Brad Biggs' Week 6 NFL rankings
Last week's ranking in parentheses.
1. Patriots 5-0 (1)
When you think of all the success the Patriots have enjoyed for nearly two decades, most people focus on Tom Brady and the offense first. But the Patriots are playing lights-out defense, allowing only 6.8 points per game, more than seven points better than anyone else. They're tied for first in takeaways. They're No. 1 versus the pass and No. 3 versus the run. Their opponents' passer rating is a ridiculous 44.0. They have 24 sacks, putting them on pace for 77. According to NFL.com, their third-down percentage of 12.6% is the lowest through five games since the league started collecting that data in 1991. The next-lowest? The 2006 Bears at 21%. They face a rookie quarterback Thursday night when Daniel Jones and the Giants come to Foxborough, Mass. The Giants will likely be without running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram.
2. Saints 4-1 (3)
The Saints rolled to their third straight win with Teddy Bridgewater filling in at quarterback for Drew Brees. That's key when you think big picture for the Saints, who are so much more potent at home in January. Brees isn't as dangerous outdoors in potentially cold and poor conditions, so the Saints will be aiming for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. So far, so good, but the defense needs to buckle down a little more.
3. Chiefs 4-1 (2)
It's not surprising a defense finally had a good night against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Every great quarterback runs into that once in a while. It is a little surprising it was the Colts when you consider how they were playing on that side of the ball recently. But they did a great job
