The New England Patriots picked up a big win on Sunday, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-23. With the win, New England moved to 8-2, which is tied for the best record in the NFL. If the playoffs started today, the Patriots would be the No. 3 seed in the AFC, only behind the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
Despite this reality, not everyone is a believer in New England. In a recent ESPN piece by Seth Walder, ranking all 32 teams in playoff odds tiers, the Patriots weren’t even considered a contender. With tier 1 representing “true Super Bowl contenders” and tier 2 highlighting “Super Bowl contenders… if they make the playoffs,” Walder placed the Patriots in tier 3, the group of “(almost) playoff locks.”
This tier consisted of three teams with the best record in the AFC, the Patriots, Broncos, and Colts. Despite leading the league with wins, each team was discounted from being a contender for different reasons. For New England, the reason is one fans are tired of hearing: the team’s schedule.
Patriots' status as contenders questioned because of easy schedule
Walder acknowledged how well things are going for New England this season, and even praised quarterback Drake Maye for his second-year breakout. Still, like many other critics, the analyst pointed to the Patriots' schedule as the reason for his skepticism in the team’s ability in the postseason.
"But they've also had a cushy schedule, as the Patriots entered Sunday having played the easiest schedule in the league thus far. New England has an easy path the rest of the way, too. The Patriots passed a big test with a win at the Bucs on Sunday. The real test will come in the postseason, which they are now almost assured to reach."Seth Walder (ESPN)
This point has been made countless times, and there’s no denying New England has played many of the league’s worst teams. However, the Patriots have also put enough on film to not be discounted as a serious contender. Their latest example came on Sunday, with a win over a now 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, that will likely win the NFC South.
Additionally, in these games against bad teams, New England is winning handily, showing that it is levels above the bad teams in the NFL. Unable to create the schedule, the only thing a good team can do in a lopsided matchup is take care of business, and the Patriots have done that.
When they’ve played good teams, the Pats have either won, or been competitive, with the only loss to a team currently holding a winning record coming in Week 3, when New England lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-14.
The Patriots even have a win over the Buffalo Bills, who Walder still entertains as a contender if they can make the postseason. That, alone, shows how ridiculous it is that New England isn’t viewed as a contender.
Ultimately, the Patriots will have the final say.