The New England Patriots extended their winning streak to six games following the statement 36-13 home victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.
For many, this game was a contender or pretender test for the Patriots at this point in the campaign. While they came into the contest with five straight wins under their belt, they were facing off with the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
As the Patriots have done time and time again this season, they orchestrated an all-around keen performance on the day. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones strung together eight scoring drives, while the defense put on a clinic with four takeaways.
Even as the Patriots have arguably been playing their best football so far this season, head coach Bill Belichick is set on having a game-by-game mentality.
“Play Buffalo on Monday night,” Belichick said. “Look, eight games isn't enough to clinch anything or win anything. We have a long way to go.”
As it stands, the Patriots, 8-4, now hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Titans also boast an 8-4 record, but New England does now have the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.
As Belichick touched on, a pivotal AFC East encounter awaits them in Week 13, as they will clash with the Buffalo Bills in a Monday Night Football matchup. This sure will provide Jones and company with another key test this season.