1. New England Patriots (LW: 2)
Same old Patriots. Pencil in New England for double-digit wins before the season starts and you will have been right every year since 2003. Do the same for a playoff appearance and, again, only once since ’03 will you be wrong. In what is becoming a yearly ritual, the New England Patriots clinched the AFC East and, with a loss by the Packers in Buffalo – a team New England already beat this year – the Patriots retake their seat atop the Power Rankings. They have the quarterback, coach, winning pedigree, top scoring offense, and a top-ten scoring defense, still with two games remaining and the edge for the AFC’s top seed. The only thought worth considering as New England heads into next week’s matchup with the Jets is whether or not a ‘Mercy Rule’ will be instituted.
