Patriots Take Tumble in Latest Power Rankings

The New England Patriots are coming off a loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which makes people take a step back when viewing their overall outlook.

NFL.com writer Eric Edholm released his latest power rankings, where the Pats came in at No. 27, two spots lower than the previous week.

"You could make a case they could be a really ugly 3-0, but the Patriots were also one or two plays away from being 0-3 right now. Instead, they’re 1-2 with two home losses, and Sunday’s turnover party showed a shocking lack of discipline from a Mike Vrabel-coached team," Edholm wrote.

"They’re up to 27 penalties on the season, which also doesn’t reflect too kindly on the new coach. Rhamondre Stevenson’s two lost fumbles further an issue that could soon come to a head as far as the backfield rotation goes.

"And Drake Maye, for all his fine plays in Sunday’s game and so far this season, is making too many avoidable mistakes. In addition to his fumble and pick, Maye also had two bad passes that should have been intercepted. If the Patriots struggle at home this week against an energized Panthers team, it might be time to permanently adjust our expectations for this season."

New England Patriots running back New England Patriots running back Treveyon Henderson is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The only teams that ranked lower than the Patriots are the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, all of whom are winless to start the season.

The Pats came into the season as an underdog with a young roster and an unproven quarterback in Drake Maye. Yet, they still have a chance at doing well throughout the season.

Things are still very early, giving them time to recover from the two early-season losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Steelers.

With a winnable matchup in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots will have a chance to move up in the power rankings. However, another loss at home could bury the Pats and make it hard for them to catch up in the AFC standings.

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