The New England Patriots sit at the bottom of the NFL standings entering Week 10, but they have plenty of company down there.
The Patriots have a 2-7 record after a 20-17 overtime loss to the previously 1-6 Tennessee Titans on the road. It was a very winnable game for the Patriots, but their offense couldn't generate much, especially on the ground.
New England currently owns the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft even though it's one of nine teams with a 2-7 record. The Patriots own the tiebreaker due to having the worst strength of schedule among those teams.
The race for the No. 1 pick has set the stage for an exciting finish to the regular season among the non-playoff teams:
Per @ESPNStatsInfo: Nine teams with two or fewer wins are tied for the most through Week 9 since the 1970 merger (also 9 in 2006).
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) November 4, 2024
Let the race for the No. 1 pick in 2025 begin.
Next up for the Patriots is a Week 10 road game versus the Chicago Bears. It'll be the first ever matchup between quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, who went No. 1 and No. 3 overall, respectively, in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After playing the Bears, the Patriots will square off against the Los Angeles Rams (home), Miami Dolphins (road) and Indianapolis Colts (home) before a Week 14 bye.
It's a stretch that includes a couple winnable games for the Patriots, but they have to cut down on the penalties and turnovers. The Patriots committed three turnovers and eight penalties in their Week 9 loss to the Titans. It's extremely difficult for a team with little to no high-end talent to win games playing that way.
Are the Patriots the league's worst team after nine weeks? Here's where they stand in the latest expert NFL power rankings ahead of Week 10.
Pro Football Talk: No. 30
"Will Jerod Mayo be one and done?" -- Mike Florio
ESPN: No. 30
"The Patriots are one of nine teams with only two wins this season, which means their draft position could vary considerably depending on how things shake out. The Dolphins, who already recorded a 15-10 win over the Patriots in Week 5, are among that group. The rematch between the teams takes place in South Florida, which has traditionally been a hard place for the Patriots to win." -- Mike Reiss
The Athletic: No. 29
"The rookie quarterback wasn’t great Sunday. He finished 29-for-41 for 206 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions and a 69.8 passer rating, but there are enough flashes to give the Patriots hope in what is clearly a rebuilding season. Maye’s EPA per attempt is .05. That’s the same as Caleb Williams, slightly higher than Jordan Love and much higher than Bo Nix." -- Josh Kendall
Yahoo! Sports: No. 30
"Jerod Mayo should have gone for the 2-point conversion and the win. He didn’t, then oddly has refused to give a decent explanation for his decision. It’s not the worst thing for a 2-7 team, but hopefully it’s a learning moment." -- Frank Schwab
NFL.com: No. 32
"Drake Maye’s miracle TD throw made all the highlight reels, deservedly so, giving New England fans some hope that maybe they really did get this QB thing right. But why did Jerod Mayo not go for two and the win? The Patriots were road dogs, outgained by more than 100 yards at that point, looked pretty gassed and hadn’t come close to the end zone in the three prior drives. What did they have to lose? There’s a whole lot more valor in losing with a 'gutsy' call (I use quotes because I really didn’t even think there’s much risk) than in being worn down in overtime. Maye deserved a chance to take the game right there. The OT interception he forced really stung, but Maye did plenty of encouraging things out there Sunday. He just needs Mayo and his teammates to start giving him more help and more chances to win." -- Eric Edholm
Bleacher Report: No. 32
"How long can Maye shoulder a Patriots offense that lacks the ability to threaten defenses at nearly every position? Maye is the first quarterback in NFL history with 700 or more passing yards, a completion percentage over 60, six or more passing touchdowns, 200 or more rushing yards and at least one rushing touchdown in his first four career starts. He can't keep this up, though. It's asking too much of a rookie quarterback. Eventually, he tries to play hero ball and makes mistakes. At the very least, the Patriots look like they have 'the guy' behind center again." -- Brent Sobleski
USA TODAY Sports: No. 27
"Valiant effort by rookie QB Drake Maye and Co. in Sunday's overtime loss in Nashville. But it feels like the Pats are starting to chart a course – perhaps including a stop atop the 2025 draft – and that it might be short-sighted to strip this team of any low-level assets that might otherwise contribute to Maye's development down the stretch." -- Nate Davis
