Power Rankings: Denied Patriots have to get back in line

Updated Feb. 5

Perfectville, that mythical neighborhood created by the 1972 Miami Dolphins, is a really tough place to gain entry into, an ultra-exclusive area that features few in it.

The exclusivity of it makes any gated community, even those of the high-rolling stars, seem as if they're open to all of us. You can't buy your way in, either. You have to earn it.

Tom Brady heads off into the sunset for now -- better luck next season. (Getty Images)

The New England applied for entry but got turned down when a group of blue-collar New York Giants proved the Patriots weren't good enough.

Sunday night's Super Bowl XLII gave us another valuable reminder of why we love sports so much. The seemingly unbeatable is always beatable.

The Patriots 17-14 loss ruined their chance at a 19-0 season, allowing them to stake a claim as one of the greatest, if not greatest, team of all-time. We were ready to anoint coach Bill Belichick as the greatest coach and Tom Brady as the greatest quarterback.

Now they have to spend the next six months hearing how they choked it all away. They are the biggest Super losers of all-time.

Yes, the Baltimore Colts were bigger favorites when they lost to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, but the Colts weren't unbeaten. They weren't trying to get into Perfectville.

Now the Patriots appear to be facing a tumultuous offseason. In addition to the sting of hearing how they gagged their season away, they have the Specter (as in Arlen) hanging over their heads.

They thought the spying scandal was long gone when they were caught early in the season, but now we get word there might be another tape, one in which they filmed the St. Louis Rams' walk-through before Super Bowl XXVI. If that is found to be true, Belichick could be facing a year-long suspension, which ultimately could lead to him walking away for good. There is talk among some in the league that the Patriots ownership wouldn't need much to send him packing.

Winning Super Bowls, they tolerate his boorish behavior and off-field dalliances. But if he's caught in another scandal, watch out.

Belichick, in his usual standoffish way, shrugged off a question about the latest allegations after Sunday's game. "I don't know about that," he said. Then again, he shrugged off a lot of questions, his bitter-beer face showing all the pain he was feeling inside.

His classless walk off at the end of the game, leaving the field with one second left in the game and a snap still to take, was vintage Belichick. How about losing with some class? Then again, some say he doesn't win with class so why should we expect him to lose with it?

The Patriots will also have to decide what to do with Randy Moss, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He did little in the postseason, although he did have a touchdown catch Sunday after catching 23 of them in the regular season. He says he wants to come back to New England, but you can bet he won't take the home-team discount if that's what the Pats are thinking.

Then there's the aging defense, especially at linebacker. And wasn't that graying safety Rodney Harrison who gave up the two biggest completions Sunday night?

It will be a long offseason for the Patriots, one they thought they'd spend talking about their greatness.

Who didn't think they would start the 2008 season atop all the power rankings? But instead they are in the two hole, behind the Giants. If the two teams played 10 times, the Pats would probably win seven of them, which means they are probably the better team and should be in the top spot. Bodog.com sent out a list of odds for next year's Super Bowl and the Patriots are the favorites at 4-1. The Giants are 10-1, behind the Chargers and Colts and tied with the Cowboys.

But Super Bowl winners always take the top spot in the first set of our rankings that close out this season and peek ahead to 2008.

There will be another three or four sets of these rankings before we kick off the regular season, one after free agency, another after the draft and one or two more before the regular season opens.

New England thought they had the top spot locked until we kicked it off for real. The Giants took that from them and they took something far more important.

They took away their slide card for entry into that elite community known as Perfectville.

Now they have to wonder if they'll ever get in.

