The New England Patriots aren't just within striking distance of the Buffalo Bills. They're actually better than the reigning AFC East champs.
That's what one anonymous NFL coach believes, at least.
That coach, quoted in Peter King's latest "Football Morning in America" column for NBC Sports, also is very high on Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones.
From King:
"One coach told me over the weekend he thinks the Patriots are better than the Bills. 'Excellent, deep defense,' he said, 'and Mac Jones is every bit as good as Joe Burrow.' Interesting. The Pats are a half-game behind Buffalo, but there’s one important standings factor to remember: Buffalo hasn't played the Jets yet, and New England has finished with the Jets. Jones has been terrific, quickly. Bills-Pats, twice in 21 days in December, should be fun."
The Patriots improved to 5-4 on Sunday with a 24-6 win over the Carolina Panthers, climbing above .500 for the first time since last September. The Bills suffered a stunning 9-6 loss to the cellar-dwelling Jacksonville Jaguars to fall to 5-3, narrowing the gap atop the AFC East standings.
Buffalo has been viewed as a prime Super Bowl contender in the AFC, but its résumé thus far has not been especially impressive. Four of the Bills' five wins have come against the Miami Dolphins (currently 2-7), Houston Texans (1-8) and Washington Football Team (2-6). The fifth was a rout of the Kansas City Chiefs, who have underperformed so far this season.
The Patriots' "excellent, deep defense" has yet to surrender more than 24 points in regulation in any game this season. It's allowed just five touchdowns over the last three weeks and has forced seven turnovers over that span.
As for the Burrow comp, Jones has been far and away the best rookie quarterback this season, even if he wasn't asked to do much during Sunday's win over Carolina (12 of 18, 139 yards, one touchdown, one interception). Here's how Jones' numbers compare to the ones Burrow compiled over his first nine NFL starts:
Joe Burrow (No. 1 overall pick, 2020): 242 of 370 (65.4%), 2,485 yards (6.7 per attempt), 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, 89.8 passer rating
Mac Jones (No. 15 overall pick, 2021): 204 of 300 (68.0%), 2,135 yards (7.1 per attempt), 10 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 89.8 passer rating
Jones and the Patriots, who currently occupy the third and final wild-card playoff spot in the wide-open AFC, will host the 5-4 Cleveland Browns this Sunday. They'll face the Bills for the first time three weeks later, then again three weeks after that.
