Let’s Talk About It: Patriots Contenders or Frauds?

There are three types of people when it comes to talking about the New England Patriots: those who absolutely despise them, those who can tolerate the team, and those who are fans. No one expected New England to make such a dramatic jump from last season, when they were at the bottom of the AFC with just three wins. Their 11-2 record this season, including 10 straight wins, has been criticized by some who claim the Patriots have an easy schedule. Is it that their schedule is easy, or did no one anticipate that this team would make such an incredible leap and become an 11-win team by early December? New England plays two teams that many called Super Bowl favorites before the season started in the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens. If the Patriots sustain the first seed in the AFC as well as beat teams like the Bills and Ravens in Week 15 and Week 16, respectively, will this New England team be looked at differently?

When this team started 1-2 this season, there was no one talking about the Patriots how they are now. Due to the team having a dynasty when Tom Brady was quarterback, the Patriots have seen the highest moments in football, perhaps more than fans wanted. This causes resentment and builds controversy whenever there’s an incident involving a team staff member or a player. When Brady moved on to playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and eventually retiring, Mac Jones became his successor. While they made the playoffs their first season, they missed the playoffs the next two years. Non-Patriots fans felt something new & exciting; however, when it became nothing but the Chiefs show or the Chiefs/Eagles duo of Super Bowls, it became the same process yet with a different franchise.

There’s no doubting Drake Maye has grown as a leader and a quarterback from his rookie to his sophomore season. This isn’t a coincidence, as he leads the league after 13 weeks in passing yards and completion percentage. After losing to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week One and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week Three, Maye had to prove himself to the organization and fans. A 42-point outing against the Carolina Panthers was the start, but their Week Five win over the Buffalo Bills started to shift the talk about New England. It wasn’t until their Week 10 win against an injury-riddled Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that even more started to criticize the team for having an easy schedule. Wins facing the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Giants pushed the envelope on this notion even further.

So is this New England Patriots team a Super Bowl contender? As much I would love to say yes, I will say no for now. With the Ravens and Bills in the playoff discussion, it’s very hard to count them out, even though both franchises’ seasons have been a little rocky to say the least. However, the emergence of the Patriots this season certainly makes them a contender for seasons to come. Claiming the bye in the NFL Playoffs during the Wild Card Round would be huge, would be another week of rest for a team that has done nothing but try to prove themselves all season long. Also, depends on who they would face come the Divisional Round, yet they certainly have the opportunity to turn heads and prove the doubters wrong.