ESPN

A weekly examination of the Patriots’ ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 6 | Last Week: 5 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

The Patriots' No. 4 ranking represents their highest spot of the year. They've been as low as seventh.

When looking closer at the voting breakdown, it came down to the Patriots and Saints for the No. 4 spot, with New Orleans getting one more third-place vote to barely edge New England.

If things hold true this week -- the Patriots hit the road to face the Bengals, while the Saints visit the Bears -- it will set up a potential No. 3 versus No. 4 matchup between the Patriots and Saints on Oct. 13 at Gillette Stadium. If the weather cooperates, that could turn out to be a true gem, because from this viewpoint, there's not much better than high-level NFL football played on a perfect New England day.

But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

First up for the Patriots is a test against the Bengals, who dropped from sixth to 11th in ESPN's Power Rankings.

As for the No. 1 (Denver) and No. 2 (Seattle) teams in the Power Rankings, no arguments here. They deserve it and my sense is that most Patriots followers would agree, while also acknowledging that what the picture looks like today isn't always what we'll see when it counts in November and December.

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, who is likely headed to season-ending injured reserve, had surgery on his torn right Achilles on Tuesday.

Wilfork's wife, Bianca, tweeted a photo of Wilfork lying in a hospital bed with a cast on the foot and giving the camera a thumbs up:

Thanking God for a successful surgery pic.twitter.com/matpmHlcgH

— bianca wilfork (@mrs75) October 1, 2013

Tedy Bruschi held his weekly ESPNBoston.com New England Patriots chat at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The chat can be recapped here and includes some of the following topics:

1. Explaining what makes Vince Wilfork so valuable to the defense.

2. How the coaching staff might have to get creative to replace Wilfork, such as using Brandon Spikes in a defensive line-type role.

3. Why Spikes has played such a low total of snaps through four games.

4. A player's perspective on injury updates.

5. Sharing thoughts on the Dolphins as competition in the AFC East.

Every Tuesday on ESPNBoston.com, questions from New England Patriots followers are answered as part of a weekly mailbag. This week's mailbag has been posted and includes some of the following topics:

1. How the Patriots might recover from losing defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

2. Did the Patriots make a mistake by not having Rob Gronkowski on the physically unable to perform list?

3. Cornerback Aqib Talib and the possibility of a contract extension.

4. The Broncos' early-season success and how it all matches up against the Patriots.

5. Rookie receiver Josh Boyce and his progress.

Once a training camp, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick throws his team a bone. At least conditionally speaking.

It usually takes place after a morning practice, often on a Saturday, and the circumstances are these: If a player of his choosing -- typically a lineman -- can catch a punt, the team will have the afternoon and evening off from meetings. Six to eight extra hours of freedom may not seem like much, but during training camp, every spare minute counts.

Forgive us for not recalling the year, but one fair-catch attempt will forever be remembered. Belichick tabbed nose tackle Vince Wilfork -- all 325-plus pounds of him -- to catch a punt (in the air, of course) with a night off on the line. But there was a catch to the catch: Wilfork had to do so with a ball in one hand, allowing him just one free hand to make the catch.

As the punt soared into the air, spiraling down the field, Wilfork gently glided laterally, lining his frame up under the punt. Just seconds later, the arcing football landed in his free arm, almost as if Velcro were affixed to both the ball and his forearm.

For a moment, Wilfork could have been mistaken for his pint-sized teammate and master ball handler Kevin Faulk, a regular punt returner.

The point of this vignette is that it illustrates Wilfork’s rare athleticism for a man of his stature, proof that men who stand 6-foot-2 and well over 300 pounds can be exceptional athletes, not merely human mountains.

But not all defensive tackles have Wilfork’s movement skills. In fact, maybe a handful of others around the league do.

And that is -- at least in part -- what makes Wilfork such an invaluable member of the Patriots' defense. It’s the ability to align in a variety of spots on the defensive line, the quickness and agility to disrupt as a pass-rusher and, yes, the hands to make a play on the ball as a pass defender, as we saw against the Chargers back in 2011 when he nearly returned an interception for a score.

Three down defensive linemen are hard to find, especially among interior defensive tackles.

Vince Wilfork fits the bill.

When the Patriots opt to put Wilfork on the injured reserve list -- which looks like a certainty at this point -- a key cog in their defensive wheel will be done for the season.

