How do the New England Patriots typically perform after their annual bye week, which they enjoyed this weekend? Remarkably well, in fact.
Since 2001, the Patriots boast a 14-4 record in games following their bye, tied with their upcoming Week 11 opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, for the second-best mark in the NFL. The only team with a higher winning percentage in post-bye contests during that span is the Baltimore Ravens (15-4), who moved into first place on that list when they beat the Patriots 37-20 last Sunday night.
NFL teams are a combined 312-274-3 when coming off a bye since 2001, an average winning percentage of .532. The Patriots’ winning percentage in such situations during that period is .778, a slight improvement over their overall regular-season mark of .762.
The Patriots are 4-1 after their bye in the last five seasons, with their lone loss coming to the Seattle Seahawks in 2016. Their average margin of victory in the four wins (over the New York Jets in 2018, Denver Broncos in 2017, Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and Indianapolis Colts in 2014) was 21.3 points.
2018, Week 12: Patriots 27, Jets 13
2017, Week 10: Patriots 41, Broncos 16
2016, Week 10: Seahawks 31, Patriots 24
2015, Week 5: Patriots 31, Cowboys 6
2014, Week 11: Patriots 42, Colts 20
As mentioned, the Eagles also are on their bye this week. This will be the Patriots’ third consecutive game against a team that was off the previous week (Cleveland Browns in Week 8, Ravens in Week 9). They had won eight in a row under those circumstances before losing to Baltimore last week.
New England currently sits atop the AFC standings with an 8-1 record this season. Philadelphia, which bowed out in the divisional round of the 2018 playoffs after defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl LII the previous year, enters at 5-4 following consecutive victories over the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears.
