Things are looking up for the resurgent New England Patriots and their star quarterback, Drake Maye, after they demolished the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17, taking their season's record to 3-2.
They've won their second straight games against good teams, after eking out a hard-fought win in Buffalo against Josh Allen and his always-tough Bills. As a result, NFL.com has released its post-Week 5 power rankings, and it's all systems go for the resurgent Patriots.
They've moved up eight spots to No. 10 on that prestigious list.
Mike Vrabel has his Patriots and Drake Maye back on track, and the sky's the limit if the team isn't completely derailed by the myriad of injuries they've already sustained. They have about seven or more starters already on IR, and four other starters or starting-level players are doubtful or questionable for the Week 6 game against the Jets.
These include left tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson. As these losses mount, the Patriots' depth is being severely tested.
The New England Patriots' seem undaunted even by a barrelful of injuries
These 2026 Patriots have clearly adopted the fire in the belly of their feisty 2025 NFL Coach of the Year, Mike Vrabel. A surly Vrabel seems to view even a complete demolition of a then-3-1 team like the Raiders as just another day at the office, nothing to be particularly thrilled about.
It's a good attitude for both Vrabel and what's left of his injury-decimated roster, as they take on a better-than-usual 2-3 New York Jets team at home in Week 6.
NFL.com lavished high praise on Maye and his teammates, including two unsung, previously underused second-year receivers, who are emerging as top performers on a roster missing starters at nearly every position.
They are Kyle Williams, who torched the Raiders for a 34-yard touchdown and another 49-yard catch-and-catch-and-catch touchdown pass to boot, and Efton Chism III, who caught the winning one-handed touchdown pass against Buffalo and snared five passes for 57 yards against Las Vegas.
NFL.com was effusive in its praise of the Patriots, and demonstrated it emphatically in the massive upgrade they awarded the team in their power rankings.
"It took one wild win over the Bills to return the Patriots to excellence. They detonated the Raiders on Sunday, with fantastic offensive performances by Drake Maye, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas -- heck, just throw in every skill-position player. They all feasted in a game that saw New England finish with 536 yards of offense, pairing perfectly with a defense that put the clamps on Las Vegas early."
With key players out with injuries, the Patriots' practice squad is getting a major workout. Little-known players like cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and Charles Woods, linebacker Darius Muasau, and running back Corey Kiner have been pressed into action and have performed well.
Looking ahead to the Jets and beyond, the next man up at every position is the one who steps in when starters and backups have gone down with injuries for the reinvigorated Patriots. Without emergency trades, these backups and practice squad players have to hold the fort and are expected to perform at or above expectations if the team is going to keep winning.
With both Vrabel's dynamic leadership and the on-field generalship of the now-back-in-MVP-form Drake Maye on full display, the Patriots have shown they can beat even good teams without many of their top starters and stars.
That's a startling, perhaps unexpected, development, but great news for Patriot Nation. Conversely, what it signals is very bad news for the rest of the teams on the Patriots' 2026 schedule.
The Patriots are on fire, and when those injured players return, expect them to be primed for another run at the AFC Championship and well-fortified to take on any challengers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google