Even as the board's "Homer" I think Florio is insane on this one

[Rob0729]

So Florio has the Pats ranked second in this week's power rankings. The Pats have been awesome the last five weeks, but only the Cards being better than them? I am all in if you want to say they are the best team in the AFC right now. You can make a strong argument for that, but I would put at least 3-4 NFC teams ahead of the Pats at this moment.

PFT's Week 12 2021 power rankings

1.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[sb1]

I think his top 9 could really go in any order.

 

[borg]

Pats===>least flawed team in AFC right now .....though KC's defensive speed impressed vs Dallas on Sunday and their obituary may have written prematurely

Regarding Arizona at #1......certainly the most impressive body of work so far, but I have zero faith their dwarf QB will stay physically intact to get them to the big show

 

[RobertWeathers]

So Florio has the Pats ranked second in this week's power rankings. The Pats have been awesome the last five weeks, but only the Cards being better than them? I am all in if you want to say they are the best team in the AFC right now. You can make a strong argument for that, but I would put at least 3-4 NFC teams ahead of the Pats at this moment.

PFT's Week 12 2021 power rankings

1.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Yea i'm not there yet either.

I do think they can stand toe-to-toe with any team but hasn't been proven yet.

 

[JayNM]

So Florio has the Pats ranked second in this week's power rankings. The Pats have been awesome the last five weeks, but only the Cards being better than them? I am all in if you want to say they are the best team in the AFC right now. You can make a strong argument for that, but I would put at least 3-4 NFC teams ahead of the Pats at this moment.

PFT's Week 12 2021 power rankings

1.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Dude

I think Floria was an accidental genius

Think like this... Now, who do you think will win between us and Ten, in Fox? Us.

Against Buf at Buf? Okay, that cant be taken for granted, but following kinda what this season has been for them... it has to be us

If we win the next 2 games, he looks like a genius, if we dont, at least he got a lot of traffic from angry people (and people HATE the Patriots)

 

[mgcolby]

Well, Tampa beat us because of a drop and a resulting doink on the longer than should of been GW kick. The Cowboys beat us in OT. That's two of the top 5 teams in the NFC and the Cards are already accounted for.

The Bucs dropped two games to inferior teams as of late.

The Cowboys got trapped in the desert with their asses up and as a result they discovered what beastiality is all about as they took horse **** up the ass. Then completely not showing up against the Chiefs two weeks later.

That leaves the Rams and the Packers. The Rams just got destroyed by the 49ers after being handled by the Tits, who just got the Peter North version of what the Cowboys got, if you consider the Broncos the John Holmes of the horse world.

The Packers just lost to the Vikings. And the Rams and Packers play each other this week.

Based on all that in the NFC I don't buy into the NFC clearly has the superior teams argument. This is a lot like 2008 where there was no clear cut superior team(s).

In the AFC you have the Bills line acting like they have no idea how to block...run or pass. The Titans are an infirmary. The Chiefs are surging, like us. Then figure Arizona is winning with Colt McCoy...it kinda makes sense. There is atleast an argument to be made for them at 2 based on current results over the last 3-5 weeks.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Power rankings by their nature have a huge recency bias, amplifying what you did well last week and ignoring what you did poorly a month ago. But what you did poorly a month ago is still out there on tape, perhaps for someone to exploit. Maybe the teams you recently faced were just not able to exploit it.

Any way you slice it though, I think NE is in the mix as a top 10 team. #2 seems a stretch.

Nobody pays much attention to NFL computer rankings, but after >10 games or so I find them to be valuable.

Jeff Sagarin's ratings have NE #5, and #1 when using a "recent results" bias factor. By recent results the top teams are actually NE, KC, and Indy!

NFL team ratings 2021 - Jeff Sagarin Ratings

sagarin.usatoday.com

 

[Rob0729]

Power rankings by their nature have a huge recency bias, amplifying what you did well last week and ignoring what you did poorly a month ago. But what you did poorly a month ago is still out there on tape, perhaps for someone to exploit. Maybe the teams you recently faced were just not able to exploit it.

Any way you slice it though, I think we are in the mix as a top 10 team. #2 seems a stretch.

Nobody pays much attention to NFL computer rankings, but after >10 games otr so I find them to be valuable.

Jeff Sagarin's ratings have NE #5, and #1 when using a "recent results" bias factor:

NFL team ratings 2021 - Jeff Sagarin Ratings

sagarin.usatoday.com

The NFL in real life is about recency bias. We see it all the time. The teams that win in January may not be the teams that are the best teams for the entire year, but the teams that get hot in December and January. You can say that about the Bucs last year or the Giants in 2007. There are plenty of teams that go 3-0, 4-0, or even 5-0 to start the season and then miss the playoffs or are one and done.

 

[mgcolby]

Power rankings by their nature have a huge recency bias, amplifying what you did well last week and ignoring what you did poorly a month ago. But what you did poorly a month ago is still out there on tape, perhaps for someone to exploit. Maybe the teams you recently faced were just not able to exploit it.

Any way you slice it though, I think we are in the mix as a top 10 team. #2 seems a stretch.

Nobody pays much attention to NFL computer rankings, but after >10 games otr so I find them to be valuable.

