Patriots Lead NFL in Very Unique Category

The New England Patriots are the No. 1 team in the NFL in this very interesting category.
Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;  New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (right) celebrates following the win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (right) celebrates following the win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots surprised a whole lot of people in Week 1, riding their defense to an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Patriots limited Joe Burrow and the high-powered Bengals and did just enough offensively to emerge from Cincinnati with a 16-10 victory.

While some are now wondering if New England will be better than expected this season, the Pats are busy leading the NFL in a very interesting category.

They are the heaviest team in the league.

Heading into the season opener, the Patriots had an average weight of 249.02 pounds, which ranked No. 1 in the NFL, via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Funny enough, the second-heaviest team in the league is New England's Week 2 opponent: the Seattle Seahawks.

Obviously, this doesn't really mean much of anything in the grand scheme of things, but it could certainly help the Pats impose their will on opponents.

The Patriots' heaviest player is offensive tackle Mike Onwenu, tipping the scales at 350 pounds. They have 10 players that are 300 pounds or more overall. Their lightest playeer is wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, coming in at 185 pounds.

So, is New England truly for real?

Pats head coach Jerod Mayo has already said he wants everyone to pump the brakes after the Patriots' season-opening triumph. It is just one game, after all, and even with the win, it was apparent that New England still has a lot of work to do.

The Pats are still a work in progress offensively, and it's also entirely possible that the Bengals simply had an off day.

Now, if the Patriots end up defeating the Seahawks this Sunday, then maybe we will have a legitimate discussion on our hands.

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Matthew Schmidt

MATTHEW SCHMIDT