Patriots Power Rankings: Big Drop After Mac Jones 'Disaster'?

After a demoralizing loss, how do the New England Patriots stack up compared to the rest of the league through four weeks of football?

Fresh off the worst loss of the Bill Belichick era, the New England Patriots are in need of a major energy shift from a brutal 38-3 Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

After the defeat, New England fell from No. 21 to 24 as Pro Football Network's power rankings zeroed in on quarterback Mac Jones' decision making. 

"Mac Jones was horrific against the Dallas Cowboys," writes PFN. "Pairing that with a mass of injuries to the New England Patriots secondary, and things were never going to be pretty against the Cowboys.

"Jones made mistakes that we usually do not see from third-year veterans, particularly when they lack high-end physical tools. Rolling out and trying to throw across the field against that defense is asking for disaster, and the Cowboys obliged."

New England is now 31st in the NFL in scoring and has turned the ball over seven times in four games (Tied for 7th-most.) New offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien now turns the page and stood up for his quarterback, heading into Week 5.

Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones' three turnovers were costly against the Cowboys

"Mac is here today," O'Brien said. "He’s working very hard to get back on track. And we have a lot of belief in Mac. Mac’s a battler. He’s a competitor.”

Another major concern for New England: The Patriots must replace two of their best defensive starters in Matthew Judon (torn biceps) and Christian Gonzalez (dislocated shoulder), who were both injured in Dallas and could be out for the season.

Next up, the Patriots host the New Orleans Saints from Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a matchup. The Patriots have a chance to give the Saints their third straight loss. 

Here is everything you need to know about the Sunday matchup:

RECORDS: New England Patriots (1-3) vs. New Orleans Saints (2-2)

ODDS: New England is a 1.5-point favorite vs. the Saints

GAME TIME: Sunday, October 8th, 2023 at 1 p.m. ET

LOCATION: Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, MA

TV/RADIO: CBS, WEEI

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