Beating the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 was a must-win scenario for the New England Patriots.
Cam Newton’s squad failed to do that, resulting in a heartbreaking 24-21 loss that plummeted the Patriots’ chance to make the playoffs. Newton didn’t have a terrible game, taking the unlikely circumstances he had in front of him. Undrafted receiver Jakobi Meyers and 2019 third-round running back Damien Harris were the most lethal options on the field.
The defense, who was without Stephon Gilmore, and Newton did enough to have a chance to win in the final minute of the game. But, Newton’s fumble on the final play led to a Bills win.
That victory put the Bills at a 6-2 record, with a 4-0 record within the division. The Miami Dolphins gained a huge win against the Los Angeles Rams and moved to 2-2 in the division, with a 4-3 record. The Patriots are now 2-5, with a 1-1 record in the division. The New York Jets are 0-8, with six losses within the division.
Here’s how things stack up when it comes to the eventual winner of the division.
Updated ESPN football-power-index chances to win the AFC East:
🏈 Bills: 84%
🏈 Dolphins: 13%
🏈 Patriots: 3%
🏈 Jets: <0.1%For the optimists: Somewhere, Julian Edelman says, "Gonna be a helluva story."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 1, 2020
Three percent, not even Bill Belichick can muster up some magic to defy those odds. The Patriots are sitting at a point where they’d be better off to continue losing, rather than trying to win and finish with a decent record.
Newton will be the starter going forward, but that won’t be enough to make a real push for a playoff run.
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