Week 17 Power Rankings

by Marima on Dec 29, 2009 8:48 PM EST Comment 15 comments

USA Today ranks them 5th (+1): Tom Brady's arm and Fred Taylor's legs look playoff ready.

Don Banks ranks them 5th (+4): I'm vaulting the Patriots back into my top five this week, ahead of some teams they've been trailing, because I believe before this postseason is all said and done, New England will show itself worthy of such a slot. The Patriots haven't had a one-and-done playoff experience since 1998, in the Pete Carroll era, and I don't foresee that streak ending this season.

Cold Hard Football Facts ranks them 7th (+2): The Patriots' average drive starts at the 23.4 yard line, second-worst starting field position in the NFL behind Oakland. They are also the only team in the league in the top 11 in all four major yardage categories (rushing, passing, rushing allowed, passing allowed).

WEEI ranks them 7th (+2): The Patriots rushed for close to 200 yards Sunday against the Jaguars. For the first time since Week 4 of the season, Bill Belichick has all five of his running backs healthy. With a consistent and strong running game to go along with Tom Brady, Wes Welker and Randy Moss in the passing game, the Pats can make a lot of noise in the playoffs. They are getting healthy at the right time. The offensive line, which has been beaten up all year, is finally back. Injured players such as Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork will have another week to rest and get healthy for the playoffs because Sunday’s game at Houston means nothing for the Pats.

The Sporting News ranks them 7th (+2): Their home record is perfect, and Tom Brady already looks to be in postseason form.

ProFootball Weekly ranks them 7th (+4): Last two vs. Jags, Brady had five incomplete passes.

Peter King ranks them 7th (+5): Only bit of bad news for the suddenly Patriot-like Patriots came five minutes into the game against Jacksonville. Two extra offensive linemen came in on a goal-line run play for New England at the Jags one-yard line. Laurence Maroney took a handoff from Tom Brady and tried to bust up the scrum and ... got nothing. Except a fumble. That was it for Maroney on the day. Now he's in the doghouse, and it was Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk the rest of the day.

National Football Post ranks them 7th (+2): The Patriots and Tom Brady look like they are gearing up for a postseason run, but do they have the defense to do it?

Fox Sports ranks them 8th (+2): For once, Bill Belichick's Patriots are lying in the weeds and looking ready to sneak up on someone this January. A win this week gives New England the top wild-card seed, and I can't think of one team that would be thrilled to have to cover both Wes Welker and Randy Moss with playoff lives at stake.

Yahoo! Sports ranks them 9th (+2): Now that Randy Moss has admitted he sucked against the Panthers, can Merril Hoge and his minions please stop pretending how awesome the wideout was?

What If Sports ranks them 9th (+2)

CBS Sports ranks them 10th (+1): Tom Brady and Randy Moss got it going against Jacksonville, which is not a good thing for the rest of the AFC. They can be the third seed in the AFC with a victory at Houston.

ESPN ranks them 10th (-1): If the Pats beat the Texans, they might have a third meeting with the Jets -- if the Jets beat the Bengals.

AVERAGE RANK: 7.54 (+.2.29)

The views expressed in these FanPosts are not necessarily those of the writers or SBNation.

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i think the 8th, 9th and 10th rankings are a joke

Oh come let's sing Ohio's praise,
And songs to Alma Mater raise,
While our hearts rebounding thrill,
With joy which death alone can still,
Summer's heat or winter's cold,
The seasons pass the years will roll,
Time and change will surely (truly) show,
How firm thy friendship... OHIO!!!

by NinjaZX6R on Dec 29, 2009 9:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously

and ESPN dropping them in their rankings? Criminal. I don’t think you can legitimately put the Cowboys, Cards, or Bengals in front of them right now.

by Csigs on Dec 29, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Bengals, perhaps

but I don’t see the Cards or Cowboys as consistent enough. The Bengals have had a couple of awful games, but they’ve generally been of a higher level than the Cards or Cowboys, who are really hit-and-miss, even if they win.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Dec 29, 2009 11:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess the Cowboys beating the 'Skins was more impressive than the Patriots beating the Jags?

Who knows what they were thinking. ESPN’s power rankings are always a joke.

Oh, if a man tried to take his time on earth, and prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth--oh, I wonder what would happen to this world.

by LegendaryTadpole on Dec 30, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hey, just the Cowboys winning in December at all was impressive I guess

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Dec 30, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Especially with Romo as the field goal holder.

My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 30, 2009 4:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No more fumbling issues, he's single.

In 2007, holding onto the football felt far too much like his dating life – grasping a manufactured, talentless leathery bag of insubstantial fluff and hot air whilst in the gaze of millions.

It’s no surprise that he dropped it like it was its birthday. Bahaha.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Dec 30, 2009 5:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I knew some of those ratings were Bl St!

by patriotguy2 on Dec 29, 2009 11:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Oh, a guess the letters thing. Let's see....

B a i l S h o t ? (Something Plaxico didn’t get)

Did I get it right?

My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 30, 2009 8:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, your just about right.

hahaha……Plaxico.

by patriotguy2 on Dec 30, 2009 12:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He got one of those

But he shot himself in the bails. Well. Upper leg. No account for accuracy.

Token southern hemisphere guy - 14,688km from Foxboro. That's 9128 miles, for you heathens.

by Comedic.Sans on Dec 30, 2009 5:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Like that Jon Bovi song? (cheap imitation group)

Shot through the head and you’re to blame.
You tried for my heart but you’re a bad aim.

My life has been a trivial pursuit. Trivia: where three roads meet.
The more you know, the more you know that you don't know.

by SlotMachinePlayer on Dec 30, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Skip Bayless on ESPN first take

put the pats at #3(he thinks the power rankings are wrong, like the other two people there). Surprising right? But he puts them over the saints.

by patriotguy2 on Dec 30, 2009 1:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Disagree with that

I don’t think they should be THAT high. I think 6-7 is just right. 5th would be a reach, but as a homer I think I could justify it =)

by Csigs on Dec 30, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i think they should be 4th.

just because i only view the chargers, colts, and saints ahead of them now(maybe ski; thought that by the saints loosing the last couple games, and the pats winning the past couple games, they should be ahead of the saints. doesn’t make too much sense, but whatever).

by patriotguy2 on Dec 30, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs