Patriots Hold Steady In Latest NFL Power Rankings After Bengals Win

It wasn’t exactly pretty, but the New England Patriots did what they needed to do to earn win No. 10 of the season in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. With the final score settling in at 26-20, the Pats pushed their ongoing win streak to nine games.

During their stunning run to the No. 1 seed in the AFC, folks have been skeptical about the Pats’ success. Whether it be the team’s “easy” schedule or the injuries that are beginning to mount, New England still has its fair share of detractors.

It’s becoming impossible to ignore the team’s standing across the NFL, though. In Bucky Brooks’ latest power rankings for Fox Sports, he has the Patriots standing pat at the No. 2 spot heading into Week 13 of the 2025 campaign.

“Mike Vrabel & Co. should not apologize for winning ugly against inferior competition,” Brooks wrote. “The Patriots do what needs to be done each week to add another ‘W’ to their streak. As the league’s only 10-win team, it’s time to tout the Patriots as legitimate title contenders despite questions about their schedule and competition level.”

The Patriots can only be judged for what they have done, not what they haven’t done, and the body of work the team has put together to this point is wildly impressive. Given their record, it’s almost impossible to say they aren’t a top-three team in the league currently.

And yet, the Patriots still have a lot of work to do moving forward. That starts in Week 13, where a matchup against the New York Giants looms. With this game taking place on Monday Night Football, kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.