The New England Patriots rocked the NFL world by finally completing the long-anticipated trade with the Eagles for No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown. While some downplay the move, now having a bona fide No. 1, NFL receiver, along with a better No. 2 in Romeo Doubs, has had a seismic impact on the AFC for 2026.
Yet, despite the blockbuster trade for Brown, DraftKings has made the Buffalo Bills a better bet
than the Patriots to reach the 2026 Super Bowl. That's actually not much of a surprise.
The Bills themselves made a deal earlier with the Bears for No. 1 receiver, D.J. Moore. Also, any team that has a quarterback like former MVP Josh Allen can never be counted out as a legitimate AFC and Super Bowl contender in any season. Quarterbacks are the determining factors for any team to contend for honors, and Allen is one of the very best.
Drake Maye missed the 2025 NFL MVP award by only one vote. But Maye and the Patriots are still being discounted in some quarters due to the constantly cited weak 2025 schedule, which Maye ripped to shreds with his passing. It will take a top 2026 season against a far stronger schedule to finally give Maye and the Patriots the respect they deserve.
The Bills are always a good bet to play well and bring the competition to the Patriots
Ralph Vacchiano of Bleacher Report has used SportKings' betting odds to classify both the Bills and the Patriots in his second tier of NFL teams, which he says are "title-contenders". Both trail the Rams, Seahawks, and Broncos, who are termed "The front-runners".
"For example, there’s no reason to think the Patriots won’t be as good as they were last year, especially now that QB Drake Maye has his No. 1 WR in A.J. Brown. But they were the beneficiaries of a remarkably soft schedule last season that propelled them through the playoffs. The slate won’t be as easy this time around the NFL.
There’s also a lot of competition in the still-stacked AFC. The Bills will be serious contenders as long as QB Josh Allen is healthy. But can D.J. Moore find his old form and be the No. 1 WR Allen so desperately needs?"
Moore may be just the addition the multi-talented Allen needs to finally get to a Super Bowl. Maye has already accomplished that, though it ended badly, largely due to his injured shoulder.
Adding Brown will enhance his chances not only of handling the rigors of a far more demanding schedule but also of emerging again as a serious AFC championship contender.
One thing above all is a potential limiting factor for Maye reaching or even exceeding the lofty heights he reached in 2025. It's his offensive line. The team returned four players from an O-line that could charitably be termed just porous.
He was sacked incessantly (including six times in the Super Bowl), and hurried, harried, and hit on most other plays. The only addition to the presumed starting five is injury-prone guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
Fortunately, the team drafted left tackle Caleb Lomu, a terrific pass-blocker. He may be called upon to fill all four non-center positions, and would be the best option if anyone goes down. Lomu is the team's best hope for an O-line upgrade, and left tackle Will Campbell is also fully healthy.
The O-line will be the determinant for the Patriots, Brown or no Brown. If they can keep clean pockets for Maye anything is possible - including winning the 2026 Super Bowl.
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