When the New England Patriots lost 41-14 at Kansas City in week four on the national stage of Monday Night Football they fell to a record of 2-2 and were written off by many as washed up. Tom Brady was said to be in the final stages of his Hall of Fame career and would soon be replaced by Jimmy Garoppolo. Instead, the Patriots rallied with one of the best stretches of football in team history.
The Brady Bunch Delivers
After the Arrowhead Massacre the Patriots ripped off seven consecutive straight up wins before a tough 26-21 loss at Green Bay last week ended their streak. They are in full command of their destiny as the top seed in the AFC however due to their impressive 43-21 home win over Denver earlier this season.
New England has also been a favorite pick of the gaming community as they have covered the spread in six out of their last eight games by winning with authority. Brady shut up his critics that wrote him off with a 101.1 QB rating with a sparkling 28-6 TD-to-INT ratio. The Patriots offense has in fact emerged as one of the best in football with an overall ranking of sixth in the NFL and third for scoring.
Defense a Detriment
As great as Brady and the offense has been the defense has been average at best. New England ranks 19th overall in the NFL for total defense, 23rd against the pass, 14th against the rush, and 13th for points allowed. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers lit up the Pats for 368 yards passing and two TDs last week. Those are hardly the numbers of a suffocating championship unit, but if the offense produces at that same clip it may not matter.
Power Pedigree
It would be a reach and mistake to count the Patriots out as the top team in the AFC. New England delivers the goods at a rate of consistency that most would consider impossible in this era of salary cap parity. Then when you consider the other top teams in the AFC such as Denver, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and San Diego it becomes even more clear that nobody in the AFC is better than the Pats.