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Colts · Trends	1
	They make it interesting, but they still find a way. The amazing thing is that they are winning yet not healthy. That's what a good quarterback does for a team.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	Can anybody stop that offense? If they get to play their playoff games inside the Superdome, it's hard not imagining them in the Super Bowl.
	3	Vikings · Trends	3
	If the playoffs go through their dome, they will be tough to beat. They seem to be getting better -- if that's possible.
	4	Cowboys · Trends	5
	The offense woke up against the Raiders, which is a good sign moving forward. But it will be December the next time they play and we know how they fade in that month.
	5	Bengals · Trends	6
	It wasn't pretty against the Browns, but they went to 8-3. The one concern I have is they aren't passing it that well right now. That has to get better down the stretch.
	6	Chargers · Trends	7
	Momentum seems to be building for this team. As the defense improves, so will their Super chances. We know they can score.
	7	Patriots · Trends	4
	They got ambushed in New Orleans. That defense has not played well when facing good passing teams. Where's the pass rush?
	8	Eagles · Trends	9
	They struggled some against the Redskins and now must go on the road at Atlanta. That won't be easy.
	9	Broncos · Trends	12
	That was a season-saving victory against the Giants. But be careful this week against the Chiefs. They've owned the Broncos in December at Arrowhead.
	10	Packers · Trends	14
	They are starting to have a playoff look about them. The key will be how that offensive line holds up.
	11	Cardinals · Trends	8
	The division race tightened up with that loss to the Titans, and now they have a huge game with the Vikings. They have to be careful of San Francisco creeping back into it.
	12	Steelers · Trends	10
	The questioning of Ben Roethlisberger sitting out by teammates is not a good sign. They shouldn't do that. It could cause problems.
	13	Giants · Trends	11
	This is a team in big trouble. If Eli Manning can't play at close to 100 percent the rest of the way, they can forget the playoffs. Even with them, they could miss out.
	14	Falcons · Trends	15
	Matt Ryan won't play this week, which means Chris Redman will have their playoff hopes on his right arm against the Eagles. Can he play as well as he did last week, now that they know he's coming?
	15	Ravens · Trends	17
	They had a huge victory last week over the Steelers, but now have to go to Green Bay to face the Packers. That will be tough.
	16	Jaguars · Trends	13
	As long as they don't go to the West Coast again, they will be fine. They scored three points in two games there. Ouch.
	17	Titans · Trends	19
	Watch out. They're coming fast. If they can beat the Colts this week, the schedule the rest of the way is favorable.
	18	Dolphins · Trends	16
	Did they blow their playoff chances at Buffalo? If they did, that halfback pass on their opening drive of the game could be the reason why.
	19	Texans · Trends	18
	When they learn to beat the Colts, then we'll take their playoff chances seriously. If they lose at Jacksonville this week, it could be the end of the Gary Kubiak era.
	20	Jets · Trends	20
	They're still alive, but barely. They still don't look close to being the team that jumped to a 3-0 start.
	21	49ers · Trends	23
	Alex Smith has five games to show he is their guy for the future. He looked comfortable against the Jaguars.
	22	Bills · Trends	24
	The team is playing better under Perry Fewell. But he probably has no chance to keep the job.
	23	Seahawks · Trends	25
	It's too bad they don't play the Rams every week. If they did, they might make the playoffs. Justin Forsett looks like the real deal.
	24	Panthers · Trends	21
	It's time to make a change at quarterback. Find out what Matt Moore can do. What do they have to lose?
	25	Bears · Trends	22
	Paging Bill Cowher. Paging Bill Cowher. Is there any doubt they will make a coaching change now?
	26	Chiefs · Trends	26
	That San Diego game was a reminder of how far this team needs to go. They are a long way away from competing.
	27	Redskins · Trends	27
	They're still playing hard, but it doesn't matter. Jim Zorn is still gone after the season.
	28	Raiders · Trends	28
	At some point they have to get a quarterback. There is talent going to waste on this roster.
	29	Lions · Trends	29
	They have some offensive talent. Now they have to fix that defense. Teams do what they want. Green Bay wasn't even challenged.
	30	Rams · Trends	30
	Will they win again? It doesn't look good. Now comes the big decision: Which quarterback do they take in next spring's draft?
	31	Buccaneers · Trends	31
	Who will Raheem Morris fire this week? Is it another loss, another firing? It's time the blame goes to the man at the top.
	32	Browns · Trends	32
	It has to be hard to watch this team, especially for Browns fans. The question now is whether Eric Mangini makes it for a second season.