Six weeks into the NFL season, the New England Patriots are very much living up to expectation. The belief was that the team would be one of the worst in the NFL in 1 ABB — Year 1 after Bill Belichick — and it very much is so far.
Sunday’s 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans was the fifth defeat in six games. And while there is plenty to feel optimistic about given the play of first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye in his starting debut, New England suddenly turning the ship around and heading toward playoff contention seems highly unlikely.