The Patriots Are Back and They Might Be the AFC's Most Dangerous Team

Back in September it would have been hard to argue that the New England Patriots deserved to be on any list of legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but after 11 games it might be even harder to argue that they don’t.

New England has won eight games in a row since a 1-2 start. The team’s latest victory came Thursday night, when rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and Stefon Diggs caught nine passes for 105 yards during a 27-14 victory over the New York Jets.

New England is unbeaten on the road (5-0) and has the best record in the NFL. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye has blossomed sooner than most expected and is now in the conversation for league MVP, while Mike Vrabel is a Coach of the Year candidate after taking over a team that won four games in each of the last two seasons.

“Yeah, [Vrabel] has done an amazing job,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “Even just coming in from OTAs, he stood in here and told us what we were going to do, and building a team and building connections and coming together, and getting close. As not just a former player, but a great player, he knows how to get people going. He knows how to get us going, and we call it getting under our skin a little bit. He likes to talk, but I mean, it's fun. It's good energy. We love playing for him, and we'll do whatever we got to do to go out there and get wins.”

It’s probably no coincidence that the Patriots haven’t lost since Gonzalez — the team’s best defensive player — returned to the lineup after missing the first three games with a hamstring injury. He’s helped stabilize a New England defense that has been especially stingy against the run. The Patriots currently rank first in rushing yards allowed per game (84.7).

Maye has taken a massive leap from last season, when he threw 15 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Through 11 games this year, he has 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

“No, I don't think anything has surprised me,” Maye said after Thursday’s game. “When you put the work in and we have good players and good coaches, you are going to get a result that you want. Obviously there's been some results this season, some losses, and you build from that and learn from it and try to learn about it every week. I think we're going to enjoy the weekend and get ready for the next one (against the Bengals) on Sunday.”

While it’s true New England has feasted on a fairly soft schedule, the Patriots do have quality victories at Buffalo (6-3) and at Tampa Bay (6-3). Five of the team’s final six games are against opponents currently under .500, making it likely that New England will begin the postseason at home. Even the No. 1 seed remains in play if the Patriots can outpace Indianapolis (8-2) and Denver (8-2) over the final stretch.

Thursday’s win over the Jets came just five days after a 28-23 victory at Tampa Bay. Vrabel said he was impressed with his team’s ability to perform well on a short week.

“Let them enjoy a win on a short week,” he said. “Like I told them, I'm excited we're 9-2. I'm excited that I don't have to see them until Monday.”

Then it’s on to Cincinnati…