NFL Week 16 Power Rankings: How Do the New England Patriots Stack Up?

Tony SantorsaDec 18, 2011

The New England Patriots finally played closer to their full capabilities as they beat the Denver Broncos, a legitimate playoff contender, 41-23.

At times, especially in the first half, the Patriots defense was definitely shaky, but they came out in the second half and shutdown Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos as they allowed only seven second-half points.

On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady led the offense to a pretty consistent performance, as they scored a touchdown in all four quarters, including two in the second. Brady finished the game with a 117.3 quarterback rating while completing 67.6 percent of his passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns.

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Brady and the Patriots were at their best in the fourth quarter, as they made sure that there was not any chance of "Tebow Magic" happening. Brady was simply perfect in the fourth quarter, as he completed five of his five passes for 94 yards—this is his second perfect fourth quarter of the season.

All in all, New England may have started off slow both offensive and defensively, but they made adjustments throughout the game against a very tough Denver team and ultimately dominated from the second half on.

With that being said, how do the Patriots stack up in my weekly power rankings?

Tony Santorsa's Weekly Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Pittsburgh Steelers*

4. New England Patriots

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. San Francisco 49ers*

7. Atlanta Falcons

8. Detroit Lions

9. Denver Broncos

10. Houston Texans