Everything has changed for your New England Patriots, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Now, suddenly, they’re not the hunters. They’re the hunted.
The Buffalo Bills’ recent stumbles have kicked the door wide open. Forget about the future; rosy as it still looks in Foxborough. The Patriots are living in the now, and “the now” is pretty sweet.
As it stands, New England probably owns the clearest path in the AFC to a first-round playoff bye. At worst, this team should finish 13-4, with only two real toss-up games left: Buffalo and Baltimore.
The rest? Those stack up as W’s—starting Sunday at Cincinnati.
Of course, as the stakes climb and the spotlight grows harsh, so do the critics. Every perceived flaw—real or exaggerated—will be tossed around like a rag doll, or just like Josh Allen was last Thursday night in Houston.
This is AFC East title or bust. Even those playful chants of “M-V-P!” for Drake Maye are suddenly serious. The time for fun is over.
Until Milton Williams’ ankle injury, health has been a huge part of this season’s success. The big defensive tackle has been a rock against the run. Losing receivers Kayshon Boutte and running back Rhamondre Stevenson for a bit was manageable. Both are back soon, maybe even Sunday.
Williams? He’s not eligible to return from IR until the Dec. 28th matchup with the Jets.
That means the big doubleheader—Buffalo on Dec. 14, Baltimore on Dec. 21—looks even tougher. The defense, maybe not as dominant, will be tested. Offensively, the return of starters should bring a boost.
Consider this: The Colts and Broncos, also 2-loss teams, have more land mines ahead. The Colts face seven straight playoff-caliber opponents; Denver gets three such teams.
Your Patriots? Just two. The rest are, well, two-foot putts … gimmees.
But nothing is outright guaranteed. Cincinnati could have Joe Burrow back (or maybe that’s just a smokescreen, designed to force Patriots coaches into late-night film study). The Giants, Jets, and Dolphins have each pulled off an upset in the last month, too.
There’s no margin for error anymore. The future is not a topic worth delving into right now. A single slip, and that Super Bowl path gets rocky.
Frankly, expectations haven’t been this sky-high since Tom Brady wore the Flying Elvis. It’s a new kind of pressure: win, or it’s a lost season.
Expectations are the thing the Patriots haven’t had much of the first few months of this unexpected run. They’ve been able to play loose and get in their post-game hugs with Coach Mike Vrabel.
The only question left:
Will the Patriots rack up wins like they have since that early-season Steelers flop?
They’d better.
Welcome to the top of the NFL, Patriots fans, where the excitement is a fever pitch, anticipation starts the day before, and the stakes feel like life and death.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.