One of the biggest surprises of 2025 NFL season, New England Patriots to take first place in the AFC East rankings after six weeks. New England is in first place in its division for the first time since 2019, the last time the franchise captured the AFC East crown.
The Patriots swept the five-time defending division champions. Accounts for first place in the division according to the results Lost to Buffalo 24-14. To Falcons on Monday evening. While both teams have 4-2 records, New England holds the tiebreaker over Buffalo thanks to a 23-20 win over the Bills in Week 5.
While this is new ground for the Patriots, New England owned the AFC East from 2001-2019. During that time, the Patriots won 17 division titles, six Super Bowls and nine AFC Championships.
However, since 2019, the Patriots have been supplanted by the Bills as the beast of the East. But while Buffalo dominated the East, it didn't parlay that dominance into a trip to the East. Super Bowl. The Bills, for all their success during the Josh Allen-Sean McDermott era, are still fighting for their first Super Bowl berth since 1993, when the team lost in the big game for the fourth year in a row.
New England was one of the most surprising stories of the first half of the 2025 regular season. After a 1-2 start, the Patriots won three straight games, including an emotional win over Buffalo. The Patriots capped that performance with a commanding 25-19 victory over the team. Saints in New Orleans last Sunday.
Based on the rest of the schedule, the Patriots should remain in the thick of things as they compete for a playoff spot as well as the AFC East title. Eight of New England's last 11 games will come against teams that are currently losing. The Patriots have two upcoming games against winless teams. Jets and two more games against teams ( Titans this week and Crows in week 16), each of which currently has one win.
The Patriots' success has been a byproduct of an effective passing attack and a defense that currently ranks seventh in the standings. NFL in the smallest number of points allowed. In many ways, the Patriots' current formula for success is similar to the one they used in the franchise's inaugural game. Super Bowl victory 24 years ago.
Like that team, the Patriots are led by a sophomore quarterback. Drake Maye. Like Tom Brady in that time, May makes the necessary big plays while mostly taking care of the football and not putting his defense in too many bad spots.
It was a complete team effort on defense, which takes us back to how the Patriots won the 2001 Super Bowl. A unit that was one of the best in the NFL against the streak posted a season-high three turnovers, which proved to be a big advantage in their upset win in Buffalo.
Directly connected to that 2001 team is Mike Vrabel, the Patriots' first-year coach who starred as New England's linebacker during their first three Super Bowl victories. Although it's still early, Vrabel should be considered an early contender for NFL Coach of the Year, an award he won in 2021 while coaching the Titans.
Speaking of the Titans, Vrabel will return to Nashville on Sunday when the Patriots face a Titans team that fired their coach Brian Callahan on Monday.
