Patriots Playoff Outlook: AFC’s Top Seed In Play

11 weeks down, six (and a bye) weeks remaining for the Patriots who, at 7-4, find themselves where they spent much of the last two decades… atop the AFC East.

It is a bit surprising considering the Patriots aren’t even two years out of the Tom Brady era and the fact that the Buffalo Bills, supposedly, won the division over the summer. Unfortunately for Bills Mafia, the latter is not true as they now look up at the surging Patriots as they continue to stumble down the stretch.

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PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 20: Will The Patriots Win The AFC East? Week 11 Picks and Predictions

The Patriots are currently third in the Conference behind the Tennesse Titans (8-3) and the Baltimore Ravens (7-3). New England holds the tiebreaker over the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) by virtue of their 2-4 conference. By contrast, the Patriots are 5-1 against AFC competition. The offense, under rookie quarterback Mac Jones, currently ranks 6th in the NFL at 27.3 points per game. The defense, however, is the best in the league at not giving up points, allowing just 16.1 a game. During their current five-game winning streak, Bill Belichick’s defense is allowing just 10 a game.

AFC Playoff Picture after WK 11

1 #Titans 8-3
2 #RavensFlock 7-3
3 #ForeverNE 7-4
4 #ChiefsKingdom 7-4
5 #RuleTheJungle 6-4
6 #BoltUp 6-4
7 #BillsMafia 6-4

In the hunt
8 #HereWeGo 5-4-1
9 #ForTheShoe 6-5
10 #Browns 6-5
11 #RaiderNation 5-5
12 #BroncosCountry 5-5
13 #FinsUp 4-7

— Full Press NFL (@FullPressNFL) November 22, 2021

Jones and the Patriots got a mini bye this week by virtue of playing Thursday Night but their full week off doesn’t come until Week 14. Before then, they have their biggest games of the season against the AFC-leading Titans and the first of two matchups with the Buffalo Bills. A win over the Titans and a Ravens loss would give the Patriots sole possession of the top seed in the Conference. An envious position considering there is only one first-round bye in the playoffs with the addition of a seventh team.

Out of the bye week, the Patriots face Jonathan Taylor and the suddenly surging Indianapolis Colts on the road before their second matchup with the Bills. The Patriots end the season at home against the Jaguars and then on the road against the Dolphins.

Going 4-2, with at least one win against the Bills, should be enough to win the AFC East and guarantee a home playoff game. However, given the state of the AFC and the fact that the Patriots look like, arguably, the best team, the division should be considered the floor for this team. Heading into the year, a Super Bowl birth wasn’t really a realistic expectation. If anything, there were too many uncertainties to say for sure if they were or were not championship caliber. Well, you can say, definitively, the Patriots are Super Bowl contenders.