The Patriots provided one of the NFL's biggest surprises in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
New England entered the campaign with considerably low expectations, with many projecting Jerod Mayo's side to be in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick next year. That result is still on the table, but struggles haven't found the Patriots quite yet.
Jacoby Brissett, Rhamondre Stevenson and company rolled into Cincinnati on Sunday and took down the Bengals in a 16-10 win. The Patriots, who were underdogs by over a touchdown in their season opener, forced a change to ESPN's NFL power ranking by silencing Zac Taylor's group. The Worldwide Leader listed New England at No. 30 in the preseason, but the Patriots now will enter Week 2 at 24th overall.
New England very well could be even higher on the list by next Tuesday. The Patriots' upcoming opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, currently are only five spots higher than New England on ESPN's list and didn't look overly impressive in their Week 1 home win over the Denver Broncos. Nonetheless, the oddsmakers are favoring the visitors in the Week 2 tilt at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
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The Super Bowl XLIX rematch is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET.
Featured image via Joseph Maiorana/Imagn Images
