Patriots Given Harsh ‘Reality Check,’ Shockingly Low Ranking On Super Bowl Contenders List

The New England Patriots finished a 14-3 regular season with a 38-10 rout of the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

New England won its final two contests by a combined score of 80-20, ended the campaign on a three-game winning streak and having won 13 of its last 14 tilts.

The Patriots earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC, will host the No. 7 seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round and appear ready to compete for their seventh Super Bowl title in franchise history.

There are still skeptics though.

NFL.com senior columnist Jeffri Chadiha revealed his ranking of all 14 playoff contenders on Monday, placing New England seventh on the list. More shockingly, Chadiha put the Patriots fifth among the seven AFC teams, behind the Denver Broncos (third), Jacksonville Jaguars (fourth), Houston Texans (fifth) and Buffalo Bills (sixth).

“Mike Vrabel once again has proven why he’s one of the league’s best coaches. This team is tough, smart and does all the little things that lead to consistent winning. It also helped that he walked into this job already knowing that Drake Maye had a lot of tools required for greatness as a franchise quarterback,” he wrote. “Vrabel was wise enough to pair Maye with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels — the same man who worked with Tom Brady for 13 years in New England — and the results have been tremendous. Maye has grown into an MVP candidate and the team around him has matured just as impressively. The Patriots came into their season-finale with Miami boasting a top-five offense and a top-five defense while being so strong on special teams that three different players have been named AFC Special Teams Players of the Week.”

For all the praise that Chadiha had for head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye, he also questioned New England’s postseason inexperience and warned of the recent off-field distractions caused by defensive tackle Christian Barmore and wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

“Now for the reality check. How much can you trust a team that hasn’t played in the postseason since 2021? The Patriots do have veterans with playoff experience — like tight end Hunter Henry, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and cornerback Carlton Davis — but this will be Maye’s first taste,” he said. “There also have been some distractions lately, as both wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Christian Barmore currently are facing assault charges on separate matters that surfaced within the last week. That type of stuff only increases the scrutiny and pressure when a team is chasing a championship. The fact is the Patriots have the talent to win it all. They simply must show how well they can play when the games mean a lot more.”

Chadiha has a point with Maye’s lack of playoff experience and the Diggs and Barmore issues, but it’s still a surprise to see the Patriots ranked behind the Jaguars and Texans.

The only AFC squads that New England is placed ahead of are the Chargers (11th) and Pittsburgh Steelers (13th).