More observers are beginning to take the New England Patriots seriously as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
The Patriots earned their 10th straight victory on Monday night, jumping to 11-2 with a 33-15 win over the New York Giants. Tom Brady placed them atop his power rankings, and he’s not the only former NFL player who feels they’re currently the league’s most impressive team.
Marcus Spears commended New England’s steady dominance on ESPN’s “First Take.”
“The team that you’ve seen consistency from is in the AFC, and they play at Gillette Stadium,” Spears said on Wednesday morning. “That’s the one team you’ve seen consistency from.”
The former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman sees the Patriots as a genuine championship threat.
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“Mike Vrabel and his staff, with what I saw Monday night, has a team that can absolutely win the Super Bowl,” Spears declared.
Spears didn’t hesitate when Peter Schrager asked if the Patriots could defeat the Buffalo Bills for a second time in Week 15.
“A hundred percent,” Spears responded. “I 100 percent think they can beat Josh Allen again.”
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The Patriots entered a Week 5 matchup at Buffalo as clear underdogs after a 2-2 start. They’ve run the table since that primetime upset put Drake Maye and Co. on the map.
Spears has seen steady improvement from New England throughout the season, which led the analyst to label the Pats his top team with four games remaining.
“This team has gotten better every single week,” he said. “You gotta tell me the team you think has gotten better every single week. I’ve had no issues with how New England has played football … They are not losing games. And they are not losing games because they are actually dominating a lot of phases of these games.
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“I got the Patriots right now as the No. 1 team in the league.”
