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NFL Power Rankings roundup: How experts view Patriots after upset win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots weren’t given much of a chance to go into Cincinnati in Week 1 and beat the Bengals — a team many experts view as a serious contender to win the AFC and reach the Super Bowl this season.
But the Patriots proved the doubters wrong by playing a fantastic road game. They won the turnover battle, won the time of possession battle, dominated both lines of scrimmage and made more winning plays in a 16-10 victory.
It was actually the largest Week 1 upset since 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Even though the Patriots won a game many people thought they wouldn’t, it’s probably going to take a little more for New England to rise out of the bottom third of many NFL power rankings.
That said, the Patriots have another winnable game against the Seattle Seahawks in the home opener at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon. If the Patriots improve to 2-0 — which they haven’t accomplished since Tom Brady’s final season with the team in 2019 — maybe people will start to view them a little differently.
Here’s a roundup of expert NFL power rankings entering Week 2.
“The first-year head coach had his team ready to play in Cincinnati after running what nine-year veteran QB Jacoby Brissett said was one of the most challenging training camps he has experienced. Mayo noted that conditioning and controlling the line of scrimmage would be deciding factors in Week 1, and the players responded with a performance that included 39 rushing attempts, two forced fumbles and one fourth-down stop. Mayo received a Gatorade bath on the sideline courtesy of veteran DTs Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale and then received a game ball from owner Robert Kraft in the locker room.” — Mike Reiss
“I’m not sure Jerod Mayo or the Kraft family could have scripted this one any better. On the surface, the Patriots’ win looked like a hard-nosed and hard-fought victory, but…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-roundup-experts-152251081.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-09-10 15:47:17
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