It’s November, and the New England Patriots are now perched atop the entire conference with a 7-2 record and a six-game winning streak.
The Patriots were a trendy pick to be a surprise team in Mike Vrabel’s first season, but no one had them entering Week 10 in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They’re still largely being viewed as plucky underdogs, with no signature wins outside of Week 5 at Buffalo, and a “gantlet” of opposing quarterbacks that includes Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, Bryce Young, Spencer Rattler, Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel, and Michael Penix.
The Patriots have the luxury of an extremely favorable schedule this year. Fans might hate that storyline, but it’s undeniable for a former four-win squad that’s been airlifted by blossoming young quarterback Drake Maye so far in 2025.
the Patriots' schedule is a JOKE pic.twitter.com/A3bXfqKMcK
— Tankathon.com (@tankathon) October 14, 2025
It’s still very possible, though, that the NFL world is sleeping on the first-place Patriots, and Maye offered up a warning to the league following Sunday’s ugly, 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye struck the right chord following imperfect performance in Falcons win
Two things can be true: The Patriots have been feasting on an easy schedule, while also proving that they’re a team capable of such a feast.
If Week 9 against the Falcons told us anything, it’s that the latter point deserves more of the national attention.
NFL teams don’t just luck their way into six consecutive victories. The Patriots — and their young quarterback — are learning how to win games, and Sunday’s triumph on one of their worst days of the season to date actually speaks volumes.
Maye had his lowest yards-per-attempt average since Week 3 against the Falcons’ stingy defense. He lost a brutal strip-sack fumble while facing frontside pressure at the end of the first half, and tossed an airmailed interception in the third quarter.
He also made the biggest throw of the game on third-and-5 with 1:42 remaining — a 17-yard connection with tight end Hunter Henry that iced the Patriots’ one-point win.
Maye’s message to reporters after the game was everything fans wanted to hear, and a clear sign that this Patriots team should be taken seriously over the second half of the season.
“First of all, I just have to play better," Maye said. "I gotta play better for this team down the road. I think, you know, it’s tough in a game where you win and you can feel in that locker room that the guys know we can play better. I think it’s a good feeling to have, but also, at the same time, it’s tough to win in this league. So you gotta enjoy it...
“There’s so much things to learn from this game, and I’m just proud of this team; doesn’t matter if it’s 24-23 or 3-2 — I’m just proud we got the win.”
We’ve all witnessed Maye’s meteoric growth as a player, but now we’re getting a glimpse at his development as a leader. Even the best NFL teams lay an egg from time to time; finding a way to grind out a win during one of those off-weeks is the sign of a true championship contender.
Folks can gloss over the Patriots’ 7-2 start all they want, but this team has the quarterback, cohesiveness and mindset to hang with every AFC contender down the stretch.