Despite Standings, Patriots Are Very Much Alive In AFC East

Even though the Patriots are near the bottom of the AFC East, New England is still a top team in the AFC East.

After six weeks, the New England Patriots are in some uncomfortable waters. They are under .500 and sit third in the AFC East. This is the first time in 18 years that New England is under .500 in October. 2020 is the worst start to the season that the Patriots have had in a long time.

New England's offense is struggling mightily. The passing game has gone missing, with the Patriots failing to throw for over 200 yards in four out of five games so far this season. They have also struggled running the ball, with quarterback Cam Newton being the leading rusher on the season with 225 yards and five touchdowns.

But it's not time to hit the panic button. Despite being behind the Bills (4-2) and the Dolphins (3-3) about a third of the way through the regular season in the AFC East, the Patriots are very much still in the divisional race.

It's hard to complain about the Week 6 loss to Denver. The Patriots practiced only two times in two weeks and it showed on Sunday. After the game, one of the things Bill Belichick mentioned is that the team needs "more time together," ie more time on the practice field. 

Despite the roller coaster ride New England has been through over the past couple weeks, the defense is still performing rather well. Week 6 saw the Patriots snag two turnovers, both of which were interceptions. The secondary has held their own through six weeks and should help the team be successful moving forward.

The biggest problem for the defense is stopping the run. We have seen opposing teams run for over 200 yards twice this season against the Patriots. Also, we saw a mediocre Broncos team run for over 100 yards on Sunday.

At the end of the day, the Patriots are still a top team in the AFC East. It's a two-team battle between New England and Buffalo. Right now the Bills have the edge, but that could change.

Miami is currently ahead of New England in the divisional race, but it's hard to imagine the Dolphins will maintain .500 football or better the rest of the way. 

However, based on how Buffalo and the rest of the AFC looks at the moment, it appears as though the Patriots will be competing for a wild card spot this year. Josh Allen has thrown for 1,326 yards and 12 touchdowns. The addition of Stefon Diggs has definitely helped out the Bills and their offense. So it looks like Buffalo is on track to win the AFC East. 

If New England was to fall short of winning the AFC East, it would be the first time since 2008 that they failed to win the division. 

It's rather clear that the Patriots aren't the same team and that they are no longer the kings of the AFC East. Still, New England is one of the better teams in the division, and they have a lot of time left in the regular season to work out the kinks. 

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