My 2014 "Rankings"

[KCSLC2008 606]

1. Denver: Beat SF, Indy, Arizona, and Chargers and only loss is to Seattle. Need I say more?

2. Arizona: Only loss is to Denver. Beat SF and Philadelphia. Facing Dallas next week.

3. Dallas: Beat disappointing Seattle and a then-struggling NO team. Then lost to Washington. D'oh! Still, more consistent than most.

4. New England: 51 points is hard to get against anyone, reeling team or not. As predicted, picked it up after loss to us. Go beat Denver, now.

5. Detroit: Can't argue with wins in my system; lucked out in London. Delay of game saved them a possible 8 spots. Defense still great, beat Green Bay.

6. Philadelphia: They have lost to two of the three good teams they played, beating the Colts before they fixed things. Close in wins and losses. Can't punish them for beating bad teams, just wait to see how they do against good teams.

7. Cincinnati: They seem to underachievingly beat bad teams or lose to good teams, but this win against the Ravens is big. Boo offensive PI.

8. Pittsburgh: Keep the big game in perspective, as there have been other games, too. But other teams had bad week 9's. They have been very inconsistent and their wins are usually gets bad teams.

9. Baltimore: Yes, they just lost to Cincinnati, but they beat Pittsburgh. So head-to-head they have the tiebreaker, in my opinion.

10. San Diego: Closer loss to a better team than Indianapolis or Green Bay's opponents. Beat Seattle but no one else.

11. Indianapolis: Loss was to a better 2014 team than Green Bay's. More consistent than most teams.

12. Green Bay: Better team than most, just hit NO in the dome, not sure how much Rodgers' injury hurt comeback bid. Receivers missing assignments.

13. Buffalo - I still say this is the worst example of my rankings. But they have beat those they should beat. Wins are king in this league and rankings.

14. San Francisco - Beat Kansas City head-to-head and is playing better than Seattle. Loss was big but it was to Denver. Bye week stopped them from advancing or falling.

15. Seattle: Gave them the benefit of the doubt last week and then they won. So they retain the position. Would be concerned if I were a fan of barely beating Carolina, but the Panthers were playoff team last year.

16. Kansas City: Record is about where I would put them. Losing to Tennessee was hard but otherwise the teams they played and won or how close they were were positive.

17. Miami: Up and down team on consecutive "up" games. Chicago, despite their struggles, and New England, despite how long ago it was, beats tie breaker with Cleveland.

18. Cleveland: Bounced back from Jacksonville game by beating worst team with another coming up. Loss to Jacksonville insures them from going too high (3 bad teams in a row after win over Steelers. Browns hype got a little high.

19. Houston: Beat bad teams, lost close to the harder teams. Defense good and 4-4 is good considering last year.

20. Carolina: Defense almost beat struggling Seattle. Offense struggled against Seattle's remaining strength.

21. New Orleans: Win over Green Bay in the SuperDome is a great start at climbing back in a weak division. However, they are entering a tough 7 game stretch where the "easiest" are two divisional games against the Panthers.

22. New York Giants: Division is lost... at least they own New York... Well, no (Buffalo).

23. Washington: Have to give credit for two game winning streak vs. Chicago's losing streak despite Chicago having more talent.

24. Chicago: Underachieving or not, they are better than Minnesota, in my opinion.

25. Minnesota: A bunch of close games do not equal wins. Beating Tampa Bay in OT makes them better than Tampa Bay, not Chicago.

26. St. Louis: Beat Seattle, played SF tough, lost three other close games.

27. Atlanta: Closer games than Tennessee and beat New Orleans (I know, Saints aren't/weren't good).

28. Tennessee: Only quality win was against us. Starting backup QBs doesn't help.

29. Tampa Bay: 4 of their losses were either OT losses or one score games. The one win was by 2 points. Could be 0-7 or 5-2 (two blowouts).

30. Jacksonville: Has the more recent win over Cleveland and has been closer lately than start of year.

31. New York Jets: Hopefully, they stay here. Wonder if Vick will now prepare now that he's starting?

32. Oakland: Winless with an inter-rim coach and rookie QB, need I say more?

[KCSLC2008 606]

1. Arizona: You won't get the "beating the backup" disclaimer for their success from me. They've beaten some good teams, even if not great. Only loss to Denver where it was close through three quarters.

2. New England: Just beat the "best" team in football handily. One blowout loss, one disappointing opener, a squeaker, and then, blowouts.

3. Denver: One loss to the Patriots won't drop you, no matter how much the media wanted to start their demise. Now, back to the Broncos - Beaten some good teams and lost to the Seahawks before they showed their issues.

