Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) rushes for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Patriots Get Positive Postseason Outlook

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Tyler Geis | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Be afraid; the New England Patriots could be back.

That's the vibe the team created, which had a ripple effect throughout the league after their 23-20 win on Sunday Night Football against the unbeaten Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.

The upset win was a tactical one, engineered by Mike Vrabel's patience, Josh McDaniels' play-calling, Stefon Diggs' motivational pregame speech, and Drake Maye's will to shine on the prime-time stage.

Most of Pats Nation went into Week 5 just hoping they could see the young squad compete against the division leaders of the last five years; they got more than that, and now they also have an interesting stat to benefit them going forward.

As of now, with a 3-2 record, the Patriots have a 67.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to an ESPN report. The Bills, Colts, Jaguars, Steelers, and Broncos are currently the only teams with a higher percentage of making the playoffs in the AFC.

The Sunday night win over the Bills gave the Patriots a 2-0 record in the AFC East (they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Week 2). They won't see Buffalo again until Week 14 at home. They will also have a current 1-4 Dolphins team visiting them later this season at Gillette Stadium, as well as two matchups against a currently 0-5 New York Jets team.

When considering their current position in the division and who's performing well, one has to wonder, how far can the Patriots take this?

The next three weeks will see New England in games against the Titans, Saints, and Browns. All of those teams are currently 1-4. There's a solid chance for this Mike Vrabel-led squad to be 6-2 going into Week 9.

That's a far cry from the back-to-back four-win seasons of the last two years.

Of course, nobody wants to get ahead of themselves here. Any team can win on any given Sunday, but Week 5's win against a team that was a few bad plays away from the Super Bowl last season proves a significant point here. The Patriots, if they can stay together, remain healthy, and play as they did against mostly teams that are not as superior as the Bills, may have a shot at something in January.

What is that "something"? We don't know yet, but what we do know is that all the hope for the Patriots this season seems to be coming to fruition—at least for now.

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

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