The New England Patriots should be surging up weekly NFL power rankings following their first win of the season, right?
While fans are rightfully fired up following quarterback Drake Maye’s flawless performance in Miami, a place the Patriots have traditionally struggled to win games over the years, love from the experts isn’t exactly pouring in for New England entering Week 3 of the regular season.
The Patriots received an obvious consensus power ranking across networks like ESPN, Pro Football Focus, NFL.com, Bleacher Report, and others this week. New England is exclusively slotting in around the No. 24 spot — ahead of every 0-2 team not named the Houston Texans or Kansas City Chiefs.
While it's probably fair for a team that’s had clear struggles on both defense and special teams through two games, the Patriots are essentially being considered the worst one-win team in the NFL entering Week 3. Thomas Valentine of PFF, for example, is giving the Patriots just a 38% chance of making the AFC playoffs
Coming off back-to-back four-win seasons, Patriots fans won't be surprised by those odds. With that said, another bottom-tier finish would be unacceptable, given the region's expectations for this team entering 2025.
Bleacher Report only needed one word to nail the current state of the New England Patriots
Count B/R’s Moe Moton among those ranking the Patriots at No. 24 of the NFL’s 32 teams. His reasoning should resonate, though, with fans still struggling to grasp the reality of their team’s current situation.
“Coming off a balanced outing, New England's rebuild is trending in the right direction.”
Rebuild. That word is triggering to Patriots fans after five-plus seasons of musical chairs at both head coach and quarterback. But it’s the appropriate descriptor, despite Mike Vrabel’s best efforts to turn over a mismanaged roster from the Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo regimes.
The Patriots are grooming two rookies on the left side of their offensive line. Their quarterback is two games into his first full season as the starter. The defense is a work in progress. The special teams are bordering on a disaster.
Through two weeks, New England is right where it should be based on its roster and favorable 2025 schedule — right at .500. The Patriots should be able to stay within that win-loss range throughout the season (that’s the hope, at least). But while fans’ patience wearing thin is both understandable and justified, it’s far too soon for New England to be soaring in any “power” rankings. We’re just not there yet.