Patriots Receive Brutal Ranking For 2024

The New England Patriots have not surprisingly landed an absolutely brutal ranking heading into the 2024 NFL season.

Aug 25, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws fro the pocket during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots are coming off of a rough 2023 campaign in which they went just 4-13, and not many are expecting better results from them in 2024.

As a matter of fact, some are expecting the Patriots to be even worse.

Take Bleacher Report's NFL staff, for example.

In its latest set of power rankings entering Week 1, Bleacher Report ranked New England as the worst team in the league.

The fact that the Pats were ranked dead last is not too surprising. They have arguably the worst offense in the NFL, and their defense just took a hit after trading away Matthew Judon.

Of course, considering that the Patriots have entered all-out rebuilding mode, finishing at or near the bottom of the league may not be the worst thing in the world.

New England clearly needs more talent, particularly at the skill positions. The Pats are also in serious need of help along their offensive line.

Fortunately, the Patriots seem to have landed their quarterback of the future, as they selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft back in April. As a result, New England won't have to worry about that position next spring.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Maye will end up being the answer under center in Foxborough. After all, we all saw what just happened with Mac Jones.

But for now, the Pats have bought themselves some time to focus on other areas of need.

This is obviously new territory for a Patriots franchise that is accustomed to being at the top of the NFL. From 2001 through 2019, New England won six Super Bowl championships, made nine Super Bowl appearances and captured 17 AFC East division titles. That included 11 straight between 2009 and 2019.

However, since the departure of Tom Brady in March 2020, the Pats have fallen on hard times. They have made the playoffs just once since then, posting a cumulative record of 29-38 over the last four seasons.

The Patriots' fall from grace resulted in the club parting ways with Bill Belichick after 24 seasons. Now, the Jerod Mayo era has begun.

We'll see if Mayo can usher in a new dawn at Gillette Stadium.