The New England Patriots are 2-0 in the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
The Patriots proved that they could hang with the big dogs of the NFL over the last month of the 2025 season. They've gone toe-to-toe with top quarterbacks, kept themselves alive in all their games, and defeated the best team in the NFL in Week 5 on the road in Buffalo on Sunday Night Football.
There's much to attribute the success of the Patriots to thus far, but a large majority of it is due to Drake Maye making the year-two leap, the defense performing at an elite level, and the team as a whole getting stronger with each passing week.
The two go together as the defense holds the opposing offenses to minimal points just long enough for Maye to lead his offense to scoring drives throughout the game. An example of this was in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Patriots committed five turnovers, they only lost the game by a touchdown, and they still had an opportunity to win in the end.
It's the solid play from the defense that gave Maye enough time to construct a potential game-winning drive. Although it didn't end positively for them in Week 3, the Patriots capitalized on the opportunity when it came their way again in Week 5. This time around, they didn't miss against the best team in the NFL, the Bills.
The Pats Can Compete in Any Game Thanks to Maye and a Solid Defense
The pairing of Maye, a top-performing QB in the league this season based on several metrics, with an elite defense against the run, makes the Patriots a team that can legitimately compete with any team in the NFL.
This season, the Patriots have lost games that they should have won against lesser competition. On the other hand, New England has also won games it was expected to lose. It is the pairing of Maye and the defense that can lead the team, under any circumstances, to give them a chance of winning.
Offensively, Maye is thriving as he continues to learn the ins and outs of a new system working under Josh McDaniels. The system provides QBs with all the tools needed to be successful; it’s just a matter of the signal caller making the correct reads, the right calls, and smart decisions with the ball during the play.
During one of his bi-weekly press conferences, McDaniels said having a different leading receiver each week is a positive sign of a QB getting everyone involved, and that’s what you want to see from the second-year QB in a new system.
Defensively, the Patriots are definitely getting their money’s worth from the new-look defense as Christian Barmore and Milton Williams are the best tandem along the defensive line in the NFL. As a unit, the Patriots' defense ranks fifth against the run, only allowing 85.6 yards per game. In addition, they haven’t allowed a running back to reach 50 yards against them after five weeks.
The Patriots' success this season is due to having a competent QB with a solid defense on the other side. With those two things working in their favor thus far, New England's 3-2 record is the best start since 2019.