Jeff Sagarin's ratings have NE #5, and #1 when using a "recent results" bias factor:

NFL team ratings 2021 - Jeff Sagarin Ratings

sagarin.usatoday.com

Another argument to be made is that we are 4th in points scored and 2nd in points allowed. The Bills have allowed 1 less point than us. And we are only 2nd to them again, by a point in point differential. And after us the point differential is huge. And almost all of that has come over the past 5 games.

Team is playing well. And the biggest issues we had early on are really not exploitable. The biggest issues:
1. O-Line play but the current config is playing well together unlike the previous 3 or 4 iterations.
2. Inexcusable penalties and the worse possible moments.
3. Ball security particularly fumbling. (Obviously this one is susceptible to exploitation, but its limited in its nature).

If this team plays to its potential and doesn't beat itself with costly penalties and fumbles. I think they can beat any team in the league.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I don't think it's a big deal. Power Rankings are a week to week ranking and Florio likes the Pats as the 2nd best team as of right now.

 

[yukon cornelius]

i think based on results so far, it's a little premature

i think based on looking at the construct of the team and how individual units are playing, and coming together, i don't think he's far off

 

[Clonamery]

I find you to be more like Cicero than Homer.

 

[Rob0729]

I find you to be more like Cicero than Homer.

Funny, I always thought of myself more of a Peter Griffin than a Homer.

 

[Hyped]

It isn't only Florio...it's everybody...

And I am HATING it... a few points to ground us back into reality:

a.) We still have a R-O-O-K-I-E quarterback with only 11 starts under his belt. And the same one who threw a greedy interception on Thursday night following a great completion (and risked his shoulder making a tackle as well).

b.) COVID is still a MAJOR factor in this season. At any point, we could lose 3-4 guys for a game or two.

c.) We have faced many teams at the right times in the last 5 games: Jets without Wilson/Mess at QB; Panthers with Darnold playing like crap and CMC just warming up; Browns without Chubb/Hunt and a hurting Mayfield...no OBJ; and the Falcons without Ridley/Patterson. Now the Titans without Henry, maybe Julio Jones, and a bruised A.J. Brown.

d.) We haven't played anyone SOLID...yeah...the entire conference isn't solid either, but nobody I'd consider "Good" since the Bucs/Cowboys...maybe the Chargers on the road...dunno...our D really did a job on Herbert and that offense, but we also didn't blow em' out exactly either.

e.) We are not deep in the secondary and have been getting by with a smoke 'n mirrors zone D....let's wait and see how we do against Stefon Diggs with Allen scrambling out of the pocket in 2 and 5 weeks.

f.) We have been PLUS in the turnover margin the last few weeks.....and I'd like to see this team face some adversity...like have a turnover...fall behind and respond to it. The only comeback I have seen this season was the Cowboys game when Mac hit Bourne for a big TD.... also our D hasn't been SOLID when we NEED a 3 and out to get the ball back (Miami & Dallas losses).

g.) We are missing James White A LOT, not using Jonnu Smith fully, and not really throwing it deep.

So, let's pump the brakes a bit...everyone.....the media, the fans, and the haters too....

 

[ashley]

It isn't only Florio...it's everybody...


d.) We haven't played anyone SOLID...yeah...the entire conference isn't solid either, but nobody I'd consider "Good" since the Bucs/Cowboys...maybe the Chargers on the road...dunno...our D really did a job on Herbert and that offense, but we also didn't blow em' out exactly either.

e.) We are not deep in the secondary and have been getting by with a smoke 'n mirrors zone D....let's wait and see how we do against Stefon Diggs with Allen scrambling out of the pocket in 2 and 5 weeks.

So, let's pump the brakes a bit...everyone.....the media, the fans, and the haters too....

We've won 5 in a row, are in first place and coming off a truly horrible year with potentially nothing to look forward to, thinking the Bills are going to rule the division for many years. I think it's great that fans are excited. I know I am!!!! We have our future qb, a very good defense, the GOAT as the coach. I've been on the train now for a while...if you don't want to jump on, no worries, but this team has a lot going for it. Is it the most talented, no, but I think we make up for it with great coaching and a team that has no quit in them....To me, it's even sweeter because most people were giving us 6 or 7 wins this year including many posters here......I'm loving it and to be honest, this is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling years that I've had as a Pat fan.

 

[PF_SU]

At Footballoutsiders the Patriots have risen to #3 in total DVOA (#2 in defensive DVOA) and #2 in Super Bowl odds. All a bit scary right now.

On the other hand, ESPN's power rankings have them at #9.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

Not to deflate everyone's balloon here but the 2019 Patriots were 8-0 and looked to have the 1985 Bears defense, and then just played 0.500 ball the rest of the way and had a 1st round exit.

So let's hold our horses here. It's been a good last 5 weeks. That's it. Watch this team mess up the OLine again and shoot themselves in the foot. Or, teams realize we only have 1 good cornerback and find ways to exploit our zone defense.

.

 

[BTTA]

Rankings are about RIGHT NOW. They aren't about what might happen in a week, or what happened two weeks ago. They are about putting all the teams into a simultaneous round robin tournament and who comes out on top.

Is there an AFC team that is outplaying the Patriots right now? Not sure, but it isn't ridiculous to have them at or near the top.

It is ridiculous to think that it matters.

 

[oldrover]

I've been on the train now for a while...

ON the train?

...heck, you're the conductor!

 

[tasmlab]

NFL.com has the Pats at #6 with the usual suspects making up 1-5. I guess that's reasonably sober, even if the analyst was lazy enough to just pick division leaders as his top 8 teams.