We’re doing things a bit differently here with The Athletic’s NFL Power Rankings this week. The top of our power poll has become so interesting, with three teams with a strong case for No. 1, that we’re going to start there.



Who deserves to be No. 1? Is it the Patriots, with the league’s top-ranked defense and their mind-boggling 25 takeaways in eight games? Or the San Francisco 49ers, the NFC’s lone undefeated team with the league’s scariest running game and defensive line? Or is it the Saints, winners of six in a row and now with their future Hall of Fame quarterback back from injury?



We are confident you, our faithful readers, will let us know in the comments if our panel got the order of the top three correct. And let us know how you feel about the order change in the comments as well.



Before we dive into the rest of the rankings, a note about our methodology: This year, The Athletic’s national staff, a mix of...