The Patriots are one of 10 teams with a losing record after Week 4.
Mathematically, the first quarter of the NFL’s 17-game regular season is not quite over. For our intents and purposes, and given that Jerod Mayo used the term as well during a media conference call on Monday, let’s still us that term as we look at where the New England Patriots currently stand with four games in the books.
And what those four contests show us is that Mayo’s club once again appears to be trending toward another high draft selection. Owning a 1-3 record following Sunday’s 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, they are one of 10 teams with a losing record right now.
Adding the strength of schedule tiebreaker, the Patriots are on track to pick third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Obviously, a lot can and will change over the remainder of the season; a team being good or bad at this point in the process does not mean it will stay stable throughout the year. That said, the early trends do paint a picture worth looking at.
That is particularly true given that the Patriots have started moving in the wrong direction. Coming off an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals to open the season, they dropped three straight against the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and 49ers.
To make matters worse, their offense appears stuck in the mud while the defense has had its issues as well. As a consequence, New England does indeed look like one of the worst teams in the NFL at the moment — a status reflected by the current top-3 position on the draft board.
With all that being said, Week 5 will already shake things up: the Patriots will host a 1-3 Miami Dolphins team at Gillette Stadium that has looked no better so far this season.