The New England Patriots aren’t having their best season, but we’re right at the time of year where they tend to lock in.
With a win over the New York Jets on Sunday, the Pats upped their record to 8-3 on the season. And since the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a loss to the Denver Broncos, New England now owns the No. 2 seed in the AFC behind the Kansas City Chiefs.
But where do the Patriots stand among the rest of the league? According to FOX Sports 1’s Colin Cowherd, not in the top five.
While listing his “Herd Hierarchy” on Tuesday, Cowherd listed the Patriots at No. 6, most notably trailing the Steelers and Chicago Bears.
It’s hard to argue with the top three, as the New Orleans Saints, Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams easily have been the three best teams in the NFL this season.
However, the Steelers got off to a slow start, and the ugly loss to Denver doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. The Bears have been a bit of a surprise, but their stellar defense easily makes them one of the NFL’s best teams, even if their offense can be a bit inconsistent. It’s also worth mentioning the Patriots beat the Bears earlier this season without Rob Gronkowski, although the Bears were missing elite pass rusher Khalil Mack.
At the end of the day, power rankings simply are a way of getting debates going. And while the Patriots may very well be the sixth-best team in the NFL, some of the teams ahead of them are a bit perplexing.
