The Patriots scored what might have been a season-saving win over the New York Jets on Sunday.
The 22-17 triumph at MetLife Stadium improved New England's record to 4-4. It was far from a perfect performance, especially on the offensive side, but it was a badly needed bounce-back after last Monday's shellacking at the hands of the Chicago Bears in Foxboro.
The Patriots still reside in the unfamiliar position of last in the AFC East, looking up at the 6-1 Buffalo Bills, 5-3 Jets and 5-3 Miami Dolphins. But they now sit just a half-game back of a postseason spot with more than half of the regular season still to play.
Here's an updated look at the AFC standings. The teams in bold would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended Sunday.
1. Buffalo Bills (6-1; AFC East leader)
2. Tennessee Titans (5-2; AFC South leader)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3; AFC West leader)
4. Baltimore Ravens (5-3; AFC North leader)
5. New York Jets (5-3; first wild card)
6. Miami Dolphins (5-3; second wild card)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3; third wild card)
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)*
9. New England Patriots (4-4)
10. Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1)
11. Denver Broncos (3-5)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
13. Cleveland Browns (2-5)*
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
16. Houston Texans (1-6-1)
* teams play Monday night
Next up for the Patriots is another winnable home game against the Colts, who replaced veteran quarterback Matt Ryan with untested second-year pro Sam Ehlinger last week. Indianapolis lost to the Washington Commanders 17-16 in Ehlinger's first start, blowing a nine-point lead in the final five minutes at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Patriots then will have their bye in Week 10 before hosting the Jets for a rematch at Gillette Stadium. New England struggled to protect Mac Jones against New York's talented defensive front Sunday but exploited the Jets' QB deficiencies, pressuring Zach Wilson into three interceptions. It also benefited from a controversial roughing the passer penalty that wiped out a Jets pick-six.
Victories over the Colts and Jets would put the Patriots at 6-4 on the season, exactly where they were 10 games into the 2021 campaign. They'd still need to navigate a daunting home-stretch schedule (at Minnesota, vs. Buffalo, at Arizona, at Las Vegas, vs. Cincinnati, at Miami, at Buffalo) but would be squarely in the playoff mix heading into Thanksgiving.
