The New England Patriots will emerge from their bye week as an NFL enigma. While Mike Vrabel’s group can already clinch the AFC East title in Week 15 with a win at home over the Buffalo Bills, analysts (and computer models) still don’t view them as legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year.
ESPN’s FPI model, for example, has the 11-2 Patriots ranked 15th in its power index, behind teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, and even the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots are getting weighed down significantly by their 32nd-ranked strength of schedule, but ESPN’s algorithm clearly isn’t factoring in the team’s 10 consecutive victories and 6-0 record on the road.