Here’s what the experts are saying about the Patriots heading into Week 15
The Patriots were able to accomplish two things in Week 14: First, they fought for a much-needed win in Pittsburgh, and second, they kept their hold on the No. 2 spot in the 2024 NFL draft order. For a team sitting at 3-10, that’s called a win-win. It was a terrific morale booster for the players, coaches and any fans who still have a sense of humor. Who doesn’t love beating the Steelers? To make it better, Steeler fans and media were calling for head coach Mike Tomlin’s head on a platter. As Karen Guregian noted, ‘It’s gotten to the point that if they beat teams now, the opposing coach is on the firing line.’
That’s where the Patriots stand now. The opportunity to be AFC spoilers. The final four games are against the Chiefs, at the Broncos, at the Bills and home vs. the Jets. This late in the season, I’m hoping they can keep their spot top of the order, but I won’t lie and say it wouldn’t be fun to see them beat any one of those teams. Especially the Jets or Bills.
GO PATS!
Around the AFC East:
New England Patriots (3-10) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
Miami Dolphins (9-4) vs. New York Jets (5-8)
Buffalo Bills (7-6) vs. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
AFC Matchups:
Baltimore Ravens (10-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)
Cleveland Browns (8-5) vs. Chicago Bears (5-8)
Indianapolis Colts (7-6) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4)
Houston Texans (7-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-8)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) vs. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
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29th – Karen Guregian (MassLive): It’s gotten to the point that if they beat teams now, the opposing coach is on the firing line. Case in point, Mike Tomlin is feeling the heat in Pittsburgh. [+2]
29th – Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots got up off the mat, thanks to Bill Belichick seeing Mike Tomlin and the Steelers on the other side. Well, it also was seeing Mitch Trubisky vs. his still playmaking defense. They will try to win more a few battles of attrition with the run before it’s done. [+2]
29th – Matt Johnson (SportsNaut): The New England Patriots might’ve been happy to win that one for Bill Belichick, but it feels like a costly victory. Suddenly, New England is teetering on dropping out of the top-two picks, costing it a shot at either Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. Just ask the Jets what winning one meaningless regular-season game at the expense of drafting a generational quarterback talent can do to a franchise. [+2]
29th – Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): Could a late run prevent the move that everyone presumes will be inevitable? [+3]
30th – Consensus (Bleacher Report): We don’t mean to cause undue concern, but we may be in the opening stages of an alien invasion. The pod people may be among us. Because the New England Patriots team that took the field in Pittsburgh Sunday certainly didn’t look like the team we’ve seen most of this season. The Patriots scored 21 points in the first half Sunday—more than the Pats had scored in their last three entire games combined.
Veteran center David Andrews remembers a time when the Patriots were expected to score 21 points in a half. And he told reporters after the game that while this season hasn’t gone according to plan, there was never any quit in the New England locker room. … The Patriots remain dead last in the league in scoring, averaging a meager 13 points per game. And there are likely seismic changes coming for a franchise that was the model of stability for two decades. But for one week at least, the Patriots have reason to smile. …
30th – Eric Edholm (NFL.com): It’s easy to say now, after their first win since Week 7, that the Patriots should have gone to Bailey Zappe earlier. I might have gone back as early as the Week 5 shutout loss to the Saints as the first time they reasonably could have (or should have) made a change. But then again, Zappe and Mac Jones are tied in home shutouts, 1-1, this season. That’s all a bunch of what-ifs now. The what-might-be could be more interesting. The ESPN College GameDay broadcast from Foxborough was manna from heaven for the tea-leaf readers of Patriots Nation, carefully parsing the words of Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, as well as the specific wording of Pat McAfee. It was tremendous theater for those who like that sort of thing. And it also might mean less than nothing in the end, but it’s just another reminder that a few wins down the stretch might not alter the vector the coach and owner are on in a lost season. [+1]
30th – Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): The offense actually showed signs of life against the Steelers. Bailey Zappe showed improvement, which is progress. [+1]
30th – Dalton Miller (Pro Football Network): The Patriots offense looked like it could do no wrong early against the Steelers, but things stalled out in the second half, managing only three first downs in their five full drives. The Patriots defense remains tough. They allowed only four yards per play against them and generally made Mitchell Trubisky uncomfortable. While that might not take much, the Patriots defense has proven it’s the only thing keeping them close in games. [+1]
30th – Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): The Patriots got a win Thursday, and that might have sent some fans looking up draft tiebreaker scenarios. The tiebreaker is strength of schedule. The team with the easier schedule gets the better pick. Currently the Patriots have that tiebreaker over the Cardinals and should maintain that through the season because they have an easier remaining schedule than Arizona. An 0-4 finish will likely get the Patriots a top-two pick and a shot at Drake Maye or Caleb Williams. Another win, and that’s not so certain. [+1]
31st – Conor Orr (SI): We wrote about New England’s offensive opus of 2023 here. I don’t know why, but it oddly feels like we could play ourselves into making sense of another year of Bill Belichick. Of course, right now, folks you talk to are saying: he’s gone. But so much of this is tenuous, right? It’s a marriage. It’s delicate. What if the Patriots take three of their last four games somehow, which would necessitate victories over some really good teams? Does that cause Robert Kraft and Belichick to come together and agree on one last rodeo?
31st – NFL Nation (ESPN): Biggest improvement: Run defense. Allowing a league-low 3.2 yards per carry, the Patriots have been able to make opponents one-dimensional on offense, with nose tackle Davon Godchaux and outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings two key cogs. Godchaux is in his seventh NFL season and defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington said: “He is one of the best run defenders, as a nose tackle, in the game. Really good block recognition, run explosion, block destruction and overall making tackles [50]. He’s everything you want in a nose tackle.” — Mike Reiss.
31st – Staff (The Score): After halting a five-game losing skid with an improbable win over the Steelers, the Patriots haven’t mailed in the season. [+1]
31st – Nate Davis (USA Today): This week’s game against the Chiefs was the first ever flexed out of a Monday night time slot. But not to worry. In a Yuletide miracle, the Pats will play on Sunday night at Denver in a Christmas Eve showcase … unless the Grinch intervenes again.
31st – Josh Schrock (NBC Sports Chicago): Ezekiel Elliott looked like the Zeke of old on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. A refreshed Zeke should have some value on the free-agent market this offseason.
31st – Staff (The Ringer): The Patriots did the absolute worst thing a team in their position could do on Thursday night: The won. Entering their contest against the Steelers as the only two-win team, the Patriots were in control of the secnd picjk – a very valuable resource in a draft with Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Consequences in draft positioning aside, it was a morale-boosting win in Pittsburgh, as Bailey Zappe made the offense look functional with quick throws into easy reads. I’m nor sure anything was meaningful for the Patriots,, but it sure feels better to win. …And theyre still in position for the second pick! – Ben Solak.
AVG RANK: 30.1 [+1.0]