There’s their old quarterback (Tom Brady).
Over there, that’s their former cornerback (JC Jackson). And, sure enough, that’s a receiver (Davante Adams) playing for their departed assistant coach. We even spot a quarterback (Josh Allen) on a division rival, and a speedster (Tyreek Hill) they’ll have to cover come Sept. 11.
But while their former assets and current adversaries populate the coveted list of the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2022, the New England Patriots have no players in the Top 50 and only two total representatives:
52. LB Matthew Judon.
85. QB Mac Jones.
In case last Friday’s hideous loss to the Las Vegas Raiders wasn’t enough proof, further evidence of the Pats’ glaring slippage in talent comes Sunday night at 8 when NFL Network unveils the Top 100’s final 20 players. As the likes of Brady, Jackson, Adams, Allen and Hill get sorted out at the top, the Patriots will be long gone with only two players near the bottom.
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In its 12th year, the list is cherished because it is comprised of votes by players. It isn’t merely a popularity contest, a measure of jersey sales or a diluted Pro Bowl berth, but more so how players are perceived by their peers.
So what exactly do the league’s players think of the Pats heading into 2022? Thankfully more than the AFC East-rival New York Jets (who have zero representation), but less than the Miami Dolphins (three players) and the Buffalo Bills (five).
Miami, who hosts New England in the season opener in two weeks, landed on the list Hill (in the Top 20), cornerback Xavien Howard (56) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (63). The Super Bowl-contending Bills come in with Allen (Top 20), receiver Stefon Diggs (26), safety Jordan Poyer (45), safety Micah Hyde (50) and pass-rusher Von Miller (93).
But before you get too depressed about this list, it could be worse.
CBS senior NFL writer Pete Prisco recently published his own Top 100 list and it contains … zero Patriots. In his experienced opinion, New England has the same amount of elite players – none – as the Jets, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.
While the Patriots managed a 10-7 playoff season last year, none of those five teams won more than four games and went a combined 18-66-1.
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