Do NFL executives believe Patriots can topple Bills in AFC East?

While the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East division title for the past five seasons, the 6-2 New England Patriots will enter Week 9 holding a slight lead over 5-2 Buffalo in the standings. 

Under first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, second-year quarterback Drake Maye has emerged as a strong MVP candidate. In an article published on Friday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler talked with several NFL executives about whether they believe the Patriots are a "real" contender this fall. 

One executive "not quite ready to pass the torch" regarding Patriots-Bills fight

"I think the quarterback is real," one unnamed AFC executive said while referencing Maye. "He keeps getting better. He has an excellent OC who will get every drop out of that offense. And Vrabes has them playing good team football. I'm not quite ready to pass the torch now."

Such an opinion is understandable given that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and has made 13 career playoff starts. Of course, Maye has not yet played in a playoff game, but he did lead New England to a 23-20 upset victory in Buffalo on Oct. 5. 

According to Pro Football Reference stats, Maye ended October ranked fifth in the NFL among qualified players with a 76.0 adjusted QBR, second with a 118.7 passer rating and first with a 75.2 percent completion percentage for the season. Per StatMuse, he's tied for fourth in the league with 17 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, and he's third with 2,276 combined passing and rushing yards. 

What concerns one executive about Patriots' attempt to topple Bills? 

The Patriots are reportedly among the teams seeking a pass-rusher before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants are two players previously connected with New England who reportedly won't be traded this fall. 

"I think they are a year away from being really good," a different AFC executive added about the Patriots. "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."

If Maye gets closer to that ceiling in the next two months, the Patriots might secure the AFC's top overall seed for the playoffs.