The New England Patriots get a chance Sunday to build on last week’s win over the Bills and string together their first two-game run of the season. If they can handle the Raiders at Gillette Stadium, they’d move to 3-2.
But that’s only part of Week 5. With 15 games on the schedule, Patriots fans also have plenty of scoreboard-watching to do, and the rooting interests are pretty clear in several spots.
The clearest call comes early Sunday morning when the Eagles visit the Jaguars. New England should be pulling for Philadelphia there, since Jacksonville already owns the head-to-head edge over the Patriots. If the Jaguars lose to an NFC team, that helps the Patriots’ chances down the line because New England would need to win at least one more game to finish ahead of Jacksonville in the standings.
At 1 p.m., the Bears-Packers matchup doesn’t carry the same kind of urgency from a Patriots standpoint. The fifth-round pick acquired by Garrett Bradbury is not much of a factor here because the higher of New England’s two selections will eventually go to Philadelphia as part of the A.J.
Brown trade. Since both teams are also on the Patriots’ schedule, the result matters little either way.
The Bengals-Dolphins game, though, is another one where the Patriots should lean heavily toward the struggling side. That means rooting for Miami, even if it feels backward on the surface.
The Dolphins are one of the worst teams in the league, and the odds of them making any kind of playoff run look slim. Still, a loss by Cincinnati would be better for New England than a win by a potential direct playoff competitor.
The same logic applies in Browns-Jets, where the Patriots should be cheering for New York. Different opponent, same idea.
There’s also a good Patriots angle in Vikings-Saints. A Minnesota win would help improve New England’s strength of schedule, and it could also nudge the Saints’ sixth-round pick from the Ja’Lynn Polk trade closer to the top of the round.
In Colts-Steelers, the choice is simple enough: go Steelers. One of these teams has to win, and New England knows it already has the head-to-head disadvantage against Pittsburgh in the playoff picture.
The rest of the Week 5 slate includes games at 4:05 p.m. ET, 4:25 p.m.
ET, 8:20 p.m. ET, plus Monday night at 8:15 p.m.
ET, and Thursday.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have Just Telegraphged A Needed Boost At Receiver
The Patriots have spent much of training camp and the early part of the season juggling injuries, with 19 players already landing on injured reserve and that total possibly climbing again after the latest wave of knocks. Even so, the offense managed to look functional against the Raiders, which offered at least a small reminder that the receiver room can still survive the attrition long enough to keep moving.
Mack Hollins trip to injured reserve only sharpened the focus on what comes next at wideout, especially with the unit so thin already. A.J. Brown is first eligible to return in Week 6 after missing the required four games with an ankle sprain, and the roster move has prompted the obvious question in New England: whether the Patriots were simply making room for a much-needed boost at receiver. [Read more 🡒]
Josh McDaniels May Be Unlocking What Patriots Fans Wanted From Drake Maye
The Patriots finally got the kind of offensive explosion they have been waiting for from Drake Maye in Sundays 45-17 rout of the Raiders, and it came with a sharper, more aggressive feel than anything they had shown early this season. Maye threw four touchdowns in the win, continuing a two-game stretch that has put his arm talent and downfield promise front and center in the New England offense.
For a team trying to build real momentum around its young quarterback, the timing matters almost as much as the production itself. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky pointed to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for the adjustments that helped unlock Maye, and the early results have given Patriots fans reason to wonder whether this is the version of the passing game they were hoping to see all along. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have Found Their Right Tackle Sooner Than Expected
The Patriots offensive line has been hit hard by injuries, with Mike Onwenu and Will Campbell among the players affected, and that has forced some quick shuffling up front. In that mix, Caleb Lomu has started to look like more than just a temporary patch. The first-round pick stepped in at right tackle during a recent game and held up well enough to put himself squarely in the conversation for a bigger role.
For a team trying to stabilize one of the most important spots on the line, that matters. New England is already thinking ahead to life beyond Morgan Moses, and Lomus early work suggests the Patriots may have found a possible long-term answer sooner than expected. What makes the picture even more interesting is how quickly the rookie has had to adapt to the job while the line around him keeps changing. [Read more 🡒]