While oddsmakers had the New England Patriots missing the playoffs at the start of the season, the Patriots have flipped the script with their recent hot streak . After winning four straight games, New England is now 5-2 and has surprisingly passed the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East.

With an easy schedule ahead of them , the Patriots are now considered virtual locks to make the postseason. According to The Athletic’s updated playoff predictor , New England has the second-best odds to make the postseason of any NFL team at 92%, behind only the AFC-leading Indianapolis Colts (96%).

However, the Patriots’ Week 8 home matchup with the Cleveland Browns could have a major impact on their playoff odds.

According to Football Sensei’s simulations , New England has an 86.6

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