NBC Sports’ Peter King isn’t as high on the Patriots as other experts. He placed them 21st in his new power rankings. Here’s part of King’s analysis:
The reviews on the 133rd pick in the 2019 draft, Jarrett Stidham, are good, but the shadow of the 199th pick in 2000 will always be a long one for anyone who plays quarterback in New England. There is no book on Stidham, a tough kid who will not be afraid of the hot seat, but his goal is to keep New England in games and leave the Patriots with a decision to make on a quarterback in the 2021 draft. Whatever happens, America will be watching: Four of their final nine games will be in prime time. I think this season breaks the Patriots’ 11-year stranglehold on the AFC East, but I’m pretty sure everyone in that building wants to rub our faces in such predictions, and that’s a great motivator.
For context, King ranked two of the Patriots’ AFC East rivals higher, including the Buffalo Bills (13th) and Miami Dolphins (19th).
Oddsmakers still believe in the Patriots. DraftKings Sportsbook has New England at -177 odds to make the playoffs, in addition to being slightly behind the Bills in the AFC East title odds. The Patriots also have the fourth-best odds (+1200) to win the AFC in 2020.
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