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Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson (32) runs the ball against the New York Jets in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

All But Over: Patriots Going to Win Division

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 11:14 AM ET

Buckle up for the postseason. The New England Patriots are going to be hosting a playoff game come January.

It might be a bit premature to put those words out in the open like that in Week 12. But with the Buffalo Bills suffering their fourth loss of the season to the Houston Texans, and the Patriots continuing to mount pressure atop the NFL's best teams, it's more than safe to assume that Gillette Stadium will be filled out for the playoffs for a home game.

Will it be for a wild card game, or will the Patriots clinch the top seed in the AFC? That's still up for grabs, but what's known is that the Bills — who couldn't find a way to crack through to the Super Bowl during New England's mini-rebuild — are essentially handing the Patriots the division crown.

The primetime upset in Week 5 was just the appetizer for the Patriots' eight-game winning stretch. Mike Vrabel's team hasn't found themselves sulking back to the locker room with a loss since the middle of September, and the roster is continually getting better in all phases of the game. Drake Maye is operating the offense at an MVP level that hasn't been since in New England since a Hall of Fame quarterback was at the reigns.

Get Ready For A Home Playoff Game, Patriots Fans

The offense has rounded into form, with pass catchers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte turning into extremely valuable weapons on the inside and outside of the field. And the offensive line — a group that's been the Patriots' self-inflicted kryptonite the last few seasons — has played up to snuff.

"I think the players are building some confidence," Vrabel said earlier this week on the line's progression. "I think that the more that we get into this thing, and they understand the design of the play and how Drake's going to operate, whether that's trying to climb the pocket, the extension and everything else, I think it all goes hand-in-hand. I think they communicate well, and the more that we've been able to be out there as a unit has led to some good results."

More importantly than the offense's surprise resurgence is how healthy this group has been. Barring Milton Williams' ankle injury that will hold him out for four games, and Antonio Gibson's torn ACL in October, the Patriots haven't suffered any major injury that's hampered the team's performance. There's the usual banged-up players at practice, but for the most part, it's been an impressive showing from the training staff as well.

"The first touchdown ball went to the training room so shoutout to them," said Diggs earlier this season. "They helped me up to this point – getting me right."

People expected the defense to be solid, but not this solid. They went the first nine games of the year without allowing a running back to surpass 50 yards, and when they finally cracked (Tampa Bay's Sean Tucker rushed for 53), it came in one of the team's biggest wins of the year.

Everything is coming up Patriots in 2025. Enough drama has been made out about the weak schedule (What else is a last-place team supposed to do?) or that maybe other teams in the conference, like Denver or Indianapolis, are more well-rounded. Maye doesn't care.

"I just hope to be top in wins," Maye said this week. "That’s the biggest thing. Just trying to win."

All for naught. The Patriots are 9-2, and the Bills have handed them back the division crown on a silver platter. Should the Patriots go 2-0 against the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants, that Week 15 matchup against the Bills may have some extra visitors in the home locker room: hats and t-shirts.

Who truly can say they saw this coming?

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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