4. Philadelphia: Beat better teams than Detroit, though most unconvincingly. Better chance of maintaining than Detroit.

5. Detroit: Defense got them here, bye week kept them, and thank goodness for timeouts, huh? Lost tie-breaker because they should have lost against Atlanta.

6. Cincinnati: I place them here in protest, as my system is flawed with ties and byes. Lucky to be here, just like their record, IMO.

7. Pittsburgh: On a roll offensively. Ravens are better than their record, so win is huge, especially in that division rivalry.

8. Dallas: Bought enough equity in 6-game winning streak, Saints dropped them far enough, and losing your QB for one game excuses some blame for losing to top ranked team.

9. Indianapolis: See above for why they aren't above Dallas. Thought about putting them ahead of Dallas to offset bye week next week, but they've benefitted with late bye (more wins early). Blowing out the Giants? That's par for the course.

10. Seattle: Winning by the skin of their teeth, but winning might be turning things around. Can't put them below us until we play them or they lose again.

11. Buffalo: Said that I hated putting them as high as I have this year, but putting us above them in the week we play them is bad luck.

12. Kansas City: Won 5 of 6 and close in 2 of the three losses with the closest being against the better teams.

13. Green Bay: Had the muscle-memory instinct to put them ahead of us despite loss to New Orleans, but then realized they've beaten nobody, given the confirmation that Chicago's no good.

14. Miami: They've looked good since we beat them and did I mention we beat them? So they have to be below us. Hotter than Green Bay, but lost to them head to head.

15. Cleveland: Their surprise wins lifted them from where we expected them, but their losses and close wins kept them from being higher on the list of 5-3's.

16. Baltimore: Their losses are closer than San Diego's losses. Bad losses to division rivals, but they're halfway through before a lighter stretch.

17. San Diego: Didn't mean to drop them so much, but that's what a three game losing streak capped by a 37-0 shutout does to you. Plus, everyone else is winning.

18. New Orleans: Both SF and Niners are starting teams, but I'm going with "the hotter hand" here.

19. San Francisco: Better than their record, but you need to beat the Rams, refs or not. Don't like being behind the underachieving Saints, beat them this week.

20. Minnesota Vikings: Two last quarter wins and a close loss prior are good for your record and apparently for your rankings - all with a rookie QB. Matt Asiata had great day.

21. Houston: They have a QB question going into the bye week and have lost 5 of the last 7.

22. Carolina: Won only one of the last seven, but their tie keeps them from falling. Darn kinks in the system I need to adjust in the future.

23. St. Louis: Beat the Seahawks and Niners in a span of three weeks despite QB injuries. Must be great in the film room.

24. Chicago: There's a conundrum here when I can't figure out if I should rank them higher than the Giants because they have more talent or lower because they've underachieved.

25. New York Giants: Went with talent due to hating teams with the name "Giants."

26. Washington: Shouldn't have lost to the Vikings - but the same would've been said by Minnesota had they lost to the Redskins. Wasn't just Shanahan, it appears.

27. Atlanta: Giving them the nod over Tennessee because I feel bad for their timeout loss to Detroit. Also, Tennessee came off their easy stretch losing while coming to a difficult stretch.

28. Tennessee: Bye week came at the right team due to difficulty of next three games and QB switch, but don't think it'll help record-wise.

29. Tampa Bay: Gave a good effort against the Browns... but against the Browns, right?

30. Jacksonville: Win is more recent than the Jets' last win. And their losses are closer, including this past week.

31. New York Jets: See above. Self explanatory. Rex is probably holding onto his job until the bye week at earliest.

32. Oakland: Good effort against struggling Seahawks and Chargers, but only winless team. Arguments?

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 11:

 

1. Arizona: Only loss was to the Broncos in a game where it was 24-20 entering the fourth. Won with both QBs they've played. Defense great, but I don't know who to point out.

2. New England: Didn't play this week it should stay above Denver due to their head-to-head victory.

3. Denver: Despite bad start, they are still a better team than Detroit. Responded well to two early turnovers.

4. Detroit: Cooled down the overhyped Miami with their solid defense. Getting Johnson back helps a megaton. Both the Eagles and Detroit have similar seasons, Miami > Carolina.

5. Philadelphia: Winning with two different QBs bodes well for your system and team. Carolina seems to always miss something.

6. Dallas: Winning overseas with a healthy Romo and an MVP candidate Murray heading into a late bye must be great for Cowboys.

7. Indianapolis: Offense is clicking and their defense recovered from their bad showing against Big Ben. Hate to go with the media consensus, but hard to argue.