And we haven’t even talked about Wilfork’s contributions against the run. The Patriots don’t always play three-man fronts. In fact, they often align with four men at the line of scrimmage. But when Wilfork was selected by the Pats in the 2004 draft's first round, he provided the team a refined and ready-made nose tackle to anchor the defense.

In the Patriots' two-gap system, a defensive lineman is called upon to engage an opposing offensive lineman, lock his arms out to gain leverage, and be prepared to move laterally with the flow of a run. If a running back tries to squirt through one of the two gaps the defensive lineman is controlling, it’s up to him to shed the block and make a tackle.

That’s not easy. It’s an arduous task that requires unique skills. And yet, on virtually every play, the Patriots rely on Wilfork to man this task at a dominant level. A look at the numbers affirms his importance: According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Patriots allowed 4.1 yards per rush with Wilfork on the field over the past five seasons, which is ninth-best in the NFL. When Wilfork was off the field, the Patriots ranked last in yards per rush allowed (5.0).

“The replay system is not working. The ruling on the field stands. New England will not be charged a timeout.”

That was the announcement made by referee Walt Coleman midway through the fourth quarter of the New England Patriots’ 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, and represented an embarrassing moment of sorts for the NFL.

The Patriots (leading 30-13) had challenged a completion to receiver Julio Jones, directly in front of the New England sideline. Bill Belichick was decisive in throwing his red challenge flag after it was ruled Jones had made the catch.

Then, after what seemed like a lengthier-than-normal delay, Coleman informed the nation that the replay system was down.

We all saw Belichick’s reaction, his arms lifted into the air, his palms pointing up, his head shaking as if to say, “Are you serious?” (we're going with the PG, family-friendly version here.)

A day later, he was asked about the unusual occurrence during his weekly radio interview on sports radio WEEI.

“In that situation, you’re just playing without replay, which is the way we played for years and years. That’s what it is, but I mean, the fact we have however many zillions of dollars committed to this system and it doesn’t work, that’s a whole another discussion,” Belichick said on the “Salk and Holley” program.

Nice little zinger there from Belichick, who said he also would have challenged the second play after Jones’ upheld catch, when he felt an incomplete pass should have instead been a Chandler Jones sack.

The system was later fixed.

“That’s a question that really should be asked to the league office and the officials, because I don’t have a good answer for it,” Belichick said.

Tedy Bruschi's weekly ESPNBoston.com Patriots chat is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET today. Questions can be submitted in advance.

Catch up with Tedy then.

The New England Patriots' road game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET) will be broadcast on CBS, with Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analysis) on the call.

This is the second time that the Gumbel-Dierdorf duo has been assigned a Patriots game in 2013, as they called the opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Patriots 2013 television lineup
at Bills: Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf/Tracy Wolfson (CBS)
vs. Jets: Brad Nessler/Mike Mayock/Alex Flanagan (NFL Network)
vs. Buccaneers: Kevin Burkhardt/John Lynch/Erin Andrews (Fox)
at Falcons: Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya (NBC)
at Bengals: Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf (CBS)

Once the bottom-dweller of the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals rapidly have turned their franchise fortunes around and are now considered a playoff contender for the third straight season.

They’ve been a wild card entrant in the playoffs each of the past two seasons. Both times on the strength of an attacking defense and offense led by young talent, specifically wide receiver A.J. Green. One of the signature moments for the franchise in recent seasons was a trade that sent virtually retired Carson Palmer to the Raiders in exchange for a pair of drafts picks that ended up bringing cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and running back Giovani Bernard. Bernard was their second round pick this season.

The Patriots haven’t faced the Bengals since their resurgence to playoff contention, so for those less familiar with Cincinnati’s core, below is a primer of names and faces of note.

Record: 2-2 (T-1st in AFC North)
Head coach: Marvin Lewis (11th season)
Offensive coordinator: Jay Gruden
Defensive coordinator: Mike Zimmer

THREE PLAYERS TO KNOW, OFFENSE
1. Wide receiver A.J. Green. Just a week after facing Julio Jones, the Patriots secondary gets a chance to square off against the one receiver selected ahead of Jones back in 2011. Since being drafted fourth overall, Green has been a touchdown machine for Cincinnati, posting 21 in his first two-plus seasons. The 6-foot-4, 207-pounder has terrific speed, exceptional hands and can run the full route tree. The Bengals love to let him use his leaping ability in the red zone and he has the full trust of quarterback Andy Dalton.

