The Patriots lose in Buffalo after Cam Newton fumbles the ball in final minutes.
The New England Patriots are in unfamiliar territory when it comes to losing games on a consistent basis.
The Patriots lost again Sunday afternoon, falling 24-21 to the Buffalo Bills in a Week 8 road matchup. It was the team's fourth consecutive defeat.
The last time New England lost four straight games was 2002, when it finished 9-7 and failed to make the playoffs one year after winning Super Bowl XXXVI.
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Instant reactions to Patriots' loss vs. Bills
How impressive is going 17-plus years without a losing streak of four games or more? This tweet from ESPN Stats & Info sums it up pretty well.
Luckily for the Patriots, there's a pretty good chance the losing will stop, at least temporarily, in Week 9.
Cam Newton reacts to his costly fumble vs. Bills
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New England is scheduled to play the winless New York Jets in a "Monday Night Football" matchup at MetLife Stadium. The Jets have scored a league-worst 12.1 points per game, while giving up 29 points per contest.
The Patriots, barring a complete disaster next week, are unlikely to lose five consecutive games, which they haven't done since 1995. But if the Pats are going to have any chance at making the playoffs this season, they need to start stringing together a bunch of wins ASAP. The history of 2-5 teams reaching the postseason is not good, to say the least.