NFL Power Rankings 2020 preseason: Where do LA Rams fall?

Team 16 – New England Patriots (12-4)

Even without Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are a very good team. Good enough to overcome the Buffalo Bills in 2020? Perhaps not, but certainly good enough to win dogfights with the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets for one more year.

2019 summary

The Patriots missed competing in the Super Bowl in 2019, but there is no denying the team boasts a formidable defense. But the Patriots did not have many receiving weapons in 2019l and face an even greater challenge to the passing game in 2020. It was the shocking loss in the first round of their playoffs to the Tenessee Titans followed by the loss of QB Tom Brady to free agency which truly leaves the Patriots with more questions than answers at this point.

Players lost

Did you know that the Patriots lost QB Tom Brady, plus the rights to a now out-of-retirement Rob Gronkowski? But the entire roster was hit hard. The team also lost ILB Kyle Van Noy, OLB Jamie Collins, DT Danny Shelton, C Ted Karras, S Nate Ebner, and OLB Elandon Roberts.

Players added

The Patriots added DT Beau Allen, S Adrian Phillips, WR Marqise Lee, WR Damiere Byrd, and QB Bryan Hoyer. The team drafted S Kyle Dugger, LB Josh Uche, Edge rusher Anfernee Jennings, and more. And yes, the Patriots added veteran free-agent quarterback Cam Newton to the roster in late June 2020.

2020 outlook

Is this the year the New England Patriots end in the basement of the AFC East, or will they claim the top spot once more? Well, they’ve certainly given plenty of evidence to support the team playing more for the 2021 NFL Draft than the 2020 NFL Playoffs. In spite of losing Brady and some defensive standouts, the Patriots are a better team than a top to the bottom finisher. The Patriots are a tough call since the team now has a tough decision to make between Newton and Stidham. It’s tough to know if they are competitive enough on paper to win many games.  Are they? I split the difference and keep them hovering in the 9-7 region of the power rankings, for now. They’ll win early, but as teams decypher the offense, or if Newton falls to injury, losses will pile up quickly.