NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Eagles fall to Saints in embarrassing fashion

8. New England Patriots

As frustrating as it was to see the New England Patriots come up short before their bye week during an embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans, deep down everyone knows this team will be just fine in the long run. Keep in mind how many times the Patriots have suffered a tough loss like the one against the Titans, and it’s safe to say Bill Belichick’s team will kick things up when it matters the most to make sure they’re in position to make another run at the Super Bowl.

Earning one of the top seeds may be a little more difficult when seeing some of the rest of the competition in the AFC, but as long as Tom Brady is healthy enough under center, New England is always going to be a serious threat come playoff time. Having a two-game lead in the AFC East has the Patriots feeling great at the moment, but even they know a lot can change over the final six games.

Defeating the New York Jets in Week 12 shouldn’t be a problem, but the big test will come the following week when New England squares off against another tough team in the Minnesota Vikings. And hopefully by that game against the Jets, Rob Gronkowski will finally be ready to go again.