It's time once again for our weekly installment of Power Rankings based on the Winning Stats. There wasn't much movement at the top of the rankings, with the Saints maintaining the top spot, followed by the Patriots, Vikings, and Colts.
Follow me after the jump for the full rankings, Strength of Schedule, and Consistency...
Power Rankings (click on headers to sort):
| Team | Power Rankings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Adjusted | Adjusted | |||||
| Offense | Defense | Total | Offense | Defense | Total | |
| Saints | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Patriots | 3 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Vikings | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Colts | 2 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 4 |
| Packers | 8 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Ravens | 11 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| Bengals | 15 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 6 | 7 |
| Giants | 10 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 8 |
| Dolphins | 12 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 9 |
| Eagles | 14 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 10 |
| Jets | 21 | 1 | 13 | 22 | 1 | 11 |
| Cowboys | 6 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 24 | 12 |
| Steelers | 9 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 13 |
| Broncos | 18 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 4 | 14 |
| Texans | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Chargers | 4 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 30 | 16 |
| Cardinals | 20 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 17 |
| Redskins | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 |
| Falcons | 7 | 31 | 21 | 6 | 31 | 19 |
| Titans | 19 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 20 |
| 49ers | 25 | 5 | 20 | 27 | 2 | 21 |
| Jaguars | 16 | 27 | 19 | 14 | 28 | 22 |
| Panthers | 24 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 16 | 23 |
| Bears | 22 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 24 |
| Seahawks | 23 | 16 | 23 | 26 | 17 | 25 |
| Bills | 28 | 13 | 26 | 28 | 13 | 26 |
| Chiefs | 29 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 21 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 30 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 28 |
| Lions | 27 | 32 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 29 |
| Rams | 26 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 32 | 30 |
| Browns | 31 | 29 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 31 |
| Raiders | 32 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 32 |
A few thoughts:
- Like I mentioned, the Colts are 4th in the Adjusted Power Rankings, ranking 1st Offensively, and 18th Defensively. The Colts probably won't get much higher, especially playing without some key players in the last 3 games.
- Based on these rankings, the teams I'd like the Colts to play in the Playoffs are this week's opponent, Jacksonville (22nd), and San Diego (16th). A loss this week might not be all that bad for this exact reason.
- Speaking of the Chargers, they have the 3rd worst defense in the NFL. But some writers say you shouldn't laugh when they are called the best team in the NFL.
- The Dolphins have played a tough schedule, and look much better statistically when you adjust for that tough schedule (16th vs. 9th). If you had told me Chad Henne would be the QB for most of the season with those numbers, I would have laughed in your face.
Strength of Schedule:
| Team | Schedule Strength | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past | Future | |||||
| Offense | Defense | Total | Offense | Defense | Total | |
| Buccaneers | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 7 |
| Patriots | 1 | 13 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 22 |
| Browns | 5 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 29 | 31 |
| Dolphins | 9 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 7 | 13 |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 16 |
| Lions | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | 21 |
| Titans | 20 | 2 | 7 | 31 | 14 | 25 |
| Panthers | 12 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Colts | 7 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 18 |
| Ravens | 21 | 7 | 10 | 32 | 30 | 32 |
| Broncos | 30 | 1 | 11 | 24 | 21 | 27 |
| Raiders | 14 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 26 | 26 |
| Bills | 4 | 23 | 13 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| Jets | 15 | 15 | 14 | 26 | 4 | 12 |
| Rams | 13 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 22 | 20 |
| 49ers | 28 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 24 | 29 |
| Giants | 24 | 17 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| Bears | 18 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| Texans | 11 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 13 | 19 |
| Bengals | 16 | 24 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 11 |
| Jaguars | 6 | 27 | 21 | 23 | 5 | 10 |
| Chiefs | 31 | 14 | 22 | 14 | 32 | 28 |
| Saints | 25 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 23 |
| Cardinals | 17 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 30 |
| Seahawks | 29 | 21 | 25 | 13 | 19 | 17 |
| Cowboys | 22 | 26 | 26 | 16 | 3 | 2 |
| Eagles | 32 | 18 | 27 | 4 | 15 | 5 |
| Vikings | 19 | 30 | 28 | 5 | 17 | 8 |
| Chargers | 10 | 32 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 6 |
| Redskins | 26 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 8 | 15 |
| Packers | 27 | 29 | 31 | 19 | 20 | 24 |
| Steelers | 23 | 31 | 32 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
A couple things:
- The Colts have played the 9th toughest schedule in the league so far, and it won't get too much easier for the rest of the season. Where is that other undefeated team? 23rd.
- The Steelers have absolutely no excuse for losing 5 games in a row, and being 6-7, as they have had the easiest schedule in the league. Maybe they need the high level of competition to actually win games, like they had last year.
- I'd say the Broncos and Ravens are in the Driver's seat for the 2 Wild Card spots, seeing as they have the easiest schedules going forward. In the NFC I think the Packers will keep the spot they currently enjoy as a Wild Card team.
Consistency:
| Team | Consistency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Adjusted | Adjusted | |||||
| Offense | Defense | Total | Offense | Defense | Total | |
| Colts | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Eagles | 13 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 2 |
| Cowboys | 8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Chiefs | 5 | 25 | 18 | 6 | 15 | 4 |
| Panthers | 25 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 5 |
| 49ers | 1 | 24 | 17 | 3 | 24 | 6 |
| Falcons | 9 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 16 | 7 |
| Buccaneers | 20 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 11 | 8 |
| Bears | 10 | 29 | 22 | 5 | 31 | 9 |
| Lions | 23 | 1 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 10 |
| Texans | 11 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 11 |
| Redskins | 17 | 6 | 1 | 23 | 4 | 12 |
| Cardinals | 28 | 12 | 13 | 24 | 23 | 13 |
| Vikings | 4 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 14 |
| Rams | 21 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 2 | 15 |
| Packers | 12 | 15 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
| Saints | 3 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 17 |
| Browns | 30 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 26 | 18 |
| Dolphins | 19 | 13 | 14 | 30 | 22 | 19 |
| Ravens | 29 | 22 | 30 | 26 | 3 | 20 |
| Chargers | 7 | 27 | 23 | 8 | 27 | 21 |
| Raiders | 15 | 21 | 15 | 14 | 30 | 22 |
| Bills | 27 | 18 | 20 | 29 | 10 | 23 |
| Steelers | 16 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 21 | 24 |
| Patriots | 6 | 32 | 25 | 4 | 32 | 25 |
| Seahawks | 22 | 20 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 26 |
| Giants | 18 | 31 | 29 | 16 | 29 | 27 |
| Jets | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 28 |
| Bengals | 14 | 7 | 19 | 25 | 13 | 29 |
| Jaguars | 26 | 8 | 26 | 28 | 9 | 30 |
| Titans | 32 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 18 | 31 |
| Broncos | 24 | 28 | 32 | 22 | 19 | 32 |
My thoughts:
- The Colts continue to be the most consistent team in the league, besting the Eagles and Cowboys. I'm still not surprised by that ranking at all.
- The Colts last 5 opponents of the season (Titans, Broncos, Jaguars, Jets, and Bills) are all in the ten most inconsistent teams in 2009. Not sure it says much, but it is interesting nonetheless.