NFL analyst Peter King ranks Patriots No. 15 in the NFL

"The quarterbacking is surprisingly bad ..."

Patriots safety Devin McCourty (32) and teammates celebrate after an interception against the New York Jets. AP Photo/Adam Hunger

By AJ Nelson

November 1, 2022

1 minute to read

The first half of the Patriots’ 2022-23 season has been a roller coaster ride.

After a 1-3 start, New England’s blowout wins over the Lions and Browns indicated that the team might be past its early-season woes. But a 33-14 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 7 shot the Patriots back down to earth. While New England got back in the win column with a 22-17 victory over the Jets on Sunday, the team remains in last place in the AFC East with a record of 4-4.

Based on this start, NBC Sports’ Peter King ranked the Patriots 15th out of the NFL’s 32 teams in his latest power rankings.

“The quarterbacking is surprisingly bad, and [the] Pats won Sunday, in part, because of [Jets quarterback] Zach Wilson’s awfulness,” King wrote. “Plus, two of the last six games are against Buffalo. But you never know with this franchise.”

Fellow AFC East foes Buffalo and Miami were ranked No. 1 and No. 11, respectively. The Jets came in at No. 16 in King’s rankings, one spot below the Patriots despite being a game ahead of them in the standings.

As New England looks to crawl out of the basement in the division, a playoff spot remains in clear view.

After the Bengals’ loss to the Browns on Monday night, the Patriots hold the eighth spot in the AFC standings. The top seven teams earn a playoff berth.

The Patriots have a number of winnable games remaining on their schedule, including a home matchup against the Colts on Sunday and a rematch with the Jets in Week 11.

To King’s point, however, New England will have to face the Bills — the top team in his rankings — twice in the last six weeks of the season.

Those matchups could be pivotal in determining the fate of the Patriots’ season, especially as the second meeting between the teams will come in the regular season finale.