Patriots take the AFC East lead following the Bills’ blowout loss to the Colts

Five weeks ago, the Patriots were 2-4 with their playoff hopes looking dim. Fast forward to Sunday, and now the Patriots hold the lead in the AFC East for the first time all season.

The Bills, who have held the lead in the division since Week 3, were blown out at home by the Colts on Sunday, losing 41-15. New England is now a half-game ahead of Buffalo in the standings, as the Bills have already had their bye week and sit at 6-4 to the Patriots’ 7-4.

The Patriots, of course, had Sunday off as they played on Thursday. They defeated the Falcons 25-0 for their fifth straight win.

As the Colts continued to expand their lead on Sunday, the Patriots’ Twitter account seemed to celebrate what was developing in Buffalo.

The Bills were initially favored to win the division after becoming the first team outside of the Patriots to win the AFC East in 12 years last season. Buffalo appeared to have command of the division in the first two months, going 5-2 in that stretch. But they’ve gone 1-2 so far in November, with their other loss coming to the two-win Jaguars. Their two lone wins in the last five games came against the Jets and Dolphins, who entered Sunday with a combined five wins this season.

Both teams have intriguing matchups in Week 12. The Bills travel to New Orleans to face the 5-5 Saints on Thanksgiving night while the Patriots host the 8-3 Titans. After starting off 5-2, New Orleans has lost its last three games while Tennessee saw its six-game win streak end against Houston on Sunday.

Unless the Patriots win and the Bills lose, the Monday night matchup between the two teams in Week 13 will be for the lead in the division. The two teams play a second time in Week 16.

As for the Colts, they’ve arguably played just as well as the Patriots in recent weeks. They’ve won five of their last six to improve to bring their record to 6-5. The Patriots play the Colts in Week 15 at Indianapolis.