On the Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom Curran and Phil Perry discuss why the Patriots need to surround Drake Maye with talent as soon as possible
Sunday's Week 9 road game against the Tennessee Titans will officially go down as a loss for the New England Patriots. But it could end up being a huge win in the long run.
The Patriots forced overtime when rookie quarterback Drake Maye made a tremendous play to evade pass rushers and find running back Rhamondre Stevenson for a 5-yard touchdown pass to tie the score 17-17 as time expired in the fourth quarter. New England ultimately lost 20-17 in OT, but Maye's ability to lead an impressive game-tying drive -- and his 95 rushing yards in the game -- was an encouraging step forward in his development.
But more importantly for the Patriots, this loss drops their record to 2-7, and as a result they have moved into the No. 1 pick spot in the updated order for the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Patriots came into Week 9 with the No. 3 pick, one spot below the Titans.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
More Patriots coverage
The Carolina Panthers' surprising win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon was a huge help to the Patriots from a draft pick positioning perspective. The Panthers came into Week 9 with the league's worst record at 1-7.
New England is one of six teams tied at the bottom of the standings with a 2-7 record, but the AFC East franchise owns the tiebreaker with the worst strength of schedule.
The Patriots have the fifth-toughest remaining schedule the rest of the season, based on the combined win percentage (.562) of their last eight opponents.
Here's a look at the Patriots' next four opponents ahead of their Week 14 bye.
- Week 10: at Chicago Bears
- Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Week 12: at Miami Dolphins
- Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Maye's performance in loss to Titans shows the future is now for Patriots | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Here's an updated look at the order for the top 10 picks in the 2025 draft. It will be updated through the remainder of Week 9 as more games conclude.
