NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Rams bounce back with win over Bears
By Dan Parzych
3. New England Patriots (3)
Fresh off a bye week after suffering a tough loss on the road to the Baltimore Ravens, the New England Patriots were looking to take advantage of facing a Philadelphia Eagles team dealing with all sorts of injuries, both on offense and defense.
Despite Tom Brady failing to score a single touchdown, the Patriots still found a way to earn the 17-10 win on the road to hang on to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture for at least another week.
Rightfully so, New England is always going to be viewed as a top Super Bowl contender in the conference since Brady is one of the best for a reason, but the Patriots realize the Ravens are making a strong case as well to be the team to beat.
As long as the defense continues to play like they did against the Eagles, the Patriots are still going to be a difficult team to beat in the AFC, but also their schedule is about to get intense over the next few weeks.
With upcoming games against the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans before hosting the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s time for New England to build their case for the top seed in the AFC playoff picture.