Forget the fact that it took the Patriots the entire 60 minutes to grab their first lead Monday night against the pathetic New York Jets. Just for one moment.
The win puts the Patriots only 3.5 games behind the front-running Bills in the AFC East. Which means, technically, the division is still in play.
As it currently stands, the Patriots are only two games out of a playoff spot. Again, technically. A lot has to happen in order for the 3-5 Pats to keep playing in January.
CBS gives New England a 9.6 percent chance of making the postseason in its projection, with wild card spots currently laid out for the Ravens, Colts, and Dolphins.