AP Power Rankings: Patriots still own No. 1 spot

NEW YORK (AP) With the NFL's regular season at about the halfway point, one team clearly stands out above the rest: the New England Patriots.

For the second consecutive week, Tom Brady and Patriots are the unanimous No. 1 in the latest AP Pro32 poll , which was released Tuesday.

The Patriots again received all 12 first-place votes for 384 points from balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.

The Patriots enter their bye week at 7-1 and have a three-game lead in the AFC East.

''Tom Brady has 12 touchdowns, no interceptions and no losses,'' said Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Dallas Cowboys (6-1), the league's only other one-loss team, remained at No. 2 after rallying for a 29-23 overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

''Dak Prescott was far from perfect against the Eagles, but his clutch play in overtime with the game-winning TD pass to Jason Witten off a scramble offers yet another glimpse into his upside and offers further proof that it's not time for Tony Romo,'' Newsday's Bob Glauber said.

AFC West rivals took the next two spots, as the Denver Broncos moved up a spot to No. 3 and the Kansas City Chiefs jumped three places to No. 4.

The Seattle Seahawks fell two spots to No. 5 after losing 25-20 at New Orleans.

The NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons jumped four spots to No. 6 after rallying for a 33-32 win over the Green Bay Packers, who fell a spot to No. 9.

''Behind MVP candidate Matt Ryan, the Falcons head into a Thursday night matchup in Tampa leading the league in scoring offense, total offense and big-play capability,'' said Ira Kaufman of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Oakland Raiders, who are tied with the Broncos for first in the AFC West at 6-2 and host them on Sunday night, moved up two spots to No. 7.

''The Raiders have been perfect on the road,'' said Jenny Vrentas of The Monday Morning Quarterback. ''Now, with the Broncos coming to town, they'll have to find a way to win at home if they want to make gains in the wide-open AFC West.''

The Minnesota Vikings, who have lost two straight after a 5-0 start and still have a one-game lead in the NFC North, dropped three spots to No. 8. The Eagles dropped four spots to round out the top 10.

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