Latest NFL power rankings provide better outlook of Patriots 2024 season

The start of the new era in New England under Jerod Mayo is just days away from officially beginning, as Week 1 begins on Sunday for the Patriots when they head to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. It will be the first real look we have at the team with the countless new players who are expected to become pillars of the roster moving forward, and it could provide insight into how the rest of the year will go.

For the most part, there isn't much optimism regarding their chances of pulling out a winning season, or more than five wins, for that matter. However, there is plenty of potential to suggest they could shock the NFL and defy expectations, even if their win/loss record doesn't reflect that.

That has been the case for much of the offseason, with most power rankings ranking New England last. If they're not dead last, they're just above it, and it makes sense in many ways. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding this team, so it's safer to predict they'll be a bottom-tier team than anything else.

Interestingly, however, the latest power rankings have the Patriots a bit higher than they have been in the weeks leading up to Week 1, which provides a far more optimistic view of the season ahead, regardless of how they'll actually fare.

Latest power rankings paint a sunnier future for the Patriots 2024 season

In the latest power rankings by Sayre Bedinger of FanSided's NFL Spin Zone, the Patriots are ranked 27th for the 2024 season, quite a jump from their typical 31st or 32nd positioning.

As for why New England got the push up the list from other rankings, Bedinger notes Mayo's approach to putting together a young and hungry roster while trying to create a new culture in Foxboro to help build for the future of the franchise.

"I honestly don’t hate the way that Jerod Mayo has been gutting the roster and the ruthless approach to getting rid of players who clearly don’t want to be there. Cutting JuJu Smith-Schuster and trading Judon were signs from Mayo that he’s building culture as much as anything, and that may take time. I like Drake Maye, I like the young receivers in New England, and I view this team as one that should be fun to watch this season even if their record is bad."

It's a much more realistic take on how a team in the Patriots position could be in their first season under a new head coach, especially one after a tenure as long as Bill Belichick's.

Bedinger is spot on about how the 2024 season will be fun to watch, no matter what their record says. At this point, it's all about development and growth, and the hope is that they will do plenty of that this fall. That way, they're creating a solid foundation for the future, which should become the building blocks of an eventual competitive and winning team again.

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