Buffalo Bills win shows the New England Patriots are back
Adam Martin 
We're only five games into the new season, but is it time to admit that the New England Patriots might be 'back'?
They might not be one of the favourites with UK betting sites to win the Super Bowl, but the signs are there that they are on the right path if recent evidence is anything to go by.
Free Bets NFL expert Adam Martin takes a closer look at the ominous signs coming from the Patriots under new coach Mike Vrabel.
This article isn’t going to be a fun read for anyone who supports the other 31 teams in the NFL. After suffering a twenty-year dynasty at the hands of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady we all probably wanted more time with the Patriots being awful.
Unfortunately for the rest of us that time has come to an end already. The Patriots are looking like a team that can compete for a playoff spot again. And once you get in the playoffs, we all know it can be anyone’s to win.
Sunday night’s win away to the Buffalo Bills might only be one game, but it showed that the Patriots can compete. It also showed that Drake Maye has the potential to make game-winning throws and get his team across the line.
New head coach Mike Vrabel has had a bumpy first five weeks, but the Patriots now sit 3-2. Losing two home games to the Raiders and Steelers shows that they can be beaten and they will throw in some poor performances. However, winning away to the Bills shows they can win against the best.
The Patriots' strength of schedule at the beginning of the season was projected to be the second easiest. When you now look at the remaining strength of schedule, it is the easiest by a long way.
For the rest of the season, the Patriots have got to play the Jets twice, Dolphins, Bengals, Saints, Titans, Browns, Ravens and Giants. All of those teams currently sit in the top ten of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It's unlikely the Ravens will stay there and they must play the Falcons, Buccaneers and Bills again. The point is though, that they should be winning a large chunk of their games left.
There are two markets that potentially could bring a winner with the Patriots this season. The first that people will look at is to win the AFC East. Some NFL betting sites currently have the Bills as favourites at 1/5 and the Patriots at 7/2.
It is worth noting that the Bills do have a tougher schedule and must play the Eagles, Buccaneers, Steelers and Chiefs. Also, they must go away to the Patriots. Despite a tougher schedule, it feels unlikely that the Bills will slip up much more.
The market that is more appealing is the 'to make the Divisional round' market. Currently the Patriots are priced up at 11/5. To win not only would the Patriots have to make the playoffs, but also either win their division or win in the Wildcard round.
With the schedule being as easy as it is, they should be competing to win this division now. If they do, then the bet wins. If they don’t and the Bills still top the division, then the Patriots should have a good record going into the playoffs.
With teams like the Ravens and Bengals not playing up to expectations, the Patriots could find themselves with the fifth seed. This means they would play against the winners of the poorest division in the AFC.
Obviously, there is still a long way to go when it comes to who will play who in the playoffs. However, the Patriots have given themselves a great start and with their schedule they could really kick on this season and become a force again.
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