Patriots Week 14 NFL Power Rankings roundup
BOSTON -- It seems like forever since the Patriots lost to the Bills on Thursday Night Football. The uninspiring loss sent New England to 6-6 on the season and kept them on the outside of the AFC Playoff picture.
It also has them tumbling in the Power Rankings as we hit Week 14 of the NFL season. While many of the power rankers were somewhat impressed with New England's offensive performance in the team's Thanksgiving night loss to the Vikings, that is not the case after a stinker against the Bills.
No one is very dazzled with what Bill Belichick is sending out there at this point in the season. The Patriots remain in the middle of the pack in most rankings, and a little further down in others.
NFL.com: No. 19
Down four spots from last week
"The boo birds were once again out in Foxborough on Thursday night, as an ineffectual Patriots attack failed to keep up with the Bills in a deflating prime-time loss. Mac Jones' sideline outburst ("Throw the f---ing ball! The quick game sucks!") revealed the criticism extends beyond the paying customers at Gillette Stadium," writes Dan Hanzus.
The Athletic: No. 16
Down four spots from last week
"Avoid negative plays. For a team supposedly built on a good defense and a ball-control offense, the Patriots offense has been as sloppy as any in the league. If we define negative plays as sacks, interceptions, fumbles and rushes for negative yards, New England's offense has a negative play 14.5 percent of the time, per TruMedia. That's the second-highest rate in the league, behind only the Bears. Oh, and apparently the quick game needs work," writes Bo Wulf.
The Ringer: No. 14
Down one spot from last week
"The Patriots offense is frustrating. Mac Jones was screaming on the sideline in the team's blowout loss against the Bills. In an expletive-ridden outburst, Jones pleaded for his coaches to call more downfield passing concepts and stop calling so much quick game and underneath stuff. Unfortunately for Jones, Matt Patricia has been calling plays that way all year. The passing attack is predicated on even more shallow, quick-hitting routes than it was in Jones's rookie season. The offense ranks 27th in total air yards on early downs and avoids downfield throws even in obvious passing situations. On second, third, and fourth downs of seven yards or more, the Patriots throw the ball 4.7 yards behind the sticks on average; no team in the NFL throws shorter in those situations. How much of this conservatism is Patricia's style as a new offensive play caller with a defensive background versus a lack of trust in Jones or the Pats' supporting cast is hard to determine, but the result is definitely worth screaming about," writes Austin Gayle.
Yahoo Sports: No. 13
Down two spots from last week
"Thursday night wasn't close. The Bills absolutely dominated in every way. The Patriots will remain stuck in between resetting everything with a rebuild and being a legitimate contender. It's a weird place to be in the NFL," writes Frank Schwab.
Bleacher Report: No. 17
Down three spots from last week
"The New England Patriots are in trouble. Two weeks ago, the Pats were a 6-4 team very much in the mix in the AFC East. But after a close loss in Minnesota on Thanksgiving, the Patriots fell at home to the rival Bills on Thursday in a game where a lifeless Patriots offense failed to amass 250 yards," writes the B/R staff.
CBS Sports: No. 17
Down three spots from last week
"Mac Jones and the passing game had major problems against the Bills. Is the offense fixable with Matt Patricia?," asks Pete Prisco.
Sports Illustrated: No. 15
Down two spots from last week
"This is my last week rating the Patriots too high before I begin the process of dropping them like they're the stick figure in the Mad Men opening credits. You hear me, Matt Patricia? One more chance—I'm not messing around anymore," writes Connor Orr.
ESPN: No. 15
No change from last week
"Opponents have a 37-yard net-punting average against the Patriots, which ranks New England best in that category. A big part of that has been the emergence of rookie punt returner Marcus Jones (20 returns, 294 yards, 14.7 avg.), who has received some solid blocking in front of him, with longtime veteran Matthew Slater and up-and-coming rookie Brenden Schooler playing leading roles," writes Mike Reiss.
Pro Football Talk: No. 13
Down two spots from last week
"Bill Belichick has built up a ton of equity over the years. He's burning up plenty of it up this year," writes Mike Florio.
WBZ-TV is the place to be for Monday night's Patriots-Cardinals clash in Arizona! Coverage begins at 7 p.m. with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m., and we'll wrap it all up with Patriots 5th Quarter after the game!