The first quarter of the NFL season is behind us, and while it's often difficult to forecast the Super Bowl favorite at that point, the contenders are slowly starting to edge away from the bottom-feeders. While the New England Patriots aren't at the top of the AFC's food chain, with their Week 5 opponent, the Buffalo Bills, head and shoulders above the rest, the Patriots are getting a small taste.
A 2-2 record after four games is typically nothing to sniff at, but Mike Vrabel's Patriots may have sent a message to the league and the AFC with last week's 42-13 pasting of the Carolina Panthers.