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Here's Where Patriots Rank In Key Categories Through Week 10

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- With Eli Manning's penalty-aided game-winning drive in San Francisco, Week 10 of the NFL is complete. And with the Patriots in their bye week, it's the right time to take stock of where they stand compared to the rest of the league in some key areas.

First and foremost, of course, would be their win-loss record. At 7-3, the Patriots own a comfortable two-game lead over the 5-5 Dolphins for first place in the AFC East. But winning the AFC East has become a mere formality; the only question with the Patriots relates to whether they can get the top seed in the conference. If not, they're expected to at least get the No. 2 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.

On that endeavor, the Patriots have some work to do. Here's how the AFC standings currently look:

AFC
1. Kansas City: 9-1
2. Pittsburgh: 6-2-1
3. NEW ENGLAND: 7-3
4. Houston: 6-3
5. Los Angeles Chargers: 7-2
6. Cincinnati: 5-4

(The Chargers are "fifth" because they're not winning their division. Essentially, the Patriots only have to worry about one AFC West team. Whether that's the Chiefs or the Chargers mostly doesn't matter, though the Patriots do own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs.)

Clearly, much remains unsettled in that race. But the Patriots are likely to lose ground as they remain idle for Week 11, thus giving them very little leeway in the final six weeks of the season if they want to secure a bye.

As for the specific on-field performance, here's where the Patriots rank.

OFFENSE

Total offense: 10th, 377.2 yards/game
Scoring: 7th, 28.0 points/game

Rushing yards per game: 18th, 108.5
Rushing yards per attempt: 27th, 3.9
Rushing TDs: T-3rd, 12

Passing yards per game: 12th, 269
Passing yards per attempt: 15th, 7.5
Passing TDs: T-12th, 17
INTs: T-15th fewest, 7

Third-down offense: 14th, 39.7%

DEFENSE

Total defense: 25th, 381.4 yards/game
Scoring defense: 14th, 23.6 points/game

Rushing yards allowed per attempt: 17th, 4.4
Rushing yards allowed per game: 16th, 111.1
Rushing TDs allowed: T-5th fewest, 5
Forced fumbles: T-12th, 9

Passing yards allowed per attempt: 7th, 7.2
Passing yards allowed per game: 26th, 270
Passing TDs allowed: T-3rd most, 21
Sacks: 30th, 15
Interceptions: T-4th, 11
Passes defensed: T-6th, 45

Third-down defense: 26th, 43.1%

Total takeaways: T-5th, 17
Total giveaways: T-19th, 13
Turnover Differential: T-9th, +4

Penalty Yardage: 8th-most, 556

SPECIAL TEAMS

Field goal percentage: T-13th, 86.4%
Field goal percentage, less than 50 yards: 1st, 100%
Extra point percentage: T-1st, 100%

Kick return average: 2nd, 29.6 yards
Opponents' kick return average: 4th-worst, 26.4 yards

Punt return average: 18th, 7.5 yards
Opponents' punt return average: 2nd-worst, 13.1 yards

Punting average: 7th 46.3 yards
Net punting average: 20th, 40.4 yards
Punts inside 20: T-27th, 9

As far as individuals go, there aren't exactly a ton of Patriots lighting up the leaderboards. Here are some of the highest ranking Patriots in various categories.

OFFENSE

Passing yards: Tom Brady, 5th, 2,748
Passing yards per attempt: Tom Brady, 17th, 7.41
Passing TDs: Tom Brady, T-11th, 17
Passer rating: Tom Brady, 16th, 94.7

Rushing yards: Sony Michel, 22nd, 453
Rushing yards per attempt: Sony Michel, 28th, 4.3
Rushing TDs: James White/Sony Michel, T-14th, 4

Receptions: James White, 5th, 66
Receptions: Julian Edelman, T-36th, 40
Receiving yards: James White, 27th, 562
Receiving yards: Josh Gordon*, 40th, 477

Receiving TDs: James White, T-10th, 6

DEFENSE

Tackles: Kyle Van Noy, T-23rd, 66
Sacks: Deatrich Wise, T-54th, 3.5 sacks
Interceptions: Jonathan Jones/J.C. Jackson, T-20th, 2

*17 of Gordon's receiving yards came as a member of the Browns this season.

Clearly, it just has not been a spectacular season for the Patriots. Outside of James White's 66 receptions and the high takeaway rate, the Patriots don't really rank near the top of the league in anything -- both individually and as a team.

Granted, some of that figures to be affected in the final six weeks, when the Patriots play the Jets twice, host the Bills, and make a trip to Miami to face the tail-spinning Dolphins. Games against those opponents should lead to a boost in a number of statistical areas across the board, but given where the Patriots rank in most areas, it's fair to say that the Patriots cannot currently be considered an overwhelmingly potent team.

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