Colin Cowherd couldn't help but be impressed Sunday by the New England Patriots' dominant performance against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium.
As such, he had a message for the rest of the AFC.
"Hey AFC, Patriots are back," Cowherd tweeted. "Hope you took advantage of the last 12 months."
Cowherd certainly isn't alone in feeling that way, as the Patriots' 45-7 win over the Browns sure felt like a statement victory for Bill Belichick's team, which now has won four straight. New England is starting to fire on all cylinders and looks like a legitimate playoff team, if not a Super Bowl contender.
"They look like New England with (Tom) Brady three years ago," Cowherd said Monday on FS1. "Maybe not a Super Bowl team. I'm not sure I'd count them out yet. Mac Jones has been terrific. They hit on most of their draft picks. Christian Barmore from Alabama on the front is excellent. Mac Jones from Alabama. Rhamondre Stevenson, the running back from Oklahoma, is outstanding.
"Much like the Steelers did with their offensive picks, it looks like New England hit on their picks. They're infused with a little youth. The defense is back. The coaching is brilliant. No freebies, win time of possession and derail average quarterbacks, which is now what Baker Mayfield is."
Week 10 was huge for several AFC championship hopefuls. The Kansas City Chiefs throttled the Las Vegas Raiders, the Buffalo Bills steamrolled the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans took down the New Orleans Saints in their second game since Derrick Henry's injury.
One could argue that everything finally is falling into place across the conference, with the Patriots recapturing some of the magic they enjoyed for two decades with Tom Brady at the helm.
"It was a really adorable first half in the AFC," Cowherd said. "The Chargers were winning close games. The Bengals and the Browns and the Raiders. But the grownups are back.
" ... Order has been restored in the AFC."
Now, how far can the Patriots ride their momentum?
