After a crazy Wild Card Weekend, only eight teams remain in the NFL playoff field. Fortunately for the New England Patriots, they are one of them.
The Patriots had the second-largest margin of victory of last weekend’s six postseason games with their 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It wasn’t pretty, but New England got the job done, earning its first playoff win in seven years.
It was also a big step for many of the Patriots’ young stars, including NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye. Now they have some postseason experience under their belts and have proven they can win a big game.
With Maye leading the offense and the defense coming off its best performance of the season, New England looks even more dangerous. The Patriots are arguably the best team in the AFC and have a legit shot at the Super Bowl.
Colin Cowherd agrees, ranking them second in this week’s edition of “Herd Heirarchy.” The only team he has higher than them is the Seattle Seahawks, who are coming off a first-round bye as the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Story continues below advertisement
“In a weird way, it reminds me a little of the Brady-Belichick Patriots,” Cowherd said. “I don’t know where their hole is…There’s nothing to pick on with New England. I have ’em at two.”
Cowherd’s right: the Patriots do everything well. They run the ball well, pass well, defend the run and cover the pass. They’re well-coached by Mike Vrabel and don’t make many mistakes for a young team. They’re athletic and they play hard, so it’s hard to find fault with them.
Story continues below advertisement
Sure, New England benefited from an easy schedule this season, but that’s in the past. The Patriots just dominated the Chargers, and there are no easy teams left.
New England will try to prove Cowherd right when it hosts the Houston Texans this weekend, who are coming off their own massive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
