Patriots Are 21st in Peter King's FMIA NFL Power Rankings
Peter King released his NFL power rankings for the 2020 season, which he put in his Football Morning in America column. In his rankings was the New England Patriots, who were ranked 21st in the league.
Here is what King had to say about the six-time Super Bowl champions:
Well, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are set up to answer the age-old question: Can Belichick win without Tom Brady? In regular-season games in his coaching career, Belichick’s teams are 219-64 with Brady starts, and 54-63 when he doesn’t. Without Brady, Belichick’s won at a .462 clip. With Brady, it’s .774.
This year reminds me of Belichick’s first year or two in New England, when he and Scott Pioli got the cap right by making do with lesser players and the highest-paid player in football, Drew Bledsoe. By 2002, it was Brady’s team, and he flourished. Now, after jettisoning Brady, Rob Gronkowski, center Ted Karras, kicker Stephen Gostkowski and keystone linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Jamie Collins, Belichick and Nick Caserio can clean out the cap and rebuild.
The reviews on the 133rd pick in the 2019 draft, Jarrett Stidham, are good, but the shadow of the 199th pick in 2000 will always be a long one for anyone who plays quarterback in New England. There is no book on Stidham, a tough kid who will not be afraid of the hot seat, but his goal is to keep New England in games and leave the Patriots with a decision to make on a quarterback in the 2021 draft. Whatever happens, America will be watching: Four of their final nine games will be in prime time. I think this season breaks the Patriots’ 11-year stranglehold on the AFC East, but I’m pretty sure everyone in that building wants to rub our faces in such predictions, and that’s a great motivator.
To put their ranking into context, ranked 20th are the Denver Broncos and 22nd are the Houston Texans.
Given the amount of question marks New England has - especially on offense - ranking them 21st is a fair spot in the initial power rankings. This gives the Patriots plenty of room to move up if they play well. Their spot in the rankings primarily has to do with quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is still a big unknown because he has yet to play a meaningful snap in the NFL. Stidham also had to follow up Tom Brady, which certainly isn't an easy thing to do, and likely won't replicate Brady's type of production over the past two decades.
As King mentioned, ranking them this low could potentially be some bulletin board material for the Patriots as well.
