While NFL experts, like old friend Cam Newton, twist themselves into a pretzel trying to downplay the New England Patriots’ eight-game winning streak entering Week 10, their most impressive streak at all has been hiding in plain sight.
Patriots fans get it. Their team’s 2025 schedule has been favorable. Over the past two months, they’ve feasted on bottom-feeders like the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans, while dunking on fringe NFL starting quarterbacks like Spencer Rattler, Dillon Gabriel, and Justin Fields.
Mike Vrabel’s crew isn’t getting nearly enough credit for their 9-2 start, though. Only one team in football currently has an undefeated record on the road entering Week 12 — and that’s your New England Patriots.
The New England Patriots are an NFL-best 5-0 on the road this season, and nobody’s talking about it
The Patriots’ record may be padded by some subpar competition, but their “road warriors” mentality deserves more national attention than it's getting.
New England will look to improve to 6-0 away from Gillette Stadium in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow, out since Week 2 with a toe injury, was listed as questionable for the game on Friday, but even his superhuman skills under center feel powerless against a Patriots team that hasn’t flinched on the road in 2025.
New England’s road schedule to date includes AFC East foes Miami and Buffalo, Vrabel’s “revenge game” at Tennessee, a showdown with Baker Mayfield and the then 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a date with the Saints inside the always loud and intimidating Caesars Superdome. The Patriots’ 5-0 road record includes three wins in back-to-back-back weeks — a first in franchise history.
Young quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots are averaging an even 28.0 points per game on the road, with a turnover differential of plus-five.
"Road warriors" is a phrase Patriots coaches and players often reference. At 5-0, New England is the NFL's lone undefeated team away from home, a streak it brings to Cincinnati on Sunday.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 20, 2025
"Vrabel is always talking about 'packing our identity'," CB Christian Gonzalez said.
The Bengals will have their hands full with the Patriots, no matter who’s starting at quarterback. Superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was denied his appeal of a one-game suspension for spitting, and won’t be in the building on Sunday. Trey Hendrickson, one of the top pass rushers in football, will also miss this game with a nagging hip injury.
The Patriots, meanwhile, are playing the best football of any team in the NFL, have one of the odds-on favorites for NFL MVP at quarterback, and are coming off a 10-day break after beating the Jets on Thursday Night Football last week.
New England has been on a mission this year, but especially on the road. If they can improve to 6-0, while becoming the NFL’s first team to reach 10 overall wins in 2025, the Newtons of the NFL world will only be left with more eggs on their faces.