The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 in their AFC East rival’s new stadium. Drake Maye looked great again, and the defense played well enough.
This was a big win for New England, as they avoided a 1-3 start to the season and kept not only their playoff hopes but their AFC East title hopes alive.
However, this big win over the Bills has not convinced ESPN analyst Dan Graziano that this team will be able to contend for the AFC East this season. Graziano doesn’t put a lot of weight on this win for New England, despite the vibe shift since this Week 4 victory.
Patriots have not done enough to be considered top AFC East contender
“The Patriots will repeat as AFC East champions… Verdict: Overreaction,” Graziano writes. “… I respect who the Patriots are and believe they’ll hang in this race for most, if not all, of this season. But Sunday’s results aside, I believe even more that this season sets up better for the Bills than the Pats, who had a lot go right in 2025 and have had a lot go wrong so far in 2026.”
So far, through four weeks, the Patriots are 2-2. It’s not a bad place to be at all, but compared to the vibes last season, this year’s team is clearly different.
The offense is clearly not as good as it once was, and New England is a clear step back from where they were a year ago as a team.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t still win the AFC East. Graziano believes otherwise, as even after this big Week 4 win for the Patriots over the Bills, he still believes Buffalo will win this division when it’s all said and done.
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“Despite the win, New England’s problems aren’t going away anytime soon,” Graziano writes. Those problems? They revolve around injury issues, especially in the wide receiver room.
A.J. Brown is already on IR, Kayshon Boutte has been traded, and Mack Hollins is now banged up as well. Add in Mike Onwenu’s injury and the injuries to Christian Barmore and Christian Gonzalez, and there are some real issues with this team right now.
Obviously, getting healthier will be a huge help, but even with a near full-strength team, there’s going to be some worries about Maye going forward.
While their Week 4 win over the Bills was huge, it has not moved the needle much for Graziano to believe in New England as a top contender for the AFC East division title.
