NFL analyst dumps cold water on Patriots’ Super Bowl hopes despite AJ Brown addition

The New England Patriots are one of the most common picks to win the Super Bowl this year. Last season, they made it all the way to Super Bowl 60 in what was Drake Maye’s first full season as the starting quarterback. The former number three pick finished second in MVP voting, and fans have speculated that another dynasty could be forthcoming in New England.

The team drastically improved in the offseason, too. They traded for A.J. Brown and signed Romeo Doubs, which significantly improves a receiving corps that was arguably the team’s biggest weakness last season. Kevin Byard was signed in one of the best value deals of the offseason, too. However, not everyone is high on New England. Pete Prisco has the Patriots outside of the top 15 in his Week 1 power rankings.

I thought last year they feasted on a bad schedule, and they did,”  Prisco said. “Down the stretch, the offense was not very good… In the playoffs, [Maye] was not great throwing the football, so I’m a little concerned about the whole thing.”

Patriots are OUTSIDE OF the Top 15 in @PriscoCBS Week 1 power rankings pic.twitter.com/dIMqWNDfXm

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) September 8, 2026

Being lower than consensus on the Patriots is one thing, but pinning them as a non-playoff team is just absurd. ClutchPoints just predicted New England to earn the one-seed in the AFC, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Maye ended up winning the MVP award that he fell just short of attaining last year.

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