Best In the League?

Are the Patriots the best team in the league?

Depends on who you ask. Some shout out yes from the highest mountaintop. Others say no, it’s the Atlanta Falcons. Power rankings might suggest. Bottom line is these opinions and polls are subjective.

I have a hard time declaring the Patriots the best team in the league when they are actually second in the AFC East to the New York Jets. Their records are the same, but the Jets own the tiebreaker thanks to a week 2 win. So how do people rationalize a second place team as best in the league?

New England’s success is surprising and a bit premature to me. So far they are exceeding my expectations. The defense is coming together quicker than I thought, and they are improving dramatically with a lot of youth playing major roles. They’re a little too generous for my tastes. But being a bend but don’t break unit hasn’t been a major problem so far.

The offense looked great against Pittsburgh, but is this isn’t the offense that we’ve seen all year. Until the Steelers beatdown, they’ve been inconsistent. They’ve had problems sustaining drives, a serious issue for a team that isn’t as explosive as in past years.

And don’t give me the highest scoring offense argument. All those points weren’t scored by the offense. New England has three interception returns for touchdowns, a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, and two kickoff return scores. Only Arizona has more return touchdowns. Philadelphia, San Diego, and the New York Giants scored more offensive touchdowns than the Pats. New England is the highest scoring team, not offense.

Points scored or allowed aren’t always the best team. What matters most are quality wins. To the Pats credit they defeated Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Atlanta’s resume is a bit more impressive with wins over the Ravens, Tampa Bay, and defending the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints. Green Bay has Atlanta, Philly and the Jets notched on their belt.

What would it take to convince me? Keep winning. New England is in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season. They crushed Pittsburgh to start. Defeating the Colts and the Jets in two weeks would be enough for me to believe this record isn’t bloated with wins over Cincinnati, Miami and Buffalo.

But that would be just my opinion. The best team in the league isn’t determined until February. I’m willing to wait and see if that team is the Patriots.