Chiefs Reach 4-0 as Week 4 Upsets Fuel Patriots, Eagles, Rams Debate

Q: Did Drake Maye's gritty upset in Buffalo just secretly crown the Patriots as the most dangerous underdog in the AFC East?

Not yet, but the win did make New England the AFC East’s most credible threat to Buffalo. Maye’s performance in Buffalo was the kind that changes how a team is viewed. He threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns, added 54 rushing yards, and engineered the late game-winning drive in a hostile stadium. Just as important, the Patriots were not fluky winners: they outgained Buffalo, moved the ball consistently, converted key situations, and finished the game with a defensive takeaway from Craig Woodson to seal it. What the upset really did was confirm New England’s profile. At 2-2, the Patriots look tough, well-coached under Mike Vrabel, and resilient enough to stay in the division race. They are only one game behind the 3-1 Bills and now own the head-to-head tiebreaker, which matters. But it did not “crown” them as favorites. Buffalo is still better positioned over the long season because of its established core, Josh Allen’s track record, and the broader expectation that the Bills remain the division’s strongest roster. The Patriots also still have volatility: Maye had a fumble and an interception, and the offense has not shown week-to-week consistency yet. So the upset did not secretly hand New England the AFC East. What it did do was announce that the Patriots are no longer an afterthought. In a division where the Jets are 1-3 and the Dolphins are 0-4, they now look like Buffalo’s clearest problem.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Oct 5

Kansas City’s 30-27 win over the Raiders left the Chiefs at 4-0, and the column’s strongest Week 4 takeaway was that Patrick Mahomes’ team again looks like the NFL’s best.
New England’s 2-2 mark got a boost from a road win over previously unbeaten Buffalo, but the analysis still called an AFC East repeat a stretch because injuries and a tougher schedule favor the Bills.
Philadelphia’s late collapse in a 24-20 loss to the Rams pushed the Eagles to 2-2, and the piece judged playoff-miss fears legitimate given defensive issues and hamstring injuries to Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith.
Los Angeles’ comeback win was framed as season-saving, yet predictions of an unbeaten run until December were rejected because Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett remain health questions despite Puka Nacua’s return.
Houston’s 0-4 start after a loss to Dallas intensified scrutiny on DeMeco Ryans, but the column argued his three straight divisional-round trips and standing with ownership make a hot-seat verdict premature.