Which Patriots Position Groups Are Rising, Falling After Week 1?

The New England Patriots are sitting at the bottom of the division standings right now with an 0-1 record, and will wait to see how the rest of the AFC East unfolds as Week 1 ramps into full gear this weekend. As the defending conference champs enjoy their extended break, they're able to reset and examine what went wrong in the season opener.

Despite losing 13-10 to the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, there was a lot to like from New England's perspective. At one point, they led 10-0 in the second half before a fourth quarter implosion blew a winning ship off course.

"There's a lot of fight in there and a lot of good things and there's going to be a few things that we have to eliminate that get you beat in this league," head coach Mike Vrabel said postgame. "I thought we did some things really well. We got off to a great start. We got some stops defensively. We handled the environment enough."

As we take another look at the team's Week 1 performance, here are a few position groups that are trending upwards after one game ... and a few that really got stuck in the Seattle mud.

RISING: Edge Rushers

Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Dre'Mont Jones (5) reacts after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Going into the game, you'd be hard pressed to find someone covering the Patriots that didn't think the edge rusher was the team's weakest group. Solely based on experience and numbers, there was no way this group would be able to shine on the field, right?

Scratch that idea out and toss it out the window. The Patriots got some of their best snaps off the edge on Wednesday, including two players who are expected to lead that room all season. Dre'Mont Jones, the run stopping veteran, sacked Sam Darnold on the game's opening drive and finished with six pressures.

Rookie Gabe Jacas also added a sack in his NFL debut, and recorded a tackle for loss later in the game. It was a nice showing for the Patriots in the sack department, an area that will be under a microscope all year. This was a step in the right direction.

FALLING: Running Backs

Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) tackles New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Throughout the game, the Patriots really tried to establish the running game. That's easier said than done, as the Patriots were able muster just 62 yards on the ground from their running backs. Rhamondre Stevenson (51 yards on 18 carries) got the majority of the snaps, while Corey Kiner (11 yards) and Lan Larison (two receptions for nine yards) filled in behind him.

But other than a few nice runs late by Stevenson, it was an ugly showing. The Patriots averaged 2.5 yards per carry between their running back duo of Stevenson and Kiner, and even when it felt like it wasn't working, the Patriots stuck with it.

Part of that was not trying to abandon the ground game. Without TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) in the lineup, the Patriots kept trying to get something cooking. It wasn't working all night, and that's going to need to change heading into some big AFC matchups against Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Buffalo.

RISING: Tight Ends

Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon (82) celebrates after making a touchdown catch against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Patriots had four tight ends active in the game, with Hunter Henry, Eli Raridon, Cameron Latu and Tanner Arkin all suiting up for the season opener. Only Henry/Raridon contributed on offense, while Latu/Arkin were more of special teams players.

Raridon — who didn't catch a single touchdown last year with Notre Dame — was able to kick off the scoring with a two-yard touchdown snag. The rookie was wide open in the end zone, and put up the first points of the NFL season.

Henry, who missed a few snaps after a trip to the blue medical tent, was a nice safety blanket in the passing game late. He finished with three receptions for 26 yards, and while the number might not be eye-popping, Henry's role in this offense can't be understated.

FALLING: Quarterbacks

Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws during the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You can make the argument that Wednesday was Drake Maye's worst game as a Patriot since being drafted in 2024. Sure, there was a point in time where you thought the 24-year-old could pull out the upset win, leading by double digits.

But he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, all of them coming on consecutive drives. The final one was the nail in the coffin, ending what could have been a game-tying drive to send it to overtime. Maye, understandably, was self-critical of his performance after.

He ended last year in MVP conversations. He began this year with conversations about his maturity throwing the ball in elevated situations. The Patriots, and Maye, will be just fine throwing the ball in 2026. He'll just need to rebound from this shaky outing next week.

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