The Patriots’ early-season résumé is looking a lot different now that the schedule has tightened up.
After last year’s run ended Buffalo’s five-year grip on the AFC East, New England rode an easy slate all the way to Super Bowl 60. This season has brought a harsher test, and the results have already started to show. The Patriots are dealing with a first-place schedule now, which means matchups like the Jaguars instead of the Titans, and that shift was on full display in Week 3 when the Jags absolutely curb stomped them.
Drake Maye has felt the difference, too. A year ago, he was in the MVP conversation after putting up big numbers against teams like the Giants, Bengals, Saints, and Titans.
Against stronger competition, though, the production has dropped off fast. Through three games, Maye has already thrown six interceptions, after throwing eight all of last year.
That makes the story look a lot clearer. Maye was beating up on weak defenses a season ago, and when the games got tougher, the Patriots’ offense stopped looking so convincing. The playoff picture backed that up as well, with Maye struggling against tougher defenses while opposing offenses also had their own issues in those games against the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos.
New England’s record so far tells the same story. They’ve been beaten by the Seahawks, blown out by the Jaguars, and barely escaped the Steelers.
And the road ahead does not get any softer. The Patriots still have the Bills, an improved Raiders team, and a Jets squad that looks a little feistier than usual on the schedule, along with games against the Lions, Vikings, Chiefs, Broncos, and another meeting with Buffalo later on.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over That Flag
Buffalo fans had every right to bristle after Gregory Rousseau was flagged for roughing the passer on a hit against Justin Herbert, because the call landed right in the middle of the NFLs ongoing confusion over what, exactly, the league wants defenders to do. The roughing the passer rule, especially the so-called body weight standard, has been a source of irritation for years, and this one looked like the sort of play that leaves viewers wondering whether the officials are enforcing the rule as written or as interpreted in the moment.
The frustration only grows when a similar situation in another game involving Patrick Mahomes is part of the conversation, because inconsistency is what makes these penalties feel so hard to swallow. For the Bills, the issue is bigger than one flag. It is about a rule that can swing a drive, alter a game plan, and leave a defense feeling as if it is being asked to thread an impossible needle every time it gets near a quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Sit Atop The AFC For One Very Convincing Reason
Three weeks into the NFL season, the AFCs perfect teams are starting to separate, and Buffalo has clearly made the strongest early case. The Bills are one of three undefeated clubs left in the conference, alongside the Raiders and Chiefs, but theyve done enough already to stand above the group in the early pecking order.
What has set Buffalo apart is the way it has handled business on the field, with the performance of key players and the most recent game results giving the Bills the edge in this informal race. Kansas City and Las Vegas are still unbeaten, too, but for now the Bills sit atop the AFC for a reason that goes beyond the standings alone. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Have 48 Hours To Make One Tough Roster Decision
Phidarian Mathis is back on the Bills active roster after serving his suspension, and that return has put Buffalo on a short clock to sort out the numbers. The move gives the team 48 hours to make a matching roster decision, a familiar kind of late-summer bookkeeping that can quickly turn into a meaningful call for a club trying to keep depth intact on both sides of the ball.
The likeliest path appears to involve rookie guard Armaj Reed-Adams landing on injured reserve, which would open the necessary space without forcing Buffalo to part with one of its defensive linemen. DeWayne Carter and Mike Danna remain among the players the team seems inclined to keep in the fold, but until the Bills actually file the corresponding move, the roster picture stays unfinished. [Read more 🡒]