New England Patriots - NESN.com
Bleacher Report’s Week 4 NFL Power Rankings had the New England Patriots drop from 24th to 25th following their Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots are in even worse shape in The Athletic’s Week 4 rankings.
Just two days after New England fell to Pittsburgh at home, 21-14, the Patriots sunk to 26th in Chad Graff and Josh Kendall’s rankings. New England was 23rd on their list after its Week 2 win against the Miami Dolphins.
“Not much has gone as planned for the Patriots,” the article said. “The running backs can’t hang onto the ball. The receivers can’t get open. The defense hasn’t been as good as expected. But through three games, Maye has taken a step forward, ranking fifth in the NFL in completion percentage over expected and eighth in expected points added per play.”
The Patriots’ Week 4 opponents (the Carolina Panthers) meanwhile, skyrocketed up to 21st in the power rankings. Carolina was second-to-last on the list last week in 31st, before crushing its NFC South rival — the Atlanta Falcons — 30-0 on Sunday.
The Panthers’ 10-spot leap was the largest in the league this week.
“If only Bryce Young could always play against the Falcons. He’s 7-26 as an NFL starter but 3-1 against the Falcons,” the article said. “The Panthers nabbed a big win, but Young’s hot streak from the end of last season appears to be over. He ranks 29th (among 31 qualifying quarterbacks) in adjusted yards per attempt.”
New England hosts Carolina in Week 4 at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
