Power Rankings: The greatest? For this week, that's the Patriots

Updated Oct. 16

Moments after the New England Patriots carved up the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, inside the packed Texas Stadium elevator, sardine-canned full of writers and TV talking heads -- can you say uncomfortable? -- came the first mention of what many are now thinking.

Randy Moss is helping the Patriots produce incredible offensive numbers. (AP)

"I think they can go undefeated," the voice said.

It didn't stop there. The Patriots hyperbole is out of control.

They are being called the greatest team ever. They are being called unstoppable, the team that should have those 1972 Miami Dolphins worried they won't get to pop their champagne this year.

One network talking head, a former player, said the Patriots might be the best team he has ever seen.

Slow down, guys.

We're six weeks into the NFL season, and there's a lot of defining left to do for all 32 teams. Yes, the Patriots looked amazingly good in blowing out the Cowboys.

But like quarterback Tom Brady warned after the game, things don't really start to get defined until November.

That's not to dismiss what the Patriots have done. The offense is on pace to become the highest-scoring unit in NFL history. Brady is on pace to throw 56 touchdowns, which would shatter the single-season record of 49 by Peyton Manning.

Brady is a like an artist with a new set of paint brushes, his being his new receivers. He paints a masterpiece with them each and every week.

New England's 48-27 whipping of Dallas really was impressive. Here's how impressive: They have moved ahead of the Indianapolis Colts into the top spot of the CBS Sports.com Power Rankings.

About time, the nasty-to-me Patriots nation is saying.

I told myself that if the Patriots beat the Cowboys by more than 14 points, they would vault the Colts, who had a bye this week. I really didn't think the Patriots would win that big, but the late-game touchdown forced me to do it.

Poll Which team is No. 1 in the NFL right now?   16%  Colts     7%  Packers     68%  Patriots     9%  Steelers     Total Votes: 56356

That touchdown, which some Cowboys fans and players had to believe was running up the score since it came in the closing seconds, pushed the Pats into the top spot.

Lucky for us, these rankings matter little when it comes to how the season will play out. Unlike the BS (right initials) in college football, these don't count. (Let me rip the polls for having my alma mater, Arizona State, behind Cal in the standings -- ASU is 7-0 and blew out Oregon State. Cal lost to the Beavers.)

Back to the Patriots. They have earned their way into the top spot. And they have done it with style points, their pass-first offense as entertaining as any in the game, including the Colts.

But can we hold off on all the undefeated season talk and how they might be the best team ever. Last time I checked there are no rings awarded in October.

The Power Rankings after Week 6:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Colts · Trends	1
	They should send Belichick a Christmas card. What a gift. They face a tough road game this week at Baltimore.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	They probably learned a valuable lesson against the Rams: Anybody can challenge you on any Sunday. They need to be careful when playing lesser teams.
	3	Vikings · Trends	3
	Get ready for the playoffs. The NFC North belongs to the Vikings. It's obvious nobody else in that division is in their class.
	4	Bengals · Trends	5
	You believe? You have to now. They've beaten both Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice. That's a statement right there.
	5	Patriots · Trends	4
	They are still in control of the AFC East, but don't lose this week against the Jets. Then it's another story.
	6	Steelers · Trends	6
	The champs have a wild-card look about them after being swept by the Bengals. That's OK. They won a Super Bowl a few years back taking that route.
	7	Cowboys · Trends	7
	Just when they start feeling good about the way they're playing, they go and lay an egg in Green Bay. Who was that in Tony Romo's jersey?
	8	Broncos · Trends	8
	It's amazing how quickly their season has turned around. Now they play the Chargers with a gimpy Kyle Orton and first place on the line.
	9	Chargers · Trends	12
	They have a chance to take over first place in the AFC West this week if they can win at Denver. That's hard to believe after their start.
	10	Cardinals · Trends	10
	The division title is theirs unless they have a disaster. Now they have to work on playing better at home because they will have a home playoff game.
	11	Eagles · Trends	9
	They might want to stay away from the West Coast. That is two bad games out there after losing to the Chargers on Sunday. Was that their defense we saw against San Diego?
	12	Giants · Trends	13
	They come off the bye with a huge game against Atlanta, trying to end a four-game losing streak. Did they dispose of the bad karma during the break? If not, they'll be watching come playoff time.
	13	Texans · Trends	14
	They come off their bye with a chance to earn their first playoff berth with a good second half. The key will be how well they play on defense.
	14	Falcons · Trends	11
	With Michael Turner down with an ankle sprain, it's time Matt Ryan truly takes over the offense. He has been struggling, and that has to stop.
	15	Ravens · Trends	15
	They have a huge game with Indianapolis this week. I can tell the Ravens defense this: The Colts offense doesn't look anything like the Browns' unit.
	16	Jaguars · Trends	17
	Don't look now, but they really are in the playoff hunt. The schedule is really soft, which will help their chances.
	17	Packers · Trends	18
	They will look back on that loss to Tampa Bay in Week 9 the rest of the season. How did it happen? They still have major issues on their offensive line.
	18	Jets · Trends	16
	If they don't win this week at New England, which won't be easy, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Were they overrated at 3-0? Yes.
	19	Panthers · Trends	21
	They have life. They've done a nice job of turning things around. Now they have to do it without Jordan Gross, which won't be easy.
	20	Bears · Trends	19
	You have to start to wonder about Jay Cutler. He's trying to do too much. Where's Matt Forte? They are a playoff long shot now.
	21	Dolphins · Trends	20
	Chad Henne time is here. His game-winning drive was impressive. Now they have a quick turnaround against Carolina.
	22	Titans · Trends	24
	Don't look now, but Vince Young is 3-0. Can they make a run? Is it possible?
	23	49ers · Trends	25
	Moral of their season: If you can't throw it consistently, you can't win. Alex Smith had a regress game against the Bears.
	24	Seahawks · Trends	22
	Their disappointing season gets worse every week. They will not be a playoff team with the injuries they've had. Bad first year for Jim Mora Jr.
	25	Bills · Trends	23
	Dick Jauron is gone. The Bills aren't playing very well and now must go to Jacksonville.
	26	Chiefs · Trends	27
	OK, so it came against the Raiders. But winning on the road is big for this young team. Jamaal Charles might be the real deal at running back.
	27	Redskins · Trends	28
	They have life. The Redskins won a game, but does that matter for coach Jim Zorn? Not really.
	28	Raiders · Trends	26
	Tom Cable should be looking for a realtor. There is no way he comes back next season. When does somebody fire Al Davis?
	29	Rams · Trends	29
	Steve Spagnuolo has to feel good about his team's effort. They are getting better. Just ask the Saints.
	30	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	They have to be thrilled with the way they are playing with Josh Freeman at quarterback. That bodes well for the future. Now it's time to fix the defense.
	31	Lions · Trends	31
	They picked Matthew Stafford last spring to help fix the offense. Now they are another team that needs to fix its defense next spring. Good news: The Browns are coming to Detroit.
	32	Browns · Trends	32
	That offense is as bad as I've seen. I mean ever. They can't even attempt passes down the field. What an eyesore.