Don't look now, but here come the Patriots

	Corey Dillon ran for 102 yards on 22 carries in the Patriots' win over the Bills. Rick Stewart/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH -- Don't look now, but those are the New England Patriots in the rearview mirror, AFC elite. And yes, they're closer than they appear. They may not be the Patriots we've come to know and respect the past four NFL seasons, but they're looking more familiar all the time.

I know, I know. They're only 8-5, and they still have some of the flaws that have rendered them a win-one, lose-one club for most of 2005. But with Sunday's 35-7 win at Buffalo -- a victory that puts New England on the brink of clinching its fourth AFC East title in five years -- the Patriots are 4-1 since losing to the Colts and revving up for a playoff run that may not be as short as many of us assumed.

The indicators of potential postseason success were all neatly on display against the Bills:

• There was running back Corey Dillon rumbling downfield like the healthy Dillon of 2004, gaining 102 yards on 22 carries, with a 12-yard touchdown run and another gain of 21 yards. And Dillon wasn't the only Pats veteran who suddenly has returned to form. Third-down specialist Kevin Faulk and receiver David Givens also are healthy again and starting to produce in their always-key roles.

• There was the Patriots defense, the much-maligned (and deservedly so) Patriots defense, shutting down Buffalo in the cold, just like we've seen them do to so many opponents at this time of year. Teams routinely have been rolling to 400-yard offensive days against New England this year, but the Bills didn't even crack 200 (being out-gained 494-183).

• And there was quarterback Tom Brady, newly minted as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, carving up the Bills for 329 yards, with two touchdowns. In snowy, blustery conditions, Brady looked like he was throwing in a hermetically sealed dome, completing 29 of 38, and completing at least two passes to seven different receivers. Whether any one really notices it or not, Brady is in the midst of his finest season yet.

• And lest we forget, there was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline, wearing that always serious mien and giving every other coach in the AFC a serious case of both the shivers and a touch of déjà vu. Anybody care to underestimate a Belichick-coached team in the playoffs? New England's dour taskmaster would no doubt welcome such an approach.

For most of this season, the story in New England has been about who or what is not there any more. Be it Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi (at least in the early going), Ted Johnson, Rodney Harrison or the two-time champs' aura of invincibility. But all of that has now been thoroughly dissected and digested for the past three months. It's old news. At this time of year, when that New England-style weather sets in and the thermals go on, who starts showing up is all that really matters.

Well, guess what, AFC contenders? The Patriots, maybe even a pretty good version of the old Patriots, have started making an appearance, and it's better late than never. The Pats just might be back. I don't know if they ever went anywhere to begin with, but what's important is they might just get further than anyone had a right to expect.