Saturday, September 19, 2020

New England Patriots Week 2 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2020 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the New England Patriots rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 10.2 (10th)
  • Best ranking: 9th (Multiple)
  • Worst ranking: 12th (NFL.com)

Below you will find a Week 2 roundup for the Patriots in our consensus 2020 NFL Power Rankings.

The Athletic -- Rank: 9

What we learned: Cam Newton is still really fun to watch. While some coaches will complain about being hampered by a shortened offseason or opt-outs or injuries, the Patriots completely rebuilt their offense around a quarterback they signed in late June. The Patriots used Newton on zone reads, quarterback sweeps, draws and power all game long in their win against the Dolphins. No team produced a better rushing EPA than the Patriots, per TruMedia. Newton attempted just one pass that traveled 15 yards or more from the line of scrimmage. Bill Belichick told us how he thinks this team can win in 2020: a QB-inclusive run game, a play-action pass game and stingy defense. It was a winning formula in Week 1.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 11

Yes, it was only Miami. But the Patriots did some good things against the Dolphins - especially on defense. Cam Newton played a solid game.

USA Today -- Rank: 10

Lot of worry about state of their revamped defense -- which allowed 269 yards Sunday, better than the 275.9 average last year's top-ranked crew permitted.

ESPN -- Rank: 9

Best rookie debut: RB J.J. Taylor
Undrafted out of Arizona, Taylor had to prove that his strong training camp wasn't a fluke and answered the call when the Patriots worked him into the flow of the game in the third quarter. In nine snaps, he finished with four carries for 28 yards, including an 11-yarder between the tackles in which he kept his pads low and displayed good ball security. He added one catch for 4 yards. -- Mike Reiss

NFL.com -- Rank: 12

he Patriots aren't the Patriots of their glory years, but that doesn't mean they won't matter in the AFC. They improved to 51-12 at home against AFC East opponents in the Bill Belichick era (seriously) after a 21-11 win over the Dolphins in Foxborough. The craziest stat of the day? Cam Newton rushed the ball 15 times in his Pats debut; it was the highest number of carries he's ever had in a game that didn't go to overtime. It's too early to say if this is how Josh McDaniels' offense will look every week, but a Cam-led ground-and-pound attack makes a lot of sense.

Previous update: New England Patriots Week 1 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

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