The Patriots’ Thursday night loss to the Bears did more than snap a three-game winning streak. It knocked New England out of the AFC playoff spots, at least for now, and left the team trying to climb back into the picture with most of Week 7 still ahead.
Chicago’s 30-24 win dropped the Patriots to 4-3, and that slide showed up immediately in the conference standings. New England fell from fifth to ninth, landing on the outside looking in as the weekend games play out.
There’s still some room for movement, though, because one of the teams ahead of the Patriots has to lose. The Ravens and Bengals are set to face each other on Sunday, which means New England will move past at least one club again.
But that alone won’t be enough to get the Patriots back into a postseason slot before Week 7 wraps up. They’ll need a few other results to break their way as well.
The AFC East picture didn’t change much for New England, even with the loss. The Patriots remain second in the division, and that would have been the case no matter how the rest of the weekend shook out.
Buffalo is on a bye, so New England could not have jumped the Bills even with a win. What was a one-game gap entering Thursday is now a 1.5-game deficit.
Here’s how the AFC playoff field looks right now:
Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
Cleveland Browns (4-2)
Denver Broncos (4-2)
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
On the bubble: 8. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2), 9.
New England Patriots (4-3), 10. Las Vegas Raiders (3-3), 11.
New York Jets (2-4), 12. Indianapolis Colts (2-4), 13.
Houston Texans (2-4), 14. Tennessee Titans (1-5)
Not yet eliminated, but let’s be real here: 15. Miami Dolphins (0-5), 16. Los Angeles Chargers (0-6)
In Other News...
Patriots Could Hand Drake Maye A Familiar Answer At Receiver
The Patriots are still searching for a steadier answer at receiver, and Josh Downs has surfaced as a possible fit as the group continues to be hit by injuries and uneven play. For New England, the appeal is obvious: Drake Maye already knows Downs well from their time together at North Carolina, which would make any move feel less like a gamble and more like a shortcut to chemistry.
Downs also lands in an interesting spot from Indianapolis side, with the Colts looking more and more like a team open to reshuffling parts of the roster. A deal would give the Patriots a familiar target for Maye, but it would also hinge on how willing the Colts are to part with a receiver who could be part of a broader reset. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Have A Trade Deadline Decision That Could Shape Their Season
With a 4-3 record and a roster still dealing with injuries and uneven production, the Patriots are entering a stretch where the front office has to decide whether to stand pat or make a move before the November 10 trade deadline. The need is not hard to map out, either, with the team searching for help in more than one spot as it tries to keep pace in a crowded AFC race.
Running back, the interior offensive line and cornerback all stand out as areas where New England could look for outside help, and a few familiar names have surfaced in that conversation. Tony Pollard, Quenton Nelson, Kelee Ringo and Riq Woolen are among the possibilities being discussed, giving the Patriots a range of options depending on how aggressive they want to be and how much they are willing to pay to shore up the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Maye Just Showed Patriots Fans What They Needed To See
Drake Maye gave Patriots fans a familiar young-quarterback moment against the Bears, one that could have tilted the afternoon for good. A red-zone interception handed Chicago a boost, but the broader takeaway from the game was how quickly Maye settled back in and kept competing, a trait teammates and analysts have continued to point to as one of the most important parts of his development.
For a New England offense still trying to build trust around its quarterback, the response mattered as much as the mistake. Mayes ability to shake off a costly error and keep playing with confidence offered a useful reminder of why the Patriots remain invested in him, even when the game throws him a bad break. [Read more 🡒]