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What execs are saying about the Patriots: After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, Mike Vrabel has the Patriots thinking playoffs, and Drake Maye has suddenly emerged as an MVP candidate. And those around the league don’t think the Patriots’ 6-2 start is a fluke, either. Multiple executives told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that they believe the Patriots are a legitimate playoff contender this season. However, they aren’t sure if the Patriots are a title contender just yet or if they’ll even upend the Bills to win the AFC East. “I think the quarterback is real,” one AFC executive reportedly told Fowler. “He keeps getting better. He has an excellent OC [Josh McDaniels] who will get every drop out of that offense. And Vrabes [Mike Vrabel] has them playing good team football. I’m not quite ready to pass the torch [in the AFC East] now.” “I think they are a year away from being really good,” another AFC executive reportedly said to Fowler. “The defense isn’t all the way there yet. But the offensive line is showing promise and the quarterback is picking things up really fast. He’s not close to his ceiling.” Entering Week 9, the Patriots have a slight edge over the Bills for the lead in the AFC East, holding a half-game lead and the tiebreaker. They also have the No. 2 seed in the AFC, trailing the Colts by just one game for that spot. Obviously, there is a lot of season left to be played, though. And while the Patriots have the easiest strength of schedule remaining (.366 winning percentage of remaining opponents), the Bills also have a favorable schedule down the stretch (11th-easiest). And while Maye has earned MVP buzz, it’s evident that there are some areas where New England could improve. Their three active running backs are averaging just under 75 rushing yards per game. The offensive line ranks below average in some metrics like pass-block win rate (21st, per ESPN). The Patriots are also 19th in pass defense, allowing the likes of Geno Smith and Spencer Rattler to have big games against them. So, it might not be a surprise to see that none of the executives polled by Fowler mentioned the Patriots as their pick to win the Super Bowl considering their struggles in those facets of the game. Teams like the Chiefs, Rams, Packers, Lions, and Eagles were among those to get votes. But Maye has helped elevate the team to this point, ranking in the top five in passing yards (2,026), completion percentage (75.2), and passer rating (118.7). Some of the executives polled by Fowler mentioned Maye as their pick for MVP, while the Patriots quarterback holds the third-best odds to win the award at most sportsbooks. In terms of the Patriots’ odds to play for the Super Bowl, ESPN’s FPI gives them the sixth-best odds to represent the AFC (6.8 percent). DraftKings Sportsbook has the Patriots tied for the sixth-best odds to win the conference, too (+1200). As for winning the Super Bowl, ESPN’s FPI is giving the Patriots the 13th-best odds in the league (2.6 percent), while the Patriots’ +2800 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook are the 12th-best. Trivia: Before Tom Brady, who was the last Patriots player to receive an MVP vote? (Hint: It was a quarterback) Scores and schedules: The Bruins were able to outlast the Sabres on Thursday night to get their second straight win, notching a 4-3 victory in overtime. They conclude their homestand when they host the Hurricanes at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Elsewhere, the Celtics begin NBA Cup play when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers at 7 p.m. on Friday. Boston lost to Philadelphia in its season-opener last Wednesday. The Celtics will also play at the TD Garden on Saturday, when they host the Rockets at 8 p.m. Finally, the Patriots look to move their win streak to six when they host the Falcons on Sunday. Kickoff for that game is at 1 p.m. Read more from Boston.com: Let’s face it, Celtics fans: We have no idea what we’re going to get from this team on any given night Khusnutdinov scores in OT, Geekie has goal in 6th straight as Bruins beat Sabres 4-3 Bruins’ Elias Lindholm exits game with lower-body injury Why Dan Orlovsky believes Drake Maye is NFL MVP frontrunner David Ortiz offers up advice to Mookie Betts amid World Series slump ‘Special stuff’: Why Patriots CB Marcus Jones’s October was one to remember Marco Sturm’s faith in Marat Khusnutdinov gets rewarded with Bruins OT winner Lamar Jackson is back After a 1-5 start, the Ravens are staying alive in the playoff conversation thanks to the return of their two-time MVP at quarterback. Jackson threw four touchdowns in their 28-6 win over the Dolphins, improving the Ravens to 3-5. The Patriots will take on the Ravens in Baltimore in December. Dave Roberts might not have it anymore. Roberts instantly earned himself a spot in Red Sox lore with his stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, sparking the greatest series comeback in the sport. Now the manager of the Dodgers 21 years later, Roberts certainly doesn’t have the speed he once had. But it appears he lacks coordination as well, faceplanting in a race with Dodgers rookie Hyeseong Kim during an off day in the World Series. On this day The Rick Pitino era began on a high note for the Celtics 28 years ago on Friday. In his first game as head coach of the Celtics, Pitino helped his squad upset the two-time defending champion Bulls and Michael Jordan, 92-85. Jordan scored 30 points in that game, but was outmatched by young Celtics star Antoine Walker, who scored 31. That game was one of the few highlights of the Pitino era in Boston. The Celtics never made it to the postseason in his four seasons at the helm, which was more memorable for a press conference than anything on the court. Daily highlight It’s hard to pick any one play from Victor Wembanyama’s most recent historic performance, but the Spurs star shined again on Thursday. He scored 27 points to go with 18 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in the Spurs’ victory over the Heat, marking his third game with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks. Only Tim Duncan and David Robinson have more in Spurs history, while Wembanyama has helped San Antonio achieve its first 5-0 start ever. Trivia answer: Tony Eason in 1986
