Week 6 NFL Power Rankings: New England Patriots Ranked Fifth

After dispatching the Jets with relative ease to boost their record to 4-1, the New England Patriots were ranked fifth in SB Nation's Week 6 NFL Power Rankings. 

5. New England Patriots (4-1, LW: 4): Impressive stat: the Pats have scored at least 30 points in 13 straight regular season games. Gotta go back to last year's loss to the Browns to find the last time they didn't.    

The Patriots have used Tom Brady's arm and Wes Welker's elusiveness to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, though the Bills did win the team's head-to-head matchup. Brady is on pace to surpass Dan Marino's single-season passing yards record, while Welker is on pace to break Jerry Rice's single-season record for most receiving yards. 

Last week, Rice showered Welker with praise. (Via the Boston Herald)

"If he should break my record, I'll be the first to congratulate him,' Rice told the Herald from Los Angeles, prior to taping "Audibles," one of several ESPN shows for which he serves as an analyst. "I have met him. I know how hard he works, fighting his way back from a (torn ACL) injury. I'm happy to see him have a lot of success on the football field." ...

"He's just unstoppable, man," Rice said. "You cannot cover him with a linebacker or a strong safety. He's just too fast. And he's really going to create space and get open. And when you have a quarterback like Tom Brady, he's going to deliver a beautiful ball.

"It's the matchups. He's going to get that separation that he needs to catch the football."

The Patriots resume play Sunday at 4:15 p.m. against the Dallas Cowboys.

For more Patriots coverage, check out our team page, and our blog Pats Pulpit.