SI Power Rankings: Patriots Climb a Bit After Upsetting Ravens
The New England Patriots' humongous upset over the Baltimore Ravens last weekend has them climbing in this week's Sports Illustrated NFL power rankings.
Last week, the six-time Super Bowl champions were ranked 23rd in the power rankings. Heading into Week 11 the Patriots are ranked at 16th, with the MMQB's Albert Breer being the one to distribute this week's power rankings.
His explanation for New England's ranking this week is plain and simple:
Uh oh, the Patriots aren’t dead yet.
While a win over the previously 6-2 Ravens will spark much excitement and hope in Patriots fans, New England still has a long, long way to go before they will even sniff the playoffs.
With teams like the Chargers, Cardinals, Rams, Bills and Dolphins remaining on their schedule, New England - at 4-5 - realistically needs to win five of their remaining seven games, which would put them at 9-7, to have any chance of making the playoffs. Teams like the Titans, who are currently 6-3, aren't even in the playoffs at this point, which is why it would be a monumental feat for the Patriots to sneak into the postseason given how the beginning of the season started for them.
Next up for New England are the Texans, who currently sport a 2-7 record and have many questions about where their franchise stands moving forward from top to bottom.
If the Patriots want to keep their fans hopeful, they need to extend their win streak to three by beating Houston this weekend.
If there's one thing for certain, their schedule doesn't get any easier after Week 11.
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