2. Running back Giovani Bernard. The exciting second-round rookie out of North Carolina has taken the Bengals' backfield by storm in recent weeks, cutting into the workload of former Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Bernard is an explosive and shifty 5-foo-9 back who catches the ball exceptionally well and will regularly make defenders miss in the hole. Green-Ellis is still very much a part of the Bengals' running back rotation, but Bernard already has proven that he’s a star in the making.

3. Quarterbac Andy Dalton. There are split opinions on Dalton. Many will point to his win total and the fact that he has reached the playoffs in each of his first two seasons as indicators that the Bengals have the right quarterback to lead the franchise. But the eye test suggests an inconsistent performer who some believe is closer to a game manager than an elite signal-caller. For now, Dalton is the go-to guy under center.

THREE PLAYERS TO KNOW, DEFENSE
1. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins. There may be no more underrated player around the league than Atkins, a recent recipient of a huge contract extension and a 2012 All-Pro. Atkins, who generated 12.5 sacks last season, offers the complete package as an interior force, as he is formidable against the run and can rush the passer with an impressive combination of quickness, power and relentless pursuit. The Georgia product will draw the attention of the Patriots' interior line all day.

2. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap/defensive end Michael Johnson. Both of these young defensive ends got paid this offseason, though in different ways. Johnson was the recipient of the franchise tag that entitled him to an eight-figure contract for this season. Dunalp, similar to Atkins, was handed a lucrative extension that reaffirms he is a major part of the Bengals' defensive plans. Zimmer will generate pressure with his schemes, but these two bookends possess a nightmare for offensive tackles with just their skills. Sebastian Vollmer's would be a major boon for the Patriots' offensive line.

3. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Undrafted after an underwhelming combine and pre-draft process in 2012, Burfict quickly made the Bengals look wise for investing in him by having one of the best seasons among any rookie defenders. He’s off to a great start for the Bengals again this season. He leads the team in tackles and added an interception during the team’s season opener. A capable player against the run and the pass, Burfict quickly has immersed himself as a centerpiece for the Bengals' linebacker group.

NOTES: Starting cornerbacks Kirkpatrick and Leon Hall were each inactive in Week 4 and have been dealing with injury issues lately. ... The Bengals have an enviable two-tight-end package centered around a pair of first-round picks: Jermaine Gresham (2010) and their top choice this year, Tyler Eifert. ... Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has battled injuries in the early goings this season, but he’s back in the lineup now. ... A familiar face has transitioned smoothly to a new AFC North team, as James Harrison dropped the black and yellow of Pittsburgh for the tiger stripes in Cincinnati.

Picked-up pieces from review of the New England Patriots’ 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons:

1. It wasn’t necessarily one play, but in re-watching the way the game unfolded, the Patriots’ offensive approach seemed to reflect Bill Belichick’s belief that bigger is most often better. The Falcons’ biggest defensive tackle is Corey Peters (6-3, 305) and in terms of physical makeup, he’d compare closest to Patriots defensive tackle Joe Vellano. Think of it this way: When speaking of Vellano in the Patriots’ system, he is sometimes referred to as undersized. It’s not that a smaller defense can’t be successful, but for teams that trend in that direction, the risk is what happened Sunday night when the Patriots overpowered them at times (e.g. Brandon Bolden dragging defenders nearly into the end zone), and offensive linemen easily turned them to create running lanes at other times.

2. Unlike last week, when Aqib Talib followed Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson all over the field, Talib mixed and matched between Roddy White and Julio Jones. Seemed almost close to a 50-50 split.

3. Safety can be a difficult position to get a feel for during a game. It’s a spot where the player can really do everything right and not be a huge factor in the game because the ball might not come his way. Other times, safety play stands out as exemplary and Devin McCourty turned in one example of this on the Falcons’ opening drive. The Falcons had success on the drive, delivering a solid initial blow to the Patriots, and had first-and-goal from the 6. They set up a wide receiver screen to Julio Jones on the left side and McCourty’s combination of recognition, instincts and willingness to tackle led to a tackle of Jones for a 1-yard gain. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said he wasn’t sure how McCourty sliced through bigger-bodied offensive linemen to make the play, which was an astute observation.

4. Something a bit outside the box that showed up at times was defensive lineman Tommy Kelly lining up about 2 yards back from the line of scrimmage, but remaining in a three-point stance before he rushed. The first time it was seen was on a third-and-20 play with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter (incomplete pass). Bill Belichick explained Monday on sports radio WEEI that it’s similar to when a linebacker blitzes and one of the benefits of doing that is having a little more space/time can clear things up with how the offensive line slides and the protection will go.

