NFL power rankings roundup: Are Pats the worst team in the league? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Just how low are expectations for the New England Patriots entering Year 1 of the post-Bill Belichick era? If you ask NFL experts across the nation, Pats fans should brace themselves for the team’s worst season in decades.
Now led by first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots still have glaring issues on the offensive side. The offensive line is so worrisome that the team opted not to put rookie quarterback Drake Maye in harm’s way to start the year. Instead, it’ll be veteran Jacoby Brissett under center for New England‘s Week 1 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mayo and Co. will hope rookie wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker can give the offense a boost alongside free-agent addition K.J. Osborn. But even if they show promise, the Patriots will still lack the firepower needed to keep up with the contenders in the AFC.
Because of these issues, the first batch of NFL power rankings have New England among the five worst teams in the league. Here’s where some national outlets have the Patriots ranked to open the 2024 campaign:
“The muddled quarterback situation is a today concern, as Drake Maye will take over at some point. That much became especially clear when it felt like Maye had a chance to win the Week 1 job. The today-and-tomorrow concern is an offensive line that has fallen hard and fast in recent years, patched together with a potentially decent interior but some major questions at tackle. The defense wonât be some pushover unit at all, but the trade of Matthew Judon and the indefinite loss of Christian Barmore have me worried. Last year, the Patriots had a competent defense and won four games by a total of 15 points. Plus, theyâve been 9-16 in Foxborough the past three seasons combined and have some tough road games this season, including at San Francisco in Week 4. Thatâs a lot on the plate of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.”
“Bill Belichick is gone because of the offensive struggles, but the Patriots’ defense was still excellent in 2023, ranking fifth in the NFL in expected points allowed per play, despite losing key defenders to injury. The team’s biggest weakness was its passing game, which struggled with a 50.3 PFF passing grade, leading to the addition of new quarterbacks and receivers in the offseason.
“The key for 2024 is quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has had starting opportunities with varying degrees of success and could provide a bridge for rookie Drake Maye. Rookie offensive tackle Caedan Wallace is expected to make an impact, potentially developing into a quality starting left tackle. Although New England boasts a strong defense, the offense is expected to struggle, relying on unproven playmakers and underwhelming veterans.”
“They should get on with it and play Drake Maye because this team isn’t going anywhere this season. For now, it’s Jacoby Brissett’s team.”
“No Judon. No Aiyuk, either, despite what the Pats were apparently willing to pay him. No problem? After all, QB Jacoby Brissett does have a .500 record here ⌠in his two starts with the Pats ⌠as a rookie ⌠eight years ago.”
“Earlier this offseason, I predicted that Drake Maye, not Michael Penix Jr., would make the fewest number of starts among the rookie first-round picks. Of course, J.J. McCarthy is now going to be that quarterback by virtue of a season-ending injury. McCarthy removed, though, I am sticking to the take I had immediately after the Patriots took Maye: The roster is not good enough to support Maye, and he shouldnât play until it is. Starting Jacoby Brissett is the right move. Thereâs not a lot of fun for a fan base that has to focus on incremental week-to-week improvements along the offensive line, but it is the pragmatic approach. Kudos to the organization for getting behind this.”
“It’s understandable why the Patriots went with Jacoby Brissett over Drake Maye at quarterback to start the season. It’s also an admission that the Patriots don’t have the infrastructure to support a rookie quarterback. That’s disheartening. But it’s also prudent. Look through the Patriots’ schedule and you’ll have a tough time finding a game you’d pick them to win.”
“The award for Worst Look of the Preseason goes to first-year Patriots coach Jerod Mayo, who said New England had a true quarterback competition and that rookie Drake Maye had âoutplayedâ veteran Jacoby Brissett and then named Brissett the starter. The Patriotsâ organizational thinking seems to be that the rest of the offense is too bad to put the valuable Maye in harmâs way. Thatâs going to make Mayoâs pregame pep talks tough this season. Good luck, Jacoby.”
“This Patriots offense is a year away from being a year away, with a receiving corps in clear need of no. 1 and no. 2 receivers and an offensive line so worrisome that New England seems forced to keep rookie quarterback Drake Maye on the bench for his own protection. After trading away edge rusher Matthew Judon without an obvious plan to replace his production, itâs clear that New England is comfortable with taking some lumps in 2024 to position itself for seasons beyond.
“Eventually, the team will need to get an in-season evaluation of Maye, the no. 3 pick, and Iâll be intrigued to see whether he trusts his protection and supporting cast enough to take the same aggressive chances we saw this preseason. It wonât be fun this year, but Maye may be talented enough to speed up the rebuild in years to come.”
“I really wish Jerod Mayo would have named Drake Maye as the Week 1 starter instead of Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots haven’t really made for a fun watch since, maybe, Mac Jones’ unexpected rookie campaign three years ago. The results might not be great, but it sure would be a joy to see Maye go out there, run around and do his thing.”
“Mayo made the right decision, though, because New England still has arguably the worst offensive supporting cast in the NFL,” he continued. “Maye might actually give the Patriots a better chance to win, but Brissett is an experienced pro who has served as a placeholder before. There’s no reason to risk cracking the rookie’s confidence with a brutal early schedule that includes games against the Bengals, Seahawks, Jets, 49ers, Dolphins and Texans. We may not see Maye start until late October. We won’t see a playoff-relevant Patriots team until at least 2025.”
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