Where Patriots Sit On ESPN’s NFL Power Ranking After 0-2 Start

After the Patriots went winless through the first two weeks of their 2023 season, ESPN believes New England ranks near the bottom quarter of the league.

ESPN ranked Bill Belichick’s team as the NFL’s 17th-best after its Week 1 showing against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots hung tough against the reigning NFC champions and were even threatening to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.

But the momentum from that somewhat encouraging performance didn’t carry into Week 2. New England dropped its first divisional matchup of the campaign Sunday when it suffered a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro, Mass. The Patriots once again showed signs of life late, but it was too little, too late after a fairly ugly start to the primetime tilt.

Following another loss to Tua Tagovailoa and company, the Patriots fell to 24th on ESPN’s ranking published Tuesday. The only teams that ranked below New England were the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.

Fortunately for the Patriots, they have a good opportunity to boost their status this weekend. New England’s first road trip of the season will take the team to New York, where the 1-1 Jets are waiting for an AFC East showdown. Gang Green probably would be an unfavorable matchup for the Patriots at full strength, but Robert Saleh’s club isn’t very daunting with Zach Wilson behind center.

The longtime rivals are set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.