Last year heading into Week 7, the Patriots (3-3) were coming off a 4th-quarter meltdown loss to the Seahawks in Seattle and looking forward to a division battle for first place against the Jets (3-3) at home. They were 8th in the Power Rankings, and had a lot riding on the game. The concern from the experts was the secondary.
But unlike 2012, New England instead is coming off a huge win, having knocked off the undefeated Saints in a last-second thriller, that was largely due to the play of the defense and especially the stellar secondary.
This Sunday the Patriots are again facing the Jets, but sitting at a slightly more comfortable 5-1. A win would firm-up their division cushion, putting the 3-3 Jets at a disadvantage. A loss puts the Jets only one game behind and too close for comfort.
Currently ranked between 3rd and 8th, some of the experts still have the Patriots behind the team they just beat. Not too many teams have an Aqib Talib equivalent to shut down Jimmy Graham or a QB capable of leading such a comeback so I understand them sticking with New Orleans. Add to that the hits the Patriots keep taking with key players being injured, I'm a bit surprised their ranking is as high as it is. You won't find me ever betting against this team this year, though.
GO PATS!
Here is a look at the three two remaining undefeated teams (buh-bye New Orleans) and their opponents through six weeks, plus a list of who's playing who in the AFC.
Denver - Baltimore, @NYG, Oakland, Philadelphia, @Dallas, Jacksonville
Kansas City - @Jacksonville, Dallas, @Philadelphia, NYG, @Tennessee, Oakland
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Week 7 AFC Rundown:
NY Jets (3-3) vs. New England (5-1)
Miami (3-2) vs. Buffalo (2-4)
Cincinnati (4-2) at Detroit (4-2)
San Diego (3-3) at Jacksonville (0-6)
Tennessee (3-3) vs. San Francisco (4-2)
Cleveland (3-3) at Green Bay (3-2)
Houston (2-4) at Kansas City (6-0)
Baltimore (3-3) at Pittsburgh (1-4)
Denver (6-0) at Indianapolis (4-2)
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Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) ranks them 3rd: They're going to get only better once Gronkowski's parents let him play.
Elliot Harrison (NFL.com) ranks them 3rd: That was an all-timer, Tom Brady. With all the numbers swirling around about the fourth-quarter comebacks Brady has led in his career, I'll propose a breakdown I'd like to see: his fourth-quarter stats with the "Channing Tatum in Magic Mike" haircut of today vs. his fourth-quarter stats with the "Brad Pitt in True Romance" look of 2010 and 2011.
Peter King (MMQB.SI) ranks them 3rd: Where does that rank on the Tom Brady all-time list of great wins? I say it’s got to be in the top six or eight. Let’s see. Three Super Bowls, and two AFC title wins over the Colts, then … what else?
The AP Pro32 ranks them 4th.
USA Today ranks them 4th: Patriots making a habit of keeping it interesting on and off the field.
Pat Kirwan (CBS Sports) ranks them 4th: It looks like Tom Brady is finally getting his young receivers up and running. The no-huddle offense was on the shelf until this week when they used it 45 times in the win over New Orleans.
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) ranks them 4th: That victory over the Saints is something that could really get them going. The defense impressed for much of that game.
Brian Billick (Fox Sports) ranks them 4th: Bill Belichick is better than anyone at taking away an opponent's best weapon. Jimmy Graham finished with zero catches on Sunday. Zero.
Hank Gola (NY Daily News) ranks them 4th: Tom Brady. There's not much else to say.
ESPN experts rank them 4th: Tom Brady got the headlines, but the defense held Drew Brees to 0-for-6 with an interception targeting Jimmy Graham. The team effort continues in Foxborough.
Mike Florio (Pro Football Talk) ranks them 4th: Who would have dreamed that an undrafted rookie from Cincinnati would do so much better in No. 85 than the veteran player from Cincinnati?
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) ranks them 5th: Tom Brady still has that old Red, White and Blue magic, doesn't he? He snatched an important victory from the jaws of defeat against the Saints, who swam with the shark a little too long. It's nice the running game and young receivers keep helping him more. How they move up: The Patriots can build on the New Orleans game to get on a roll with two critical division games and a home date with Pittsburgh before a Week 10 bye. How they move down: As well as their offense has been able to get by with Brady, the rushing attack and the remixed receivers, the lingering injuries to tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Danny Amendola are still worrisome.
Chris Burke (SI) ranks them 6th: What would the butterfly effect have been if Kenbrell Thompkins had not caught Tom Brady's TD pass to beat the Saints? Would David Ortiz still have homered later that night, capping what columnist Dan Shaughnessy offered as "What might be the most exciting day in Boston sports history"? Would Tom Brady still have worn that sweater he knitted himself? The world will never know.
Rick Drummond (Pro Football Focus) ranks them 6th: The final drive washing out an otherwise up-and-down day for Brady and the Patriots, they stole a big win from the Saints. It didn’t force movement in the rankings, but certainly has New England looking up and ready to pounce back into the Top 5.
Ryan Van Bibber (SB Nation) ranks them 6th: What's more impressive than this week's comeback win? The Patriots are playing well through big injuries. We've seen Tom Brady elevate a cast of rookies and soon-to-be forgotten depth chart guys into a good-enough supporting cast. It's been painful at times and there's nothing smooth about this offense anymore. But that's what Tom Brady does...[continued]
Andy Hart (Patriots Football Weekly) ranks them 7th: The Patriots exciting win bumped Bill Belichick’s squad up a spot to No. 7 overall, trailing right behind the still-undefeated Broncos.
WEEI ranks them 8th: No player has made more of an impact on the Patriots than Aqib Talib. The cornerback has shut down some of the very best in the league, including Vincent Jackson, Julio Jones, A.J. Green and now Jimmy Graham. If Talib misses extended time with a hip injury, the result could be devastating for that defense.
AVERAGE RANK: 4.6 (+2.0)