Idle Pats continue to gain ground with elites

Nov. 22—Do you believe in miracles?

My bad. That's already been used.

Your New England Patriots — on Oct. 18, 2021 — were 2-4, looking up at 10 other teams in the AFC with a better place in the standings.

Your same Patriots, five weeks later — on Nov. 23, 2021 — are looking up at two teams. Barely.

One team, the 8-3 Tennessee Titans, are fresh off one of the most humiliating losses of this NFL season against the 1-9 Houston Texans — and that's saying something with the amount of humiliating losses we've seen. The Titans just happen to be coming to Foxborough on Sunday.

The other is the 8-3 Baltimore Ravens, who found a way to steal a win without their star, Lamar Jackson (illness).

The bigger…