Why Colin Cowherd Doesn’t View Patriots As Top-Three NFL Team

There’s one thing that’s still holding Colin Cowherd back from seemingly being all-in on the New England Patriots.

The Patriots, arguably the hottest team in all of football, extended their win streak to seven Monday night with a hard-fought road win over the Buffalo Bills. But even after maintaining its spot atop both the AFC East and the conference standings, Bill Belichick’s team actually dropped two spots on Cowherd’s weekly NFL power ranking.

“The Herd” host’s No. 2 team following Week 13, New England is now checking in at No. 4 behind the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.

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“I know you want me to have them higher and they have a seven-game winning streak,” Cowherd said Tuesday on FOX Sports 1. “They have no deep threat and I think eventually you have to get something a little over the top. They don’t have a ton of what I could call playmakers and they do have the best coach. I thought if you didn’t have the wind last night they would have lost that game. I thought it hurt Buffalo more than New England. But I will say this: Their running game, the Oklahoma rookie running back (Rhamondre) Stevenson is excellent with Damien Harris. Their offensive line — I swear they’re like Green Bay. The offensive line’s always good. Just move the parts around, it’s always good. They play power football and Mac Jones has been shockingly efficient.”

We’re not sure why Cowherd is so hung up on the Patriots’ lack of a dangerous deep threat. New England’s last Super Bowl-winning team in 2019 was one that loved to run the football and featured a passing game that left much to be desired. The 2021 Patriots seem to have the identity of a vintage Belichick group: tough, smart and resilient.

Perhaps Cowherd will change his tune if New England returns from its Week 14 bye and puts a beatdown on the frisky Colts in Indianapolis.