Check out what the experts are saying about the Patriots heading into Week 3
“They’re still a lot better than anyone expected. Mainly because everyone expected them to stink.” – Mike Florio
Despite a 23-20 OT loss the Seahawks on Sunday, the Patriots only dropped to an average of 26th, down a half a point in the power rankings this week. This is mainly because of the quote above.
Optimistic expectations in 2023 had the Pats starting the year somewhere in the middle of the pack. The team dropped to 19th after week 1 and then down to 22nd after a sloppy, turnover-filled loss to the Dolphins slapped the experts with a readjustment reality-check. This year, the pleasant surprise expressed by some of the experts is nice to read, until it’s understood that they were ranked 30th-32nd a month ago — with nowhere really to move but up a notch or two. It’s not that big a drop if you’re standing on the bottom two rungs of the ladder.
I can’t help but read the comments below in same tone as when a kindergartener’s drawing gets extra praise from Grandma, when she can actually recognize the object drawn. Note the similarity:
“When the year began, I thought there was no chance the combination of a terrible offensive line, Jacoby Brissett, and a new offensive system would be successful — and I’m shocked they’ve produced an average unit thus far!”
“Silly me, of course that’s a school bus. Great job staying in the lines, Timmy!”
So, I’m not quibbling with the rankings. The Pats have no business moving anywhere until they can flesh out their offense. The run game is great, the unit takes care of the football — All good! Just add in the receiving part and that’s a ship they can sail. Add in defense and special teams it creates a team able to punch above its weight class.
Next up: Thursday night at MetLife Stadium vs. the New York Jets. Big game for Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt. Patriots fans forgive a lot, but losing to the Jets isn’t one of them.
GO PATS!!
Around the AFC East:
Buffalo Bills (2-0) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
New England Patriots (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1)
Miami Dolphins (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
AFC Matchups:
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)
Houston Texans (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
Cleveland Browns (1-1) vs. New York Giants (0-2)
Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (0-2)
Indianapolis Colts (0-2) vs. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Baltimore Ravens (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) vs. Washington Commanders (1-1)
Tennessee Titans (0-2) vs. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Denver Broncos (0-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
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23rd – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots ran like nuts again to push the Seahawks to the brink and nearly get to 2-0 with Jacoby Brissett. However, after stymying the Bengals, Jerod Mayo’s defense wilted against the pass badly. [-1]
25th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): They’re still a lot better than anyone expected. Mainly because everyone expected them to stink. [nc]
25th – NFL Nation (ESPN): Most important backup/role player: S Brenden Schooler. Schooler is listed on the depth chart as a safety, but his most important role is covering kicks and punts on special teams. In Week 1, he had three solo tackles and reached a career-high top speed of 22.4 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. With the Patriots’ offense lacking high-end playmakers, game-changing plays on special teams add even more importance. Schooler leads the charge in that area. — Mike Reiss. [-1]
25th – Ryan Dunleavy (NY Post). [-3]
26th – Matt Johnson (SportsNaut): The New England Patriots didn’t come away with the win on Sunday, but goodness this team is showing a lot of fight. A tandem backfield of Antonio Gibson and Rhamodre Stevenson combined for 177 rushing yards, while tight end Hunter Henry turned 12 targets into 109 receiving yards. The big issue was this Patriots secondary, which allowed DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to combine for 22 receptions for 246 yards. New England wasn’t expected to contend this season anyway, so close losses against competitive teams are worth highlighting. [-1]
26th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): They are 1-1 with an overtime loss to the Seahawks this past week. They are far ahead of what many expected of them this season, which is a good look for Jerod Mayo. [-2]
27th – Eric Edholm (NFL.com): When Antonio Gibson ripped off a 45-yard run midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday, it pushed the Patriots’ chances of beating the Seahawks to 85 percent, per Next Gen Stats. From there, the Pats bashed the ball into stacked boxes, took a bad sack and had a go-ahead field-goal try blocked. Then things fell apart to an even greater degree, as Seattle dominated the end of regulation and overtime. New England was a few snaps away from being 2-0, with some winnable games up next on the schedule. Instead, Jerod Mayo and crew dropped to 1-1. After halftime, Geno Smith was 17 of 25 passing for 158 yards and one sack. The Patriots’ Jacoby Brissett was 4 of 8 for 32 yards and two sacks in that same timeframe. New England’s pass defense can and should be called out for this defeat, but the Patriots’ limitations throwing the ball — which is the method by which some of the best teams close out games — are pretty clear right now. [nc]
27th – Conor Orr (SI): A compliment for the Patriots above anything we could have said from Sunday against the Seahawks: This Thursday against the Jets is a toss-up in my mind. If New England gets the run game in gear, Aaron Rodgers is going to have a serious test in his first introduction to the storied divisional rivalry. [-1]
27th – Consensus (Pro Football Network): The New England Patriots nearly stole the title for the most surprising 2-0 team in the NFL, but the Seahawks made sure that did not happen. Nothing the Patriots do will be exciting or flashy but do not expect them to make anything easy on teams. Their offense is set up to be safe and secure. They have yet to have a turnover on offense, but they are punting on over 50% of their drives. The Patriots will happily take that because it can be a weapon if you have a defense you trust. Ideally, the Pats would extend drives a little more, as they have a 42.9% three-and-out rate. [nc]
27th – Diante Lee (The Ringer): After dominating the game flow against Cincinnati (which should be an AFC contender) to open the season, New England took a tough Seattle team deep into overtime before losing. When the year began, I thought there was no chance the combination of a terrible offensive line, Jacoby Brissett, and a new offensive system would be successful — and I’m shocked they’ve produced an average unit thus far! The schedule gets significantly tougher from here, so I’m keeping expectations low, but New England is much more competitive than I expected. [nc]
28th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): The Patriots had a good shot to win Sunday vs. the Seahawks, but fell short in overtime. Being that close to 2-0 is a great statement for new head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots are playing hard and well, and given the talent limitations that is a good sign. [+2]
28th – Nate Davis (USA Today): Their run game is outpacing their pass game by 55 yards a week thus far, yet that division of labor is working fairly well. No Pats wideout has more than 28 receiving yards, yet the team came this close to a 2-0 start. [-1]
28th – Consensus (Bleacher Report): In the NFL, results are all that matters. The New England Patriots came close to the most surprising 2-0 start in the NFL this year, but in the end the New England defense couldn’t stop Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks from eking out an overtime win at Gillette Stadium. But the Patriots have put up a lot more fight than most expected two games in, downing the Bengals in Cincinnati and giving Seattle all it could handle. … These Patriots may still be lucky to win seven games. But you can rest assured that the New York Jets won’t be underestimating them heading into their Thursday night meeting at MetLife Stadium. Because if they do, they’ll get beat. [+1]
29th – Staff (The Score): Jacoby Brissett kept the Patriots in both games and hasn’t turned the ball over. His ability to scramble was crucial in the club’s upset win over the Bengals. [-2]
AVG RANK: 26.5 [-0.6]