Power Rankings: Pats aren't what we thought they were

Updated Dec. 4

Two weeks ago, I wrote in this very space that the New England Patriots would not be beaten.

With all apologies to Dennis Green, I said it was time to go ahead and crown their asses.

Did I get ahead of myself? You bet.

Feeling a bit more vulnerable, Bill Belichick? (AP)

The past two weeks have taught us again a very valuable NFL lesson: Anybody can be beaten. When things seem predictable and outcomes predetermined, we always seem to get something that reminds us to be careful racing to such conclusions.

The Patriots have been pushed to the limit in winning the past two weeks. They are still undefeated, but that gives hope to the rest of the league that the team being called by some the greatest of all-time has flaws just like they do.

The interesting thing is that they were tested in two very different ways. The Philadelphia Eagles went to New England and played an up-tempo style, trying to match the Pats point for point. They were there in the end, too, but two late-game interceptions kept the Pats unbeaten.

Monday night, the Baltimore Ravens took a different approach. They pounded them, beat them up and essentially mugged them, even making Tom Brady look uncomfortable in the pocket for much of the game.

In the end, Brady drove the Pats to the winning score in a 27-24 victory, helped by a favorable holding call late in the game. But I'm not about to sit here and say the officials cost the Ravens the game. Bad calls happen. They're a part of football.

What cost the Ravens the game was that stupid interception Kyle Boller threw from the Patriots 30 with the Ravens leading 24-17.

The late touchdown ruined a heck of an effort by the Ravens and forced the 1972 Dolphins to put the champagne back on ice. The Ravens flew to the football and they never backed down. They played so physical that at times it appeared they were pushing it a bit.

To their credit, the Pats didn't back down, which is why they are still atop the CBSSports.com Power Rankings. But the more I watched that game it became clear that New England doesn't like to be hit in the mouth. Who does? It also brought up this question: Have the Patriots become a finesse team?

If so, there will be plenty of tough-guy teams ready to smack them in the mouth come playoff time. One of those will visit Foxboro this week in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two others could be the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In two weeks, we've learned a lot about the Pats. We've learned they are soft in the middle of their pass defense. We've learned they can be pushed around at the line of scrimmage. We've learned that exotic blitzes seem to be the way to counter Brady. Mostly, though, we've learned they aren't unbeatable.

Crown their asses? Let's hold off on that. The NFL has a way of making all that rushing to judgment look bad.

The Patriots are still the team to beat. It's just that the past two weeks have taught us that beating them isn't as impossible a task as we thought.

The Power Rankings through Week 13:

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?