It's cleaner to think about the next 4 because the bye is after that. But really the next 5 are the hardest remaining games. Think they can go 3-2 over those 5 and still be in play. Remaining 5 games after that is a fairly easy final stretch relatively.

Problem is mathematically they still have a shot. 10-7 will most likely get you in the playoffs. And 9-8 may also be good enough. But we've seen little that suggests we can go on that kind of run down the stretch. They just aren't playing consistently good enough. And beating a bad team in new England doesn't change that.

---