Cleveland Browns @ New England Patriots
Sunday, October 26th, 1:00 PM ET
It's not always pretty for the New England Patriots, but this upstart team simply knows how to win football games, and there is an entire laundry list of great decisions this team has made in the 2025 NFL Offseason. Rebuilding the offensive line was huge. Hiring Mike Vrabel as the next head coach was an amazing, logical move.
Vrabel bringing back Josh McDaniels, a Hall of Fame coordinator on offense, was a masterful decision, and adding a weapon like Stefon Diggs has worked out well. The Patriots are not 5-2 on the season and have a strong 6-2 record staring them in the face.
They've got an easy schedule the rest of the way and could stack 11 or 12 wins if this keeps up. They are also in first place in the AFC East because of their win a couple of weeks ago over the Buffalo Bills.
On the flip side, the Cleveland Browns won in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, arguably the worst team in the NFL. The Browns do have a stingy defense that could keep the offense in the game, but the Browns' offense is an incomplete product and obviously a giant work in progress.
I do see the strong rookie class for the Browns laying the foundation for the future, but Cleveland isn't going to win many more games this year. The Patriots should be able to continue this magical season with a huge Week 8 win, getting to 6-2 on the season and perhaps having the best record in the AFC when Week 8 concludes.
The Browns manage to score four field goals in our predictions, but the Patriots put up 21 and get to 6-2. Are the Patriots legitimate contenders in the AFC in 2025?