NFL Power Rankings: Winning Isn't Enough

Maybe it's just the fact that the New England Patriots secured their fifth win on an unlikely comeback against the once undefeated New Orleans Saints. It was awesome. FOX was there with their A-team. The nation watched. ESPN told you it was the greatest comeback win since the Great Oxygenation Event 3.5 billion years ago. Someone even did a Tecmo Bowl reenactment -- not that Mickey originally began doing them years ago or anything that others have began imitating.

Who knows.

SB Nation's power rankings last week listed the Bengals No. 6 with the Patriots following at No. 7; that's what happens when the Bengals beat the Patriots head-to-head, eight days ago.

One week later, the Bengals needed overtime to beat the Bills in Buffalo and the Patriots needed a drive at the end of the game to beat the Saints... in Foxboro. Thankfully the Saints didn't care much for clock awareness or the Patriots would never have had another opportunity to recover from a doomed fourth down or Tom Brady's interception near the two minute warning. In the end, both teams win.

As a result, the Patriots and Bengals swapped places in SB Nation's Power Rankings, all because of an overtime win against the Bills, who were the same team that entered the fourth quarter with a four-point lead over the Patriots in week one, at the same location were the Ravens and Panthers fell earlier this year.

Odd.

Stylish points with a side of pretty isn't the Bengals way. Thankfully, Power Rankings are as meaningless to the game as your fantasy football team. None of it matters.

The list.