After a crushing Week 6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots were a 2-4 football team that looked bound for a top-15 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Now, New England is a top-five team in the entire league. That's what Colin Cowherd believes, at least.
The Patriots own the fifth spot on the latest "Herd Hierarchy," besting the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams.
"I may be overvaluing New England here, but I'll say this: They have 140-plus rushing yards in four straight games," Cowherd said Tuesday on FS1. "I was on Boston radio last week and they were lamenting their offensive line. I said, have you watched the league? It could be the third-best in the league. Ask Cleveland. So, I think they're checking all the boxes. I do not believe they could go on the road yet and beat an Aaron Rodgers or beat an elite quarterback, a (Patrick) Mahomes or a Josh Allen. But they check so many boxes, it's classic New England. They're more efficient, less penalized, don't turn it over. You get no freebies. Out of respect to the culture and the way they're playing, I've got them at five."
We won't have to wait very long to find out if Cowherd is selling the Patriots short. New England on Dec. 6 will visit Allen and the Buffalo Bills for a "Monday Night Football" clash, the first of two meetings between the division rivals over a three-week span.
