Power Rankings: The greatest? For this week, that's the Patriots
By Pete Prisco | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow PeteUpdated 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.
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| Randy Moss is helping the Patriots produce incredible offensive numbers. (AP) |
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.
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 | Giants · Trends | 8 |
| With a young team, an elite quarterback and a coach who knows how to make these playoff runs, they will be a Super factor again. | |||
 | 2 | Packers · Trends | 1 |
| They have to do a better job on the defensive side of the ball in 2012. There was a major regress by a lot of defensive players in 2011. | |||
 | 3 | Patriots · Trends | 3 |
| Bad drafting is starting to catch up with this team. It's time to fix that. And one has to ask: Has Tom Brady lost his postseason magic? | |||
 | 4 | 49ers · Trends | 4 |
| Alex Smith is a free agent, but don't expect him to go anywhere. But if the 49ers are going to stay a good team, they have to throw it better. | |||
 | 5 | Ravens · Trends | 5 |
| This is a team getting up in years at some spots, which might mean the window is closing. | |||
 | 6 | Saints · Trends | 2 |
| Biggest offseason priority: Getting Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. You can bet it will happen soon. | |||
 | 7 | Steelers · Trends | 6 |
| They face a lot of uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball. What veterans won't be back? Who shouldn't be? | |||
 | 8 | Texans · Trends | 10 |
| If Matt Schaub comes back healthy, this could be the team to beat in the AFC next season. They have a tough decision on Mario Williams in free agency. | |||
 | 9 | Falcons · Trends | 7 |
| They have two new coordinators, and that might be a good thing. Dirk Koetter will bring more down-the-field stuff to the offense. | |||
 | 10 | Bengals · Trends | 11 |
| This is a young team on the rise. As the young players mature, especially Andy Dalton, they will be a Super contender. | |||
 | 11 | Lions · Trends | 9 |
| It's all about improving the defense and getting more out of the running game on offense. Cliff Avril is a priority free agent. | |||
 | 12 | Cowboys · Trends | 13 |
| We think they underachieve every year, but are they really as good as we think? | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 12 |
| The entire offseason will be devoted to making Tim Tebow a better passer. Good luck with that. | |||
 | 14 | Eagles · Trends | 14 |
| The Eagles' big splash last year didn't pay any dividends. Now they have to regroup and try and get back to playoff football. If not, Andy Reid could be gone after the 2012 season. | |||
 | 15 | Titans · Trends | 15 |
| Jake Locker needs to be the starter in 2012. It's time to move forward. | |||
 | 16 | Jets · Trends | 16 |
| How do they fix that broken team? The locker room seems to be a mess. There is a lack of discipline. | |||
 | 17 | Cardinals · Trends | 17 |
| There is talk they will get into the Manning derby? If that's true, what's that say about Kevin Kolb? | |||
 | 18 | Chargers · Trends | 18 |
| Was keeping Norv Turner the right move? Philip Rivers thinks so. But we know he has to win in 2012. | |||
 | 19 | Raiders · Trends | 19 |
| Dennis Allen takes over the NFL's most dysfunctional franchise. Is Greg Knapp the right guy to lead that talented offense? | |||
 | 20 | Seahawks · Trends | 20 |
| Who will be the starting quarterback in 2012? Do they make a push for Matt Flynn? | |||
 | 21 | Bears · Trends | 21 |
| With Mike Martz out, and Mike Tice in, it appears they will move more to a running offense. Is that a good thing? Matt Forte is a top offseason priority. | |||
 | 22 | Chiefs · Trends | 22 |
| Romeo Crennel gets his second chance to be a head coach. Better sweep the office for bugs first. | |||
 | 23 | Dolphins · Trends | 23 |
| I like the hire of Joe Philbin, a bright offensive mind. Now they need to get him a quarterback. Peyton Manning? | |||
 | 24 | Redskins · Trends | 24 |
| Here's another team that is expected to be in the Manning sweepstakes. They have to do something there. | |||
 | 25 | Panthers · Trends | 25 |
| Cam Newton fixed the offense. Now it's time for the defense to be addressed this offseason. | |||
 | 26 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| They are switching to a 4-3 front. That means they have to find some ends to help the pass rush. | |||
 | 27 | Jaguars · Trends | 27 |
| Mike Mularkey is the new coach, but the key will be how much of new owner Shad Kahn's money they are willing to spend in free agency. | |||
 | 28 | Buccaneers · Trends | 28 |
| New coach Greg Schiano's first order of duty has to be to get Josh Freeman playing to his 2010 levels again. | |||
 | 29 | Browns · Trends | 29 |
| They have to decide if Colt McCoy is the long-term answer. He didn't look like it in 2011. | |||
 | 30 | Vikings · Trends | 30 |
| They need to get better players around Christian Ponder. He needs weapons, especially with Adrian Peterson coming off a torn ACL. | |||
 | 31 | Colts · Trends | 31 |
| The Peyton Manning saga is getting old. The team needs to make a decision soon and move on. New coach Chuck Pagano has a lot of work to do. | |||
 | 32 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| Jeff Fisher takes over a team with a lot of holes. They have to get Sam Bradford some weapons. | |||
