12. New England Patriots, 1-2
The regression from QB Drake Maye has been something to watch. He looks broken, and the New England Patriots feel like one of the very worst teams in the NFL. In 2025, the Patriots clearly took advantage of a super easy schedule, as they won 14 games and advanced to the Super Bowl.
But with the schedule a lot harder and the team having missed AJ Brown for a little bit now, the team looks mediocre. Maye has already almost thrown his entire 2025 interception total in three games in 2026. He might comfortably be the worst starting QB in the sport through three weeks, and if Maye can't do a total 180 starting now, the Pats are going to fall out of the playoff race entirely.
Expecting a regression this year based on how 2025 went was and is reasonable, but I am not sure many thought it would look like this through the first three weeks of the 2026 season. The Pats are just a bad football team right now.
11. Indianapolis Colts, 1-2
If nothing else, the Indianapolis Colts have gradually gotten better each week. They got blown out in Week 1, lost in overtime in Week 2, and won in regulation in Week 3. The Colts still feel like an average team at best, but they're certainly not the worst.
The Colts don't have a ton of high-end players and also have 'just a guy' at QB. This team doesn't necessarily have a clear path to a playoff spot this year and could be approaching a time in the franchise where some major changes need to happen.
Indianapolis largely feels irrelevant across the NFL landscape and just don't really do much of anything well, but I guess they aren't horrific at much, either.
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