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 didn't look great against the 49ers, but they found a way. That's what good teams do. It has to be good having Bob Sanders back again.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	It was a little bit of a struggle against the Falcons, but the schedule is favorable the rest of the way, to say the least. Is an undefeated season possible?
	3	Vikings · Trends	4
	They have a real hold on the division after sweeping the Packers. They really are a balanced team and Brett Favre is coming off a big game. There, I said it. Aside from the Steelers game, he is playing well.
	4	Broncos · Trends	3
	After their first loss, here come the champions. The Pittsburgh Steelers will provide another stiff test for the Broncos. They need to throw it better. Period.
	5	Patriots · Trends	5
	They come off the bye with a chance to take a real hold of the division by beating Miami. You know they'll be ready for the Wildcat.
	6	Bengals · Trends	6
	At 5-2 after their bye, they get a rematch with the Ravens this week. They can throw it better now than when they beat them the first time, which should help.
	7	Steelers · Trends	7
	They can show they are back with a road victory at Denver. The bye week gives them a little edge heading into that one, although Denver will be angry coming off its first loss.
	8	Eagles · Trends	8
	We get Eagles-Cowboys this week for first place in the NFC East. That should be fun. The Eagles are rolling after that Oakland disaster two weeks ago.
	9	Cowboys · Trends	11
	Is it time to stop ripping on Tony Romo? He's playing some of his best football. The defense, which was a problem much of the season, is playing better.
	10	Ravens · Trends	14
	They had to beat Denver to save their season, but now they get a big one against the Bengals on the road. To have a real chance to win the division, they need that one.
	11	Cardinals · Trends	9
	Can anybody figure this team out? They play well on the road and stink it up at home. Good thing they're on the road this week.
	12	Giants · Trends	10
	They are an example of how fast things can go bad in the NFL. If that defense doesn't play better soon, they could be playoff-less.
	13	Texans · Trends	16
	The improvement of the defense to go with that passing game has really helped this team. They do have a lot of premium talent on the defensive side of the ball.
	14	Chargers · Trends	17
	They seemed to right things the past two weeks, but now must head east to play a desperate Giants team. That won't be easy.
	15	Falcons · Trends	12
	They played well at New Orleans, especially in the second half, and the schedule gets easier now. They are a good 4-3 team.
	16	Packers · Trends	13
	Boy that offensive line is bad. If they don't improve there, Aaron Rodgers doesn't stand a chance.
	17	Bears · Trends	19
	Nothing like the Cleveland Browns to provide the perfect potion for all that ails a team. Facing Arizona at home this week won't be as easy.
	18	Dolphins · Trends	22
	That wasn't pretty against the Jets, but they found a way. Now they have to go to New England, with a chance to get back into the race. Playing two consecutive road games is tough.
	19	Jets · Trends	15
	There is no way they should have lost to the Dolphins at home, but at 4-4 they have been way too inconsistent. How about some special-teams work this week?
	20	Jaguars · Trends	18
	They will be a .500 team at best. The defense isn't very good, so they will play a lot of high-scoring games. The good news is they have a winnable game against Kansas City this week.
	21	Panthers · Trends	24
	Was that a job saver for coach John Fox and a season saver last week in Arizona? It was a big win, but those two things are still to be decided.
	22	49ers · Trends	20
	Playing close isn't good enough. They have to start winning those kinds of games. It's hard when they're limited on offense.
	23	Bills · Trends	21
	The run defense is really bad and they don't have the offense to make up for it. Did you ever think they would long to get Trent Edwards back so much?
	24	Seahawks · Trends	23
	They've been a major disappointment in a lot of people's minds. But the injuries have crippled this team. It's a tough first year for Jim Mora Jr.
	25	Raiders · Trends	25
	At least they showed up and competed against the Chargers. It's more than they did the previous week. Wonder how Tom Cable's troubles will affect the team?
	26	Chiefs · Trends	26
	They come off their bye with the Larry Johnson saga hanging over their heads. Something they need more of: Better play from Matt Cassel.
	27	Redskins · Trends	27
	Did they fix things during the bye? Is Jim Zorn safe now that he made it through the week off? Can they turn it around? Doubtful.
	28	Rams · Trends	31
	They won. They won. They won. After 17 consecutive losses, they should celebrate. Steven Jackson is having a good year for a bad team.
	29	Titans · Trends	32
	The move to Vince Young paid off. Yeah, as long as Chris Johnson runs for 228, it paid off. They did show more life coming off their bye in winning for the first time.
	30	Lions · Trends	28
	Losing to the Rams drops them down a few spots. They are competing, which is a good sign for this young team.
	31	Browns · Trends	29
	Does this team need a bye or what? Do they really have to play out the season with that offense?
	32	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	The Josh Freeman Era begins, and it's the right thing to do. They have to get him going for the future. Why wait?