5. With two illegal shift penalties, a delay-of-game penalty and a botched center/quarterback exchange on a fourth-and-inches play that would have essentially sealed the game, there’s still plenty of areas that the coaching staff can drill into the offense this week. It was sloppy at times on offense.

6. The Patriots’ play-action statistics were off the charts in this game, with the tone set on quarterback Tom Brady’s first attempt, a 15-yarder to fullback James Develin. Falcons linebackers seemed to bite hard against the run throughout and the Patriots capitalized.

7. The main job of a receiver is to get open and catch the ball, as Bill Belichick sometimes reminds. Blocking in the running game isn’t often discussed, but that’s an area where rookie receiver Aaron Dobson showed up multiple times. He’s not afraid to get physical.

8. Rookie defensive end Michael Buchanan (6-6, 255) runs well enough that coaches have him on the kickoff coverage unit. The unit hasn’t had many kickoffs to cover because Stephen Gostkowski has 19 touchbacks in 21 attempts this season, but on a second-quarter return, Buchanan made the tackle on a nice play. Buchanan (seventh round, Illinois) is mostly making his mark as a sub rusher (25 snaps Sunday) but his work on special teams adds to his value.

9. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth that rookie receiver Kenbrell Thompkins reminds him of Chad Johnson, Collinsworth said after the two combined for a 49-yard long bomb. Thompkins is wearing the same “ocho cinco” as Johnson, but his results in the team’s system have already been decisively better.

10. Rookie defensive tackle Joe Vellano’s third-quarter sack, which was one of the big defensive plays of the game for the Patriots, was a reminder that draft status means little. Vellano (undrafted) earned the decisive victory over second-year center Peter Konz (second round). Likewise on Kenbrell Thompkins (undrafted) with his diving 18-yard touchdown catch over cornerback Desmond Trufant (first round) in the fourth quarter.

Appearing at halftime of the "Monday Night Football" radio broadcast on Westwood One, Tom Brady commented on Vince Wilfork's season-ending injury. Here's a transcript of what he said:

"Well, to say we'll miss him is an understatement. His presence in the locker room and on the field is really unmatched, so it will be a team effort. I know Coach Belichick said there's no Vince Wilforks on the street corner waiting to sign with the Patriots, which is the truth, but we're going to have to find a way to -- in a group effort -- replace such a valuable player. And he'll be around, his spirit, his leadership, he'll still have a big impact on our team. But he's been a great player for a long time and everyone's disappointed about his injury."

On if he can gauge what it does to the morale of the team when you lose such a player of that level of importance:

"Yeah, well, initially there's a blow to the team morale in that you wonder who's going to fill in that spot and who's going to take the void of such a great player. But then as soon as you get into the week, you start thinking about your job, how much you need to do and what the coaches are asking you, and then you really leave it to coach to think of the things that he can do now to help replace a guy like Vince as well as personnel. So injuries are really a part of the game and I think we've learned over the years that there's not one player that makes the team. Certainly losing a guy like
Vince doesn't help our team in any way, but we're going to have to find somebody to go in there and do the job of that nose tackle position and do it to the level that they're capable of. It's a team sport so the rest of the team has to pick up the pieces."

On if he sensed the severity of the injury when it occurred:

"I wasn't sure of the severity, I know that Vince never really goes down and stays on the ground so when he came over to the sideline and I went over and tapped him on the shoulder to ask him how he felt and he just kind of nodded his head which, I knew at that point that it wasn't a minor injury. He's as tough as they come. He's been durable, consistent. Like I said, his leadership and his ability to motivate the other players on the defensive side of the ball has been one of the best I've ever seen. So we'll miss him, we'll miss him for the rest of the year, but I know he'll come
back next year strong and as determined as ever."

On Rob Gronkowski and his injury status:

"He's been on the active roster for the last four weeks and I've seen him every day working as hard as he can to get back. So it ends up being a medical decision and that's not my role. So I'm just waiting for the day that he does get back because he adds so much to our offense. Every week that he's been out there he's made significant improvement. So it'll be great when he's back and it'll be great when we get Danny Amendola back and Shane Vereen back and finally we can see what our offense is really made of. Whether that's this week or the following week or the following week. I mean those things are really not determined by me."