Week eight was an exciting week for the Power Rank as the Packers took down the #1 ranked New York Jets. This upset created a contraction of scores at the top of the list, creating yet another group like the one we discussed just a couple weeks ago.
That group was significant because it included so many of the NFL’s teams stuck within a few points of each other. This group isn’t as large but it’s possibly more significant in that it represents the top seven teams, and according to the Power Rank’s ratings they are only separated by 1.54 points. The Jets and Colts may share the top spot (ok, Indy is #1 but only by thousands of a point that are not shown) but the Packers at #7 are only a few steps behind them… and as we saw last week they are certainly close enough to deliver a solid upset. That really applies for all teams at the top of this week’s rank – The Jets, Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Titans, Ravens, and Packers are all within striking distance of each other and we may see a lot of movement within this group. The next closest teams to joining this elite group are the Chiefs and Chargers, but neither team looks particularly poised to make a move and separate themselves from the relatively weak AFC West.
Speaking of divisions, it is about time to address how each of the NFL’s eight divisions are doing in the Power Rank.
With the #2 and #3 spots in the Power Rank, the AFC East is the top divison in the league with a 2.22 average rating. The second best division, the AFC South, boasts a 2.15 average rating. If these divisions were teams, they would rank at #9 in our rankings, between Kansas City and San Diego – and keep in mind that these averages include the Bills and the Jaguars. These numbers are very impressive for these two divisions.
Not surprisingly, third best is also an AFC division that includes 2 of those top seven elite teams, the AFC North led by the Steelers and Ravens. The AFC North posts a respectable 1.34 average rating. Now that we’ve covered the best three, we can move on to the NFC. The NFC North contains the only elite team of the Power Rank found in the NFC, The Green Bay Packers. They are also helped by having the highest ranked worst team in a division, the Chicago Bears at #20. The average rank for the NFC North is 1.19.
The AFC West leads the bottom half of the divisions with an average rating of 0.39, followed by the NFC East at -0.36, the NFC South at -3.33, and the abysmal NFC West carrying a -3.59 average. That’s right, the NFC South is about as good as the Jacksonville Jaguars and the NFC West averages the same as Dallas and their 1-6 record. Ouch. The best team in the NFC West is St. Louis at #21, the lowest rank for any best team in the division. That’s right everyone, the BEST team in the NFC West is ranked at #21.
1. Indianapolis, 5-2, 6.25
2. New York Jets, 5-2, 6.25
3. New England, 6-1, 5.62
4. Pittsburgh, 5-2, 5.12
5. Tennessee, 5-3, 5.02
6. Baltimore, 5-2, 4.91
7. Green Bay, 5-3, 4.71
8. Kansas City, 5-2, 2.47
9. San Diego, 3-5, 1.77
10. Atlanta, 5-2, 1.45
11. New York Giants, 5-2, 1.41
12. Miami, 4-3, 1.39
13. Philadelphia, 4-3, 0.73
14. Houston, 4-3, 0.59
15. Detroit, 2-5, 0.49
16. Minnesota, 2-5, 0.24
17. New Orleans, 5-3, -0.09
18. Washington, 4-4, -0.14
19. Oakland, 4-4, -0.52
20. Chicago, 4-3, -0.68
21. St. Louis, 4-4, -1.06
22. Denver, 2-6, -2.18
23. Cincinnati, 2-5, -2.30
24. Cleveland, 2-5, -2.39
25. Seattle, 4-3, -2.96
26. Jacksonville, 4-4, -3.27
27. Dallas, 1-6, -3.45
28. San Francisco, 2-6, -4.30
29. Buffalo, 0-7, -4.40
30. Tampa Bay, 5-2, -5.09
31. Arizona, 3-4, -6.02
32. Carolina, 1-6, -9.57
Man, I would have killed to have the Rams at #21 last year. Do you think there’s hope for improvement next year under Spagnuolo (or however you spell his name)?