The New England Patriots are officially out of the AFC playoff picture, y’all. Their 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football didn’t just snap a three-game winning streak, it sent them tumbling down the standings. After riding high for a few weeks, this defeat is a serious reality check for the squad in Foxborough.
Division Standing Holds, But the Gap Widens
Even with the tough loss to the Bears, the Patriots somehow managed to hold onto second place in the AFC East. Honestly, they were going to stay there regardless of the weekend’s outcomes, because the Buffalo Bills, sitting pretty at 5-1, were on a bye. So, even if the Patriots had pulled off a win, they weren’t going to leapfrog Buffalo for the division lead. That said, what started as a one-game deficit against the Bills is now a much tougher 1.5-game gap that they’ve gotta close. The AFC East standings still look like this:
* Buffalo Bills (5-1)
* New England Patriots (4-2)
* New York Jets (2-4)
* Miami Dolphins (0-5)
A Steep Drop in the Playoff Hunt
Now, this is where it gets spicy. The Patriots took a huge tumble in the AFC playoff standings. They slid from the fifth spot all the way down to ninth! Before Week 7 is even done, they’re sitting just outside the bubble. You’ve got the Kansas City Chiefs leading the conference at 5-0, followed by the Bills (5-1), Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2), Cleveland Browns (4-2), Denver Broncos (4-2), Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), and Baltimore Ravens (4-2) all holding onto those coveted playoff spots.
Right behind them, looking to climb, are the Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) at eighth, then the Patriots (4-3) at ninth. The Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) are right on their heels at tenth, with the New York Jets (2-4), Indianapolis Colts (2-4), Houston Texans (2-4), and Tennessee Titans (1-5) rounding out the bubble. And yeah, the Miami Dolphins (0-5) and Los Angeles Chargers (0-6) are technically not eliminated, but let’s be real, it’s not looking good.
What’s Next for New England?
The good news, if you can call it that, is the Patriots are guaranteed to move up at least one spot again. Why? Because the Ravens and Bengals are playing each other on Sunday. One of those teams is gonna lose, and that’ll bump New England up a notch. But to actually get back into a playoff spot before all the Week 7 dust settles, the Patriots are gonna need a lot more help. They’ll be glued to the TVs, hoping other games go their way. The stakes are high to regain that playoff position!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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