The New England Patriots picked up perhaps their most important victory of the 2025 campaign in Week 16 when they took down the Baltimore Ravens. One of their former players, Tom Brady, doesn’t appear to be all that impressed with the team, though.
The Patriots managed to keep the Buffalo Bills at arm’s length in the AFC East division by beating the Ravens, while also locking up a playoff berth in the process. Had they lost this game, the door would have been wide open for the Bills to steal the division from them.
New England also proved it could win games late, as Drake Maye led a furious 11-point fourth-quarter rally to help his team come out on top in this one. And even when considering all that, Brady actually dropped the Pats from the No. 6 spot in his Week 16 power rankings down to the No. 8 spot heading into Week 17.
To say this is a surprising move from Brady is an understatement. Yes, the Pats had to battle back to earn a victory against a Ravens team that didn’t have Lamar Jackson on the field in the second half, and it’s also worth noting several teams ahead of New England on this list picked up big wins themselves.
But to rank the Patriots this low feels foolish, especially since they are coming off a win themselves. With a 12-3 record, New England is tied with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks for the best mark in the league. Putting them at the No. 8 spot feels almost disrespectful.
Story continues below advertisement
At the end of the day, the hope is that the team will be able to use this as fuel for their fire over the final two games of the regular season. New England will look to take a big step towards winning the AFC East division in Week 17 when it squares off against the New York Jets.
Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images
