NFL Power Rankings: Where Will Experts Rank the New England Patriots?

The New England Patriots ran head first into a brick wall that was emotionally charged with the task of taking down the league's elite. The power rankings will show two things: (1) that the experts practice temperance with elite clubs and (2) that this is a Patriots-loving nation. 

The Patriots and Bills game goes down as the most exciting game of the season. The experts will notice that the Bills were jacked up as if this was the Super Bowl and they were hunting for the Vince Lombardi trophy. 

The deficiencies facing the Patriots defense was no surprise. We have known for weeks that New England was susceptible to the pass. 

Super-Charged Bills 

It is the one thing that made us all confident the game would be close, only it wasn't. It took a late surge by Ryan Fitzpatrick and an unlikely four picks off Tom Brady to seal the deal. 

If there is one word that experts may be thinking heading into the power rankings' voting booth this week, it's "aberration."

You will not see the Patriots reaching the depths of the lower top 10, nor should they occupy that level on power rankings. This is still a top-shelf club that has one of the two deadliest offenses in the NFL (the other is the Green Bay Packers). 

When Tom Brady is spreading the ball, there is hardly a better squad. On Sunday, the game became an emotional mess, one the Patriots are sure to bounce back from.

The experts will give a little leeway as elite clubs are going to be hit with losses. That's life in the NFL. There wasn't a great deal of telling signs from those that have well-followed rankings. 

Brian Billick let on to where he will be placing the Buffalo Bills when his Week 4 assessment is out. He replied to a tweet with a lofty position for the Bills. 

In his eyes, the Patriots lost to a Top 10 squad. I tend to agree. There is no reason to keep the Bills out of the argument as postseason contenders. When you pass a test as difficult as the Patriots demand, you are a certified contender. 

The Bills may come back to the pack in a few weeks. But for now, they are the hottest club on the market. 

Patriots Rate Highly

In Week 3, most power rankings had the Patriots in the two spot, as can be seen in ESPN and Fox Sports' rankings. 

The lofty placement is all a reflection of the Patriots offense, something that still remains top notch. The defense was punished at every turn, yet they remained at the top. 

With losses by the Jets, Eagles and Texans, the Patriots are free from being leapfrogged by those particular clubs. The Saints and Ravens are the only teams that threaten to take their place. 

With that, we can assume the Patriots will sit comfortably at the three or four spot when rankings begin to emerge on Tuesday. 

But are they truly a Top 5 club? That question will be answered in the coming weeks. Consider, however, that every single team, save the Packers, has had a telling game where their weaknesses were exploited. 

So, yes—they are definitely worthy of Top 5 placement in Week 4.