New England Patriots remain near top of NFL Power Rankings
The New England Patriots remained near the top of ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings after a Week 1 victory over the Houston Texans.
The New England Patriots 2018 regular season got off on the right foot. The Patriots picked up a victory in the opening week of the season, defeating the Houston Texans 27-20 in Week 1 at Gillette Stadium.
New England came out of the gates hot. They led the Texans 21-6 at halftime, riding that lead to victory in the second half.
Tom Brady started slowly but picked things up as the game went on. Brady finished the game with 277 yards on 26-of-39 passes, tossing three touchdowns and one interception. Rob Gronkowski and Phillip Dorsett were the biggest producers in the receiving department.
Gronkowski was unstoppable, catching seven passes for 123 yards and one touchdown. Dorsett caught all seven of his targets for 66 yards and one touchdown. Dorsett looks like he has locked down a role even when Julian Edelman returns from his suspension. James White did what he normally does, catching four passes for 38 yards and one touchdown.
More from Musket Fire
- What trading Mac Jones during the draft can do for the Patriots
- Best and worst draft picks during the Bill Belichick era
- Early round Patriots draft picks you’ll hate now, love later
- Musket Fire Roundup: Our own final predictions for round 1
- Breaking down the Patriots’ options in the 2023 NFL Draft
On the ground, the Patriots weren’t as successful. Jeremy Hill was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Rex Burkhead gained only 64 yards on 18 carries. Cordarrelle Patterson received three rushes for 13 yards as well.
On the ground, defensively, the Patriots got off to a rocky start. Lamar Miller ran for 98 yards on 20 carries. Alfred Blue received five rushes for 36 yards, while Deshaun Watson added 40 yards on his eight rushes.
While Watson had some success on the ground, New England was able to contain him through the air. DeAndre Hopkins was held relatively in check, as he caught eight of 11 targets for 78 yards.
It was a solid, yet not spectacular, performance from the Patriots. There is still some work to be done, but they got the victory. At the end of the day, that is what is most important. As a result, New England remained near the top of ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings.
After Week 1, the Patriots are in the No. 2 spot in the rankings, behind only the defending Super Bowl champion, Philadelphia Eagles. In the power rankings, faces in new places to watch around the league was the theme for the writeups. For New England, Patterson was the selected player.
Here is what they had to say about Patterson.
"While playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson had just four touches in his Patriots debut, that was as many has he had in his final three games with the Raiders last season combined. Patterson also will be returning kickoffs for New England, where he hopes to add to his five career return touchdowns. — Joey Koontz"
Patterson brings an added dimension to the Patriots offense. With options lacking, he should get some opportunities to continue showing off his talents. His biggest impact will be felt on special teams, where he is one of the best return men in the league.
AFC East Week 1 Roundup. dark. Next
The Patriots will have their hands full once again in Week 2. They will be traveling to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of the AFC Championship game from January.