Putting Patriots' ‘lack of competition' in perspective

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Every week is the same thing with the Patriots in 2019. 

Step 1: Play bad team.
Step 2: Beat bad team.

It should come as no surprise that the Patriots' point differential is a best-in-the-league-by-50-miles 175. No other team's differential is even triple digits. The 49ers (92) are the only other team with a differential of 70 or higher.

So, the Patriots are out here demolishing teams. It's hard to tell exactly how good they are because the Bills have been the only team to provide them any sort of challenge. That said, these teams are playing other games, too, and they aren't getting their asses kicked the way they have against the Patriots.

Six of the Patriots' seven wins this season stand as their opponents' worst margin of defeat this season. Only the Ravens (59-10 win against the Dolphins) have beaten a New England opponent worse than the Patriots have, and even that's a tossup when you consider the Patriots shut out Miami in that 43-0 Week 2 drubbing.

Here's a breakdown of each opponents' other losses compared to their games against the Pats:

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Steelers: 33-3

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: 3.33 points
Margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 30

Dolphins: 43-0

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: 21.1
Margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 43

Jets: 30-14, 33-0

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: 15.33
Average margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 24.5

Bills: 16-10

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: No other losses
Margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 6

Redskins: 33-7

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: 11.8
Margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 26
 
Giants: 35-14

Average margin of defeat in losses vs. rest of schedule: 14
Margin of defeat vs. Patriots: 21

On one hand, you can look at these numbers and say the Patriots should be beating these teams worse than other teams. That's true, but the adage of only being able to play the teams in front of you is true. The Patriots aren't just beating bad teams. They're smoking them. 

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