The New England Patriots picked up their fifth-straight win in Week 8 with a 32-13 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns. The Pats now have a 6-2 record heading into Week 9, and it’s becoming more and more clear with each win that their hot start isn’t a fluke.
There’s no doubt that New England is benefiting from an outrageously favorable schedule, but going out and winning games you are supposed to win is the mark of a playoff-caliber team. Let’s also not forget that this team took down the Buffalo Bills in front of their home crowd just a couple of weeks ago, too.
With several other teams running hot and cold so far this season, the Patriots’ consistency has been hard to ignore. After cracking the top five in Fox Sports’ Week 8 power rankings last week, they have held onto the same No.

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