The New England Patriots have to be feeling good right now. The team took down the division rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football to improve to 3-2 on the season and are now firmly in the race for a playoff spot.
It wouldn't have been surprising before the season to name the Patriots as a dark horse playoff contender, but almost nobody thought they had a shot to win the division. The Bills have owned the AFC East since Tom Brady left New England , and that looked to continue for at least one more season in 2025.
However, at least one Patriots' legend believes the team has a real shot at winning the AFC East crown this year. Hall of Fame defensive back Ty Law was recently asked if he thinks the Patriots have a real shot at winning the division.
"Yes," Law said Tuesday on WEEI. "I say they can win the division. The only thing they have to worry about is Buffalo, and now they feel confident they can go out there and beat them."
As Law pointed out, Buffalo is the only other team to worry about, and the Patriots already proved they can beat the. The Patriots already have a win over the Miami Dolphins as well, who are sitting at 1-4 and don't figure to be a threat. The other AFC East team, the New York Jets , is the lone winless team in the league now after falling to 0-5.
Another factor in the Patriots' favor is their relatively easy schedule. The team's next three games are against the New Orleans Saints , Tennessee Titans , and Cleveland Browns . Those three opponents have a combined record of 3-12 so far, so the Patriots should be able to stack up some wins here.
Law knows what a good Patriots team looks like, by the way. The Hall of Famer played for the Patriots from 1995-04 and won three Super Bowls with the team while earning four Pro Bowl bids and leading the league in interceptions in 1998.
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