Patriots enter Week 1 as biggest underdog after NFL schedule reveal

How far the mighty have fallen. No NFL team has achieved more in the 21st century than the New England Patriots and their six Super Bowl championships. However, the Patriots parted company with head coach Bill Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady is well into his next career as a broadcaster. New England no longer carries they kind of respect around the NFL that it once did. That was confirmed in the NFL’s recent schedule release when it was revealed that the Patriots would open the season with a game at Cincinnati against the Bengals September 8.

The Patriots opened as 8.5-point underdogs to Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and that line quickly moved to 9.5 points. No NFL team is a bigger underdog in Week 1 than the Patriots. That’s not a surprise, based on New England’s poor play last season and their tumultuous offseason.

The Patriots finished in last place in the AFC East with a 4-13 record. The only team with a worse record was the Carolina Panthers, who finished 2-15.

At the conclusion of the season, the Patriots parted company with their long-time head coach Bill Belichick. While Belichick is considered by many to be the best head coach in the history of the NFL, he was never able to return the team to prominence after Brady left the team and moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Patriots also said goodbye to previous starting quarterback Mac Jones, who was expected to become a prominent leader after he was the team’s first-round draft choice in 2021. Jones had a stellar college career at Alabama before the Pats made him the 15th pick of the first round. He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round draft pick.

Patriots hire Jerod Mayo to succeed Belichick and draft QB Drake Maye

The Patriots clearly have a new regime and it is likely to take several seasons before they can return to prominence. While Belichick and his team had struggled in recent seasons, asking Mayo to step into his position and find immediate success is a huge request under the circumstances.

The Patriots were rumored to be involved in several trade rumors prior to the NFL Draft, and the discussion surrounded their No. 3 pick in the first round. The New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings were both interested in moving up and gaining that pick, but New England executive Eliot Wolf decided to hold on to the selection and use it to bring Maye into the fold.

The former North Carolina quarterback was considered elite before the start of the draft based on his powerful arm, athleticism and leadership, but he was criticized for his inefficient foot work. It may take time for Maye to master the game at the NFL level by making quick decisions and accurate throws.

In addition to their status as the NFL’s biggest underdogs in the first week of the season, the Pats are underdogs in every game at this point. The only other team that is listed as an underdog in every game is the Carolina Panthers.