8. Green Bay: Chicago seems to help whomever they play but they look like they were clicking. Hot and cold team, moreso than the Colts.

9. Seattle: Can't put them below us right before we play them unless they had lost this week. Running game was great and late defense strong.

10. Kansas City: Since the opener, KC has beaten everyone they should, two they "shoudn't," and competed to the last possession in the losses.

11. Cleveland: No matter how bad the Bengals looked, credit goes to the Browns for their dominant win. Surprise team who only have one bad loss.

12. Cincinnati: Still ranked here in protest, as my system is flawed with ties and byes. Lucky to be here, just like their record, IMO. Still, 5 wins are worth something.

13. Ravens: Same record as Steelers, split head-to-head by same deficit (20 pts), but tie breaker goes to most recent winner.

14. Pittsburgh: Ok, I lied. Tie breaker who goes to whoever does not lose to the Jets or Raiders.

15. Niners: First team to beat New Orleans at home. Rare, but technically correct and unnecessary, PI on a Hail Mary. Exciting game to watch. SF went back to the running game.

16. Miami: Last minute loss to top five team earns you a spot over the team you just beat 37-0.

17. Buffalo: Lost to a good team where they had opportunities to win. Played tough, made mistakes. Close losses except for NE, where it was close until late.

18. San Diego can recover their spot in the top half, but they have to take it back after their shutout loss. Injuries are a factor.

19. Minnesota: Winning streak has them highest they've been in this ranking. Seems to be close in every game, win or lose. Building something in the NFC. Should be third in division this year when it's all said and done.

20. New Orleans: Played SF to OT, but I'm starting to doubt the Saints, like the SB win was a once in a lifetime thing, not an annual contender. Playoffs contender, but SB? Get hot fast, NO.

21. Houston: Clowney should come back, there's no film on Mallet, and defense should keep them in it against Cleveland. Close games, good RB and WRs, just need QB.

22. Carolina: Tie game is neither a win not loss, need to fix system. Carolina has no oline protection or game outside the numbers deep-wise.

23. St. Louis: Over-achieving counts for a lot in this system. Best 3-6 team having beat Seattle, SF, and played Arizona to a tie while Palmer was in game.

24. Atlanta: Has the best talent plus performance combination of the rest - unlike Chicago.

25. Washington: Seems to always be missing one aspect or another, but should be middle of the pack next year if they do things right and get healthier.

26. New York Giants: Played Seattle close until the end, rushing the ball got them, so SF should take care of them. New offense should gel soon.

27. Chicago: Talent and the win over the Niners gave them some benefit of the doubt, but two weeks in a row with terrible games and even worse first half's remove that. Underachievers in a tough division.

28. Tennessee: New QB coming out of the bye week played alright for his experience, but this season is lost either way. About the same loss every week.

29. New York Jets: Beat an inconsistent Steelers team coming out of a hot streak and played KC well enough. Quarterback switch and Rex coaching for his job has created better play. Probably too late and I don't think they want to test out an interim coach.

30: Tampa Bay: Up and down in being close or blown out. Not much to say.

31. Jacksonville: Close losses and its a surprise whenever they win.

32. Oakland: played well until they realize that winning could take them out of the first draft pick. Heaven forbid. Gameplan first drives and take advantage of TOs but falters otherwise. Plays up to their opponent sometimes with the rookie quarterback who could get better.

[jetlord 10,209]

You have 11-14 as the AFC North.  I'd rank Cincy below both PIT and BAL and think it will be that way by the end of the season.  Also, expect to see the Niners move up by season's end.

[KCSLC2008 606]

You have 11-14 as the AFC North. I'd rank Cincy below both PIT and BAL and think it will be that way by the end of the season. Also, expect to see the Niners move up by season's end.

Me too, but I have been slating them by record to see an evolution/movement in the order. It's not a true ranking and I f'ed up on ties and byes. Next year, I'm going to adjust it some way, probably counting ties as losses or something. Or 3-6-1 is the same as 3-6 and rank accordingly. Now, 3-6-1 is 3.5-6.5.

 

Cincy is 5.5-3.5 (.611) and PIT/BAL are 6-4 (.600). Cincy will fall when they fall.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Disclaimer: Read in OP. Not true rankings.

 

My Week 11 "Rankings"

 

1. Arizona: Palmer out? No problem. Only close fourth quarter loss to Denver. Great coaching and defense.

2. New England: In a true ranking, I might put them ahead of Arizona, due to injuries to the Cards, but that makes Arizona more compelling. NEs beating everybody like I expected despite Week 4.

3. Denver: They are no longer 2b to NE's 2a due to head-head and loss to Rams. They are solidly behind NE at 3. Chiefs could change that.

