NFL Power Rankings Week 3: How experts rate Patriots after Week 2 loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots could easily be 2-0 entering Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season, but because of their offensive line struggles and lack of a viable passing attack — among other issues — they are 1-1 after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime in Sunday’s Week 2 matchup at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots had more than enough chances to beat the Seahawks, but they had a field goal blocked late in the fourth quarter and went three-and-out on their only drive of the overtime period.
New England ran the ball very well for the second straight week, tallying 185 yards (5.1 per carry) and a touchdown. The defense didn’t play as well as it did versus the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, but the performance from that unit was good enough to give the team a chance to win.
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The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Patriots. They have a short week to prepare for a Thursday night showdown against the rival New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
The Jets lost to the San Francisco 49ers to begin the season but bounced back in Week 2 with a victory over the Tennessee Titans. This will be the first time future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers faces the Patriots as a member of the Jets. Rodgers is 2-2 in four career matchups versus the Patriots — all with the Green Bay Packers — and has thrown six touchdown passes and only one interception in those games.
The Patriots had their 15-game win streak against the Jets snapped in Week 17 last season when New York won 17-3 in Foxboro. A Jets victory on Thursday would give them back-to-back wins over the Patriots for the first time since 2008/2009.
Here’s a roundup of where experts are slotting the Patriots in their Week 3 power rankings.
“They’re still a lot better than anyone expected. Mainly because everyone expected them to stink.” — Mike Florio
“Antonio Gibson popped back up on the NFL’s radar with 96 yards on 11 carries. That’s the good news. The bad news is New England’s wide receivers combined for three catches for 19 yards (two catches and 12 yards for rookie Ja’Lynn Polk and one catch and 7 yards for K.J. Osborn). Until the Patriots find some pass catchers, maybe it’s best to leave rookie quarterback Drake Maye on the bench.” — Josh Kendall
“Brenden Schooler is listed on the depth chart as a safety, but his most important role is covering kicks and punts on special teams. In Week 1, he had three solo tackles and reached a career-high top speed of 22.4 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. With the Patriots’ offense lacking high-end playmakers, game-changing plays on special teams add even more importance. Schooler leads the charge in that area.” — Mike Reiss
“When Antonio Gibson ripped off a 45-yard run midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday, it pushed the Patriots’ chances of beating the Seahawks to 85 percent, per Next Gen Stats. From there, the Pats bashed the ball into stacked boxes, took a bad sack and had a go-ahead field-goal try blocked. Then things fell apart to an even greater degree, as Seattle dominated the end of regulation and overtime. New England was a few snaps away from being 2-0, with some winnable games up next on the schedule. Instead, Jerod Mayo and crew dropped to 1-1. After halftime, Geno Smith was 17 of 25 passing for 158 yards and one sack. The Patriots’ Jacoby Brissett was 4 of 8 for 32 yards and two sacks in that same timeframe. New England’s pass defense can (and should) be called out for this defeat, but the Patriots’ limitations throwing the ball — which is the method by which some of the best teams close out games — are pretty clear right now.” — Eric Edholm
“They are 1-1 with an overtime loss to the Seahawks this past week. They are far ahead of what many expected of them this season, which is a good look for Jerod Mayo.” — Pete Prisco
“The Patriots had a good shot to win Sunday vs. the Seahawks, but fell short in overtime. Being that close to 2-0 is a great statement for new head coach Jerod Mayo. The Patriots are playing hard and well, and given the talent limitations that is a good sign.” — Frank Schwab
“The Patriots ran like nuts again to push the Seahawks to the brink and nearly get to 2-0 with Jacoby Brissett. However, after stymying the Bengals, Jerod Mayo’s defense wilted against the pass badly.” — Vinnie Iyer
“A compliment for the Patriots above anything we could have said from Sunday against the Seahawks: This Thursday against the Jets is a toss-up in my mind. If New England gets the run game in gear, Aaron Rodgers is going to have a serious test in his first introduction to the storied divisional rivalry.” — Conor Orr
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