PATS STILL AMONG THE BEST IN THE AFC

After winning against Kansas City, but losing Tom Brady, the Patriots slipped from 1st to 9th in ESPN's NFL Power Rankings last week. Many others had them falling further then that. Meanwhile, 0-1 San Diego, and 0-1 Indianapolis moved up ahead of them.

But neither of these teams have impressed. The Chargers defense looked godawful yesterday, giving up 39 points to Denver. The Colts may have won their game against Minnesota, but they they played like shit.

The Steelers are legit. 10-6 wins might not make much for highlight reels, but that's how Pittsburgh wins games when they're playing well. They threw 19 times and ran 31 times last night. That's a good indicator that they're on their game.

The Bills could prove troublesome, especially once the weather turns in Buffalo (which happens alarmingly quick, believe me). The 0-2 Jaguars don't look like the "team nobody wants to play." The Titans look solid even without Vince Young. But that's about it for impressive AFC teams.

The Pats have a not-so-secret weapon on their side: the schedule. Going by last week's power rankings, they get to play the 32nd ranked Rams, 30th ranked Raiders, 28th ranked Dolphins (twice), and the 27th ranked 49ers.