4. Green Bay: Not impressed by their opponents' defense, but the Packers are clicking. Haven't played many great teams, but playing well enough to put them in it.

5. Kansas City: Could have put them above Green Bay due to the Packers' level of competition, but that seems so 2013 media. Offensive style points wins here, will lose later in the year.

6. Dallas: With a healthy Romo not making mistakes and a good RB, I put them ahead of Detroit due to, yes, Detroit's second chance FG-winner in London. Wins help in real life and this ranking, but how and who you beat/lose to matters.

7. Detroit: Real defense, struggling offense, better discipline despite stupid taunting-when-you're-down penalty.

8. Philadelphia: High and low team who seems to take offensive games off every once in awhile. As much as I root for Sanchez as a USC alum, not a good day.

9. Cincinnati: Beat a beaten NO team. Bounced back from terrible game last week to deliver some more fool's gold. Will fix how ties work in my rankings next year.

10. Pittsburgh: Up and down. Down and up. Just like the MNF game. More ups than downs. Tennessee helps, unless we are playing them.

11. Indianapolis: The Patriots can make the best teams look bad. Will ignore the magnitude, as losing drops them enough.

12. San Francisco: Defense is winning and running the ball with an average of a broken huge passing play a game is just enough. KC is by design, SF is by struggling talent, IMO.

13. Seattle: The "defending champ" moniker will continue to keep them high in their category, lowered by unexpected losses (besides our win ).

14. Baltimore: Won their last game before their bye. Up and down team, but downs aren't too low. Good coaching.

15. Miami: Every time they win, they get hyped. Every loss questions their QB/HC. It seems the media wants us to care about them. Still better right now than the Chargers.

16. San Diego: A win is a win is a win. I said that winning would get them back in top half of the league. Their struggles drop them below MIA and BAL.

17. Cleveland: For the Browns to take that next step, they have to beat the 50/50's or the "should's," not just the surprises. Houston and Jacksonville fall in those groups. You have to gain on the surprises.

18. Houston: Both the Texans and Buffalo are overachieving perhaps, but have questions. Houston has won most recently and may have their QB.

19. Buffalo: Until they figure out their red zone issues, they're not going to win anything of importance. Their QB doesn't care. I believe him.

20. St. Louis: Beating SF, Denver, and Seattle, need I say more? Close against Eagles and Cowboys. Minnesota was only bad loss. (Blown-out by good teams are ok this year in rebuild.)

21. Atlanta: Only 4-6 team on a winning streak. Leading their division, sadly. Underachieving QB still relatively good/ok and in right system with some WR help.

22. Chicago: Barely beating Minnesota gets you barely above Minnesota. This year has been disappointing, but at least they beat the Vikings, right?

23. Minnesota: The Vikings are above the Saints because they seem like they are still fighting. But that's all relative. They have a rookie quarterback and no Peterson, so that explains it. What is New Orleans excuse?

24. New Orleans: A little surprised that the Saints' season seems to lose everything after loss to Niners. Having so many close losses add up.

25. Carolina: Tie week blunder in my system, but when you're down this far, who's counting? Defense is ok, oline is not. Right now, neither is their quarterback. Not saying anything long-term.

26. Washington: Yes, they are bad. But they are the most recent victors of the 3-7 teams. I think RGIII should adopt Belichick's press conference style.

27. New York Giants: Being close in the loss to San Francisco despite five picks says something about their defense, doesn't it? What are the chances of both the coach and quarterback staying?

28. New York Jets: They beat the Steelers.

29. Tampa Bay: They beat the Steelers.

30. Tennessee: They almost beat the Steelers. Is the tiebreaker clear?

31. Jacksonville: They beat the Browns and were close in their games. At least until the second or third quarter.

32. Oakland: They've beat nobody. Literally. Let's keep it that way.

[West 6,713]

ESPN and SI have them in the Top 5 as well.

 

well done

 

w

[KCSLC2008 606]

ESPN and SI have them in the Top 5 as well.

 

well done

 

w

A lot of people lament about our opening game loss. But if we were to lose a game, that's the one I would want to. The reason is, I'd rather beat Seattle and New England and lose to Tennessee than beat Tennessee and Seattle and lose to New England. Records are important for getting into the playoffs and seating, but who you can beat is more important as long as you make the playoffs.

 

Relevance? I wonder if we would be ranked the same or worse if we had switched the Tennessee game for the Buffalo game or Miami. I think it's obvious that if we beat Tennessee and lost to Seattle or New England we'd be below 5th. Miami and Buffalo are better than Tennessee, but opening perception is important.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 12

 

1. New England: Only losses were to two playoff contenders and their winning streak is the longest in the league with the most blowouts. Not sure if they will lose again.

