20. New England Patriots (1-1)
You really just have to wonder how teams feel after ugly wins. Sure, in any sport, you never apologize for winning, but New England won in messy fashion in Week 2, but I am not sure this win stopped us from having the same concerns about this team as we did for much of last year and into this year.
Drake Maye honestly looks like a totally different QB, and not in a good way. Yes, AJ Brown is out, but Maye finished second in the MVP voting last year, and I believe it’s reasonable to have expected more from him thus far.
The Patriots feel like a decent team, but I am not sure they’re going to even sniff the AFC East title this year, and if Maye can’t begin to elevate his game to at least close to his 2025 self, they’ll miss the playoffs entirely in the 2026 season.
19. Carolina Panthers (1-1)
The Carolina Panthers lost in blowout fashion to the Chicago Bears in Week 1, and then decided to win in blowout fashion over Atlanta in Week 2. I am still not high on the Panthers and believe we need to pump the brakes on this team, especially with QB Bryce Young.
To Young’s credit, he has played quite well across the first two weeks, but it’s come against two of the worst defenses in the sport, as the Bears are missing talent along all three levels, and the Falcons don’t have either of their top pass rushers at the moment.
Sure, Young might actually be hitting a bit of a breakout season, but unless the Panthers can begin to stack some wins against some formidable teams, I am not sure it’s outrageous to rank them in the bottom-half for the time being.
Call me a skeptic - I just don’t see what is special with the Panthers right now.
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