What If Sports ranks them 4th (+1)

Peter King at SI ranks them 4th (-1):  I flip-flopped the Vikes and Patriots this week, and really, New England easily could be tied for third. The Patriots let the Jets back into the game Sunday, but give some credit to Leigh Bodden, a scrap heap pickup after wearing out his welcome in noted powerhouses Cleveland and Detroit, for his three-interception day in Foxboro.

Vic Carucci at NFL.com ranks them 4th (nc):  Many pundits would argue the Patriots are every bit as good as -- if not better than -- the three teams that each has a record superior to their 7-3 mark. We'll find out for certain when they travel to New Orleans for Monday Night Football.

National Football Post ranks them 4th (+1):  The Pats looked like they were having fun at the Jets’ expense on Sunday—showing Rex Ryan that he has a long way to go in the AFC East.

The Sporting News ranks them 4th (+1):  With Wes Welker playing at a high level, their offense becomes impossible to contain.

ProFootball Weekly ranks them 4th (+1):  Forty-eight games without back-to-back losses.

CBS Sports ranks them 4th (+1):  They bounced back nicely against the Jets and have a two-game lead in the division, but the Saints will be a great barometer for where they are now.

WEEI ranks them 4th (+1):  The Patriots lead the AFC in takeaways to giveaways with a plus-12. If they win the turnover battle on Monday night, they will leave the Saints with their first loss of the season. New England’s offense can be just as explosive as the Saints offense. Wes Welker leads all receivers with 79 catches despite missing two games with an injury and Randy Moss is second in the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

USA Today ranks them 4th (+1):  Out to protect their 2007 16-0 season record against the Saints.

ESPN ranks them 4th (+1):  Bill Belichick gets a chance to play spoiler on Monday as his Patriots try to end the Saints' bid for a perfect season.

Fox Sports ranks them 4th (+1):  The Patriots machine is hitting cruise control, especially with Tom Brady in automatic when it comes to finding Wes Welker — the guy who truly makes this offense so deadly. But the young defense gets overlooked in New England. There may be no Bruschi, Vrabel, Harrison or Seymour, but the Pats have allowed the second-fewest points and forced 22 turnovers, tied for third in NFL.

Yahoo! Sports ranks them 4th (+2):  Did Rex (I Never Came Here to Kiss Bill Belichick’s Rings) Ryan actually say he felt “disrespected” by the New England coach’s typical run-up-the-score antics with a straight face?

AVERAGE RANK:  4.00 (+.79)