-5)
Miami Dolphins (4-7) – Bye Week
New York Jets (2-8) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5)
AFC Matchups:
Denver Broncos (9-2) – Bye Week
Indianapolis Colts (8-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) at Chicago Bears (7-3)
Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) – Bye Week
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) vs. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
Tennessee Titans (1-9) vs. Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
2nd – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): They just keep on winning. Soft schedule or not, they have the look of a team headed for the top seed in the conference. [+1]
2nd – Nate Davis (USA Today): Their league-leading nine victories are already more than they won the last two seasons … combined. And with the AFC’s easiest remaining schedule on the way out, quite conceivable that the Pats get to 13 or 14 wins. —*Only 2 head...
