The New England Patriots are preparing for their Week 15 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, a team that has reigned supreme in the AFC East for the past five years. Mike Vrabel has led his team to put that status in jeopardy, and it's already prompting some of the most notable analysts to buy into what the Patriots are doing with the playoffs right around the corner.
When addressing "which team is the scariest in the NFL right now," ESPN First Take's Marcus Spears made it clear that he gives the nod to none other than the Patriots.
That's not something anyone could have predicted before the season began.
"The team that you've seen consistency from is in the AFC, and they play at Gillette Stadium." š@mspears96 has the Patriots as the best team in the NFL š pic.twitter.com/Ly3asVkFTe
ā First Take (@FirstTake) December 3, 2025
Heading into this week's rematch with the Bills, Spears said the Patriots can win again and close the book on the AFC East Championship race. And he is spot on.
Under the leadership of head coach Vrabel and with the guidance of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Drake Maye is playing likeĀ the NFL's Most Valuable Player and has been the catalyst in leading the Pats to an 11-2 record.
Maye has operated with elite precision, leading the league with a 71.5% completion rate while throwing for 3,412 yards, ranking second. The second-year signal-caller has thrown 23 touchdowns (fourth in the NFL) and has thrown just six interceptions. The stats are there. The wins are there. And, most importantly, the poise is thereāall traits of an NFL MVP.
The Patriots are regaining their longtime reputation just in time for the playoffs
As much as Maye gets the headlines, though, it's a whole team effort. You can't win without good defense in the game of football, and the Patriots are ranked fifth in the league in scoring defense with just 18.5 points per game allowed and seventh in the league in total defense with 296.4 yards allowed per game.Ā
Add in the dynamic, game-breaking special teams play of Marcus Jones, and New England has mastered the adage of being solid in "all three phases" of the game.
As Spears mentioned in the segment, the Patriots haven't exactly had the most demanding schedule in the league, and the team lacks the experience you would want come playoff time, but you can only control what you can control.Ā
New England has positioned itself as the leader for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while boasting the league's leading MVP candidate in Maye. Pretty scary for opposing teams, by all accounts.