New England Patriots take first in ESPN NFL Power Rankings
By Nick Ziegler
ESPN recently released their Power Rankings for Week 8. Where did the New England Patriots come in after their win on Sunday Night Football?
It has been far from a perfect start to the season for the New England Patriots. With the NFL season entering its eighth week, New England appears to be getting into a groove.
To start the season, the Patriots were really struggling on the defensive side of the ball. With some new faces, there have been a lot of communication breakdowns that have resulted in big plays.
However, this is a talented group for the Patriots and they finally appear to be playing like it. In their most recent win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Patriots were able to play arguably their best all-around game of the season. The defense was a bit short-handed, but they were able to shut down a talented Falcons offense.
After the win in the Super Bowl rematch, the Patriots are now 5-2 and on top of the AFC East. While the AFC East has been much better than expected so far this season, it is New England that is still in first as we near the midway point of the NFL season.
In ESPN’s most recent Power Rankings, the Patriots were able to make a jump from third to first. Here’s what they had to say about New England.
"The AFC East might look closer than ever in the standings, but FPI still indicates the Patriots are the clear favorites to win the division. It’ll take some big efforts from the Bills, Dolphins or Jets to top the team that has won 14 of the past 16 division titles."
It is a bit surprising to see that the Patriots were able to jump the Philadelphia Eagles in the rankings despite the Eagles winning their game on Monday Night Football. The Eagles are currently the only team in the NFL with just one loss. ESPN had them stay put in the second spot with the Kansas City Chiefs holding on to third despite two straight losses.
Next week, the Patriots will be facing off with the Los Angeles Chargers. After an 0-4 start, the Chargers are a team that has won three straight games. Despite the 3-4 record, this will be a more challenging game than records would indicate for the Patriots.