It's taken quite a few years and several quarterbacks for national pundits to take notice of the New England Patriots again. But thanks to the combination of a four-game winning streak and the play of second-year signal caller Drake Maye, the Patriots have the national media's attention again.
The regular season is closing in on its halfway point, and your first-place Patriots - yes, you read that right - have the best odds to win the AFC East at 55 percent. Former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who made many enemies in New England during his coaching days, is the latest to believe in the Patriots and Maye.
"Drake Maye will win the AFC East."
That was Ryan's bold prediction on ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday morning. Former Patriots' offensive lineman Damien Woody echoed Ryan in that sentiment.
While the enthusiasm is fantastic, the reality is that there is a lot of season left, and the second-place Bills are not going anywhere.
Patriots need to keep doing the little things right to keep their ship on course
The Bills may be mired in a slump, but let's be honest, they still have a former MVP in Josh Allen. They also come out of their bye week by facing a Carolina Panthers team that they should beat, while the Patriots host the woeful Cleveland Browns. Both teams should win.
The Patriots' schedule is a bit easier than Buffalo's. However, the Patriots are still a young team, and the Bills have the combination of experience and Super Bowl aspirations to churn out a long winning streak at any moment. The Patriots also have to go to Baltimore and Cincinnati later in the season, and assuming Lamar Jackson is healthy by December, those games could be like track meets.
Their toughest games - against Kansas City and Tampa Bay - are also in Orchard Park, which is a big advantage. And there are a lot of people in Orchard Park sick of seeing Taylor Swift celebrate at their expense.
One big thing the Patriots are going to have to do over the second half of the season is run the ball better. Sunday's win against the Titans was a good start, but New England is not going to face Tennessee every week. All it could take is a couple of slip-ups, and the Bills will have the division in their command again.
The Patriots' winning streak is fabulous, and the growth of this team under Mike Vrabel has been great to watch. It's lovely to see ESPN taking notice. But there's a long way to go, and Buffalo isn't going to get any further from New England's rearview mirrors.