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2013 NFL Power Rankings: Winning Stats Edition - Week Nine

Instead of just putting teams in record order, we actually look at how well these teams play and rank them. I guarantee you'll be surprised who the #1 team is.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

We're halfway through the season now, so I think it's about time we take a look at which teams the Winning Stats say are the best in the league, who has played the toughest (and easiest) schedules, and who has played the most consistent (hint: it isn't the Colts).

I'll do my best to give these on a weekly basis, but there may be a week here or there where they don't change very much, or I run out of time. These rankings aren't just record based, like you'll see with pretty much every other Power Ranking. These are opponent-adjusted and based on our sixteen Winning Stats. In fact, the #1 team in our rankings you won't see anywhere else as the top team. Let's find out who it is (click on any column header to sort):

Power Rankings:

Team Power Rankings
Non-Adjusted Adjusted
Offense Defense Total Offense Defense Total
Panthers 3 2 1 4 6 1
Broncos 2 12 2 2 22 2
49ers 14 3 5 11 3 3
Chiefs 17 1 3 19 1 4
Seahawks 13 4 7 10 5 5
Packers 4 24 9 3 23 6
Saints 5 8 4 5 14 7
Bengals 9 9 8 13 7 8
Lions 6 14 6 8 16 9
Colts 7 19 11 6 19 10
Texans 18 15 14 14 12 11
Titans 19 11 15 16 9 12
Cardinals 28 7 18 29 2 13
Patriots 16 5 10 18 13 14
Bears 8 26 16 9 26 15
Cowboys 11 20 13 15 18 16
Ravens 26 6 17 27 4 17
Chargers 1 30 12 1 31 18
Redskins 15 28 22 17 20 19
Bills 30 10 21 24 11 20
Browns 22 16 20 20 17 21
Eagles 12 27 19 12 28 22
Dolphins 27 17 25 26 15 23
Buccaneers 21 25 28 21 25 24
Rams 20 21 23 22 24 25
Jets 29 13 24 30 10 26
Falcons 10 31 26 7 32 27
Raiders 24 22 29 28 21 28
Giants 31 18 30 31 8 29
Steelers 23 23 27 25 27 30
Vikings 25 29 31 23 29 31
Jaguars 32 32 32 32 30 32

The Colts sit at 10th overall, 6th on Offense and 19th on Defense (but you knew that from yesterday). You see the Panthers as our #1 team, ranking in the top 6 in both Offense and Defense. You also see the undefeated Chiefs sit at #4 with the best Defense in the league, and the Chargers (yes, Chargers) with the #1 Offense. The Jaguars are at the bottom, and you can't really argue with that, right?

Strength of Schedule:

Team Schedule Strength
Past Future
Offense Defense Total Offense Defense Total
Cardinals 18 2 1 18 12 15
Texans 4 5 2 23 27 28
Jaguars 16 4 3 5 22 14
Bills 1 22 4 30 32 32
Buccaneers 10 6 5 15 6 8
Rams 6 11 6 3 5 3
49ers 7 17 7 13 8 7
Dolphins 15 9 8 21 17 22
Seahawks 5 20 9 14 25 19
Browns 2 23 10 28 30 31
Titans 11 13 11 26 23 27
Redskins 31 1 12 9 28 24
Vikings 21 7 13 17 7 9
Giants 30 3 14 27 4 13
Packers 8 18 15 31 20 30
Falcons 3 24 16 4 3 2
Lions 13 15 17 25 26 29
Ravens 25 8 18 19 18 21
Jets 27 14 19 8 31 25
Colts 28 12 20 2 29 17
Bears 23 19 21 24 16 23
Bengals 22 21 22 29 19 26
Cowboys 29 16 23 20 14 18
Saints 14 27 24 10 2 1
Eagles 12 28 25 22 11 16
Steelers 9 30 26 16 24 20
Chargers 26 25 27 1 21 4
Raiders 32 10 28 7 15 12
Patriots 24 26 29 6 13 11
Panthers 19 29 30 12 10 10
Chiefs 17 31 31 32 1 6
Broncos 20 32 32 11 9 5

The Colts have played the 20th toughest schedule so far this season, with the Defense definitely playing a tougher schedule than the Offense. Going forward they'll play a slightly tougher schedule overall, but it'll be almost exclusively on the Offensive side of the ball where it'll be tougher, ranking 2nd toughest. The Cardinals have played the toughest schedule so far, while the Broncos and Chiefs have had the easiest schedules.

It's pretty interesting that most teams that have played a tough schedule so far will get a much easier road, and the teams with easy schedule so far are getting much tougher. The Chiefs Defense is interesting, having played the 2nd easiest schedule (and still being tops in the NFL after adjustments), but have the toughest schedule going forward.

Consistency:

Team Consistency
Non-Adjusted Adjusted
Offense Defense Total Offense Defense Total
Lions 4 9 5 6 13 1
Chiefs 2 7 4 5 3 2
Falcons 27 1 13 11 2 3
Vikings 16 23 6 15 7 4
Steelers 22 22 14 29 26 5
Raiders 29 31 3 17 31 6
Patriots 30 8 9 27 9 7
Broncos 20 14 1 28 20 8
Dolphins 9 19 15 1 8 9
Jaguars 23 12 10 22 15 10
Ravens 14 20 11 13 25 11
Buccaneers 10 27 7 8 18 12
Redskins 21 10 16 26 5 13
Bears 12 3 8 21 24 14
Packers 28 5 22 23 6 15
Cardinals 5 11 17 3 22 16
Bills 3 15 2 9 11 17
Saints 6 2 12 20 1 18
Browns 1 13 18 10 4 19
Bengals 11 21 24 14 14 20
Titans 19 25 28 7 12 21
Eagles 31 26 23 31 10 22
Texans 13 6 21 2 23 23
Rams 18 16 25 25 16 24
Panthers 26 18 29 12 17 25
Chargers 7 4 19 4 21 26
Giants 25 32 31 24 29 27
Cowboys 8 28 20 19 28 28
Seahawks 15 29 26 16 27 29
Jets 24 24 27 18 19 30
49ers 32 17 30 32 30 31
Colts 17 30 32 30 32 32

It doesn't take an expert to tell you how inconsistent the Colts have been on both sides of the ball, and you can see by these numbers you never really know what you'll get with the Colts. The Lions check in as the most consistent team.

Later today I'll have the best and worst games so far this season, which includes a couple Colts games (thankfully none on the "worst" lists.