New England Patriots’ Victory Comes at a Cost
The New England Patriots celebrated a hard-fought 26-23 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, but it came at a cost. With the team now improving to 4-11 on the year, its standing in the 2024 NFL Draft order has taken a hit.
After originally entering the weekend in the second overall spot in the standings behind only the Carolina Panthers, the Patriots have now dropped down to No. 4. The Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders, who both lost their respective games on Sunday, were able to jump ahead.
With only two weeks left in the regular season, the Bears are the heavy favorites to end up with the No. 1 overall selection. The spots behind them are still very much in play for the Patriots and their closest rivals alike.
However, New England now will need some help from the Cardinals and Commanders in particular if it wants to return to the second overall pick it had held before Week 16. Considering those two teams’ opponents over the last two weeks, however, that seems like a long-shot: Arizona will play Philadelphia and Seattle, with Washington going up against San Francisco and Dallas.
For comparison, the Patriots will close out the season on the road against the Buffalo Bills and at home versus the New York Jets — two teams they have already beaten this season. Their road to a top-2 selection and one of the top quarterback prospects became a more difficult one to travel on Sunday night.
The Patriots will need to regroup and focus on the remaining games in order to secure the best possible draft position for next year’s NFL Draft.
Source: Bernd Buchmasser on December 24, 2023 11:40 pm