8. New England Patriots (0-1)
The New England Patriots helped kick off the 2026 season against the Seattle Seahawks, which was already a full week ago. Drake Maye tossed three fourth quarter interceptions and essentially handed the game over to the Seahawks, who lost Sam Darnold just a handful of plays into the game.
The Patriots benefited from the NFL's easiest schedule since 1999 last year, and while some fans may roll their eyes at the schedule talking points, it's valid. The schedule does get a lot harder this year, and now with AJ Brown out for over a month, the offense is going to struggle to push the ball down the field.
Maye also has not played clean football for a little while now, dating back to the Patriots playoff run in 2025. While this team is still quite good overall, things have not looked right, and it is worth wondering if this team can regain their 2025 magic.
7. Houston Texans (0-1)
Houston's roster is amazing, but their Week 1 loss to Buffalo does make you wonder just how far this team can go with CJ Stroud at quarterback. He largely played well, but also didn't when his teammates needed him to the most. Stroud is a competent player and absolutely a franchise QB, but he might not be a high-end franchise QB.
Despite having an electric rookie season in 2023, the past two seasons were rather average, and given how good this roster is, you wonder what the Texans' front office would do if Stroud's play can't improve throughout the season.
He definitely wasn't bad in Week 1, as the story should mostly be about how atrocious the Texans' defense was, but Stroud does need to play better. If not, the ceiling of this team will continue to be limited.
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