FOXBOROUGH – Four games in the books. Buffalo is up next in prime time, on the road.
Sitting at 2-2, the outlook for the Patriots went from grim at 1-2, back to hopeful.
They didn’t just beat Carolina. They beat the stuffing out of the Panthers.
The 42-13 rout allowed the Patriots to get off to their best start in five years.
At roughly the quarter pole of the season, the Patriots have risen off the mat. They’ve stepped up in weight class.
Now comes the fun part: seeing how close they are to getting back to the postseason.
In his post-game remarks, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel pointed to the Bills as the next litmus test for his team.
“Whatever you do in one week, it doesn’t really matter. It’s about what you do the next week moving forward. Hopefully we take that same approach whether we win or we lose,” Vrabel said. “I think that’s what I’ve tried to do is whether you win or you lose, we’ve got to embrace moving on. We have to do that.
“We have to prepare here for a division opponent on the road. It’s going to be a great environment, and hopefully we’ll see where we’re at.”
The perennial AFC East champs are 4-0. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning NFL MVP, while many pundits have anointed Buffalo the favorites to land in the Super Bowl from the AFC.
Will the Patriots be competitive? Can they give the Bills a run for their money on Sunday night?
Four games in, Vrabel’s team is far from being a finished product. But, they’ve shown signs of progress.
When they’re not turning the ball over, and playing a clean game, they should be able to beat the teams they’re supposed to beat.
As for the upper echelon teams like Buffalo, we’re about to find out. Although, based on what we’ve seen, the Patriots should be able to hang in if they’re operating on all cylinders.
But it’s a fine line. Because the Patriots still seem like they’re a mistake away from disaster.
Vrabel, of course, is trying to ring the mistakes out of them. Having a turnover-free game against the Panthers was important because it validated the message.
“We believe we can play with anybody when we do things the right way and play to our identity,” Vrabel said Monday during his appearance on WEEI.
At the very least, they’re moving in the right direction.
Drake Maye has put together a string of good games – even with the pick and fumble against the Steelers – and is showing the kind of growth and evolution that was both hoped for and expected in Year 2.
Heading into Week 5, Maye is ranked in the top 10 in most of the NFL’s important statistical categories for quarterbacks.
He’s sixth in passing yards (988). He’s tied with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Josh Allen with the eighth most passing touchdowns (7).
He’s fifth in passer rating (109.4) and sixth in completions (91).
While skittish and hesitant Week 1, in the weeks since, he’s looked more like the quarterback the Patriots need to remain competitive.
For the most part, he’s making good decisions and learning from mistakes. He’s also made a connection with Stefon Diggs. That was one of the biggest takeaways from the Panthers win.
“(Drake) had a hell of a day. He’s a good quarterback. He’s starting to come along as you can see,” Diggs said following the game. “He looks sharp out there. I’m just excited for the future and just want to keep building … I’m super-excited for what’s to come.”
The excitement should build over the next four games. After Buffalo, there are three beatable opponents to follow with New Orleans, Cleveland and Tennessee.
That’ll be the next checkpoint for this team. But for now, Allen and the Bills await.
“We’re playing a real good football team, a well coached football team, and a lot of good players over there,” said Diggs, who will be returning to Buffalo for the first time since the Bills traded him to Houston ahead of last season. “So, I look forward to the challenge. I know the guys look forward to the challenge. It’s going to be good for us, a good test for us.”
It’s the next test, the next chance to take another step forward.