Ethan Hurwitz· Sep 23, 2026
Hurwitz pushes back on the idea that New England has the NFL's best defense, but says the unit is capable of finishing as a top-10 defense this season. He also argues Drake Maye's early struggles are temporary and that the passing game won't be whole until A.J. Brown returns.
“I'm not discrediting the Patriots performances to this point, and they have the ability to be a top-10 unit in the NFL this year.”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
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- Position Group FinishNew England PatriotsSep 23, 2026
New England Patriots defense to be top 10 in the league
“I'm not discrediting the Patriots performances to this point, and they have the ability to be a top-10 unit in the NFL this year.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Nate TiceGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsHit · 100Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro.
- Chris BroussardGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsMiss · 0Broussard picked the Bills to beat the Chargers in a competitive, higher-scoring game, said the Chiefs will rout the Dolphins, and for upset alert parlayed the Patriots over the Jaguars and the Raiders over the Saints. He also restated his Cowboys-versus-Ravens Super Bowl matchup pick.
- Danny ParkinsGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsMiss · 0In the winners-only chips segment Parkins backed the Patriots over the Jaguars, the Bengals over the Steelers and the Ravens over the Cowboys in Brazil. He also said New England has a real shot at a top-10 defense and that Kayshon/Romeo Dobbs will be the Patriots' number one target.
- Mark WahlbergGame Outcome Picks · New England PatriotsMiss · 0Wahlberg went game-by-game through the Patriots' schedule and predicted a 14-3 season, with losses only at Buffalo, to the Lions in Germany, and at Kansas City.
- Nathan JahnkeRoster Spot Calls · Efton Chism IIIHit · 100An unsigned PFF preseason recap makes numerous depth-chart, roster and usage projections across the league, based on Week 3 preseason playing time — including Roman Wilson winning Pittsburgh's third receiver job, Luke McCaffrey's roster spot being in danger, Charlie Kolar as the Chargers' top tight end, and Kendre Miller as the Saints' RB2.
- Nathan JahnkeRoster Spot Calls · Kyle WilliamsHit · 100An unsigned PFF fantasy preseason recap makes a series of depth-chart and roster-spot calls: Roman Wilson wins the Steelers' third receiver job over Germie Bernard, Robert Tonyan makes Pittsburgh's roster as the third tight end, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III stick in New England, Mike Washington Jr. is the Raiders' primary backup back, Jalen Nailor stays a Raiders starter, Kaelon Black leads the 49ers' backup running back competition, and Charlie Kolar is the Chargers' top tight end with top-12 fantasy upside.
More position group finish
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Pat FitzmauricePosition Group Finish · Green Bay PackersPendingIn a Week 4 waiver-wire column, Fitzmaurice made a few forward-looking roster claims: Rashod Bateman remains Baltimore's clear No. 2 receiver, Caleb Douglas should become Miami's top receiver when healthy, Fernando Mendoza will eventually take over for Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, and Green Bay may have the league's worst offensive line.
- Nick WrightPosition Group Finish · Seattle SeahawksPendingWright argued Justin Herbert has always been supporting-cast dependent rather than elite, said the Bills are the likely winner over the Chargers, and then gave straight score predictions for five Week 3 games, calling Seattle the best team in the NFL with the league's best defense.
- Joshua PoniatowskiPosition Group Finish · Baltimore RavensPendingPoniatowski argues Zay Flowers will be a top-10 fantasy receiver the rest of the season, that Baltimore's new offense finishes top-five in scoring, and that Chuba Hubbard remains Carolina's lead back while Jonathon Brooks is out.
- Adam AminPosition Group Finish · Buffalo BillsPendingAmin suggested Buffalo may have the best offense in the NFL while explaining the Lions' defensive struggles.
- Nick WrightPosition Group Finish · Seattle SeahawksPendingOn his Week 3 pick show, Nick Wright gave straight-up final-score predictions for five games, calling blowouts by Seattle over Washington and Kansas City over Miami, a Jacksonville home win over New England, a narrow New Orleans win over the Raiders and a low-scoring Baltimore win over Dallas in Brazil. He also called Seattle the best team in the NFL with the league's best defense.
- Connor "Boston Connor" CampbellPosition Group Finish · Seattle SeahawksPendingConnor called the Seahawks the league's best defense while defending Drake Maye.