2. Arizona: Defense is still playing well and while Stanton has won behind it, there's enough questions out there to not consider them above New England.

3. Denver: Will wait until they lose again before demoting them below Green Bay. Hopefully it's this week because I love Green Bay.

4. Green Bay: Barely beating divisional rival Minnesota is what the Chiefs should have done on Thursday. If they don't like being fourth, they better be Falcons and Chief fans this Sunday.

5. Dallas: Barely beating a division rival... Doesn't that sound nice? Dallas is real, just trying to figure out how they get to 8-8. Gave themselves no margin of error.

6. Philadelphia: Think they are better with Sanchez than Dallas? Fix it this week. Unless the backup is great or the starter bad, I will almost always give the tie-breaker to the team with their original starter.

7. Cincinnati: Stupid tie game early in the year. Won the game they should win. Doesn't that sound nice?

8. Indianapolis: Fewer downs than San Francisco, better offense, and defense has shut out a team. Tie breaker's easy.

9. San Francisco: Winning close is their MO. They beat out the Chiefs in this ranking close, too (due to their head-to-head). Defense to the rescue.

10. Kansas City: Losing to Oakland isn't the end of the world, but it dropped them from 4th to 10th in these rankings. I would not have put them ahead of Denver in the week they play each other.

11. Seattle: Dominated the Cardinals outside of the red-zone. Lost tie-breaker to Chiefs due to head-to-head. Could push SF out of top ten with Thanksgiving win. Loss drops them middle of the pack.

12. Baltimore: The Ravens are too late. Beating the Saints at home doesn't mean anything any more. Still a team with great potential.

13. Detroit: Where is the offense all year? I thought yards meant everything? I thought side-arms were in vogue? Defense still good, as New England can score 34 points on anyone.

14. Pittsburgh: Winning before a bye week is important in these rankings, as a loss would be coupled with other teams having the chance to jump above them. Up and down, hopefully it's down in Week 16.

15. San Diego: They are above Cleveland because Rivers was less lucky than Hoyer. 99 yard INT return cancels out Rams' INT at the 4 yard line at the end.

16. Cleveland: 3 INTs, none of them smart gets you a win in the NFL, but it puts you last of 7-4 teams in these rankings.

17. Miami: Almost beat Denver. As always, unhelpful to us unless we play them. Don't like our risk-adverse QB? Well, avoiding one bad pass would have beaten the Broncos.

18. Buffalo: Beating the division rival... ok, enough. Wish we had to delay our game. Playing it in say, Arizona, instead of Oakland... ok, move on.

19. Chicago: Beating who they should, beating SF, getting blown out by everyone else. Two game winning streak.

20. Houston: All in all, with no QB and then a new QB and coming from last place to now, net gain. Going .500 sounds about right for their defense and offense.

21. St. Louis: Beating Denver, SF, Denver, and getting within one minute of beating SD, there's no question they are tops of the 4 win teams.

22. Atlanta: Barely losing to a 3 INT team is a message about their offense. How do you not win that game? Good defense, bad O.

23. New Orleans: What else should I say? They've gone the way of the Giants last year. Brees can't do it all. I thought QBs carry teams? Or could it be, after all, that a team needs support? Nah, all QB.

24. Minnesota: Can't put them ahead of the Saints. Just can't. Would have jumped higher if they had just a bit more against Green Bay.

25. Carolina: After bye week, not better, not worse. Thanks for Avant.

26. NY Giants: Being close against SF despite five INTs. Being close against Dallas is a good morale move, but still, 3-8. Wouldn't 5-6 sound good right now?

27. Washington: Being close against SF doesn't seem to mean anything any more. Every team is going to lose close or win big, it seems. Need a QB next year.

28. NY Jets: Beating the Bills would have been nice for them and us, but who is being nice to the Chiefs this week? Ugh.

29. Tennessee: Not close, but they've given Mettenberger some time to develop in a lost year.

30. Tampa Bay: This team seems irrelevant to me. What would I have to say? On to Oakland.

31. Oakland: You see? We didn't lose to the worst team in the league. Only the second and fourth worst teams.

32. Jacksonville: Won less recently than Oakland. Being close means squat.

[PhataLerror 370]

Week 12

 

...

 

23. New Orleans: What else should I say? They've gone the way of the Giants last year. Brees can't do it all. I thought QBs carry teams? Or could it be, after all, that a team needs support? Nah, all QB.

Although I respect Brees as one of the top ten quarterbacks in the 2000's, I've never given acclaim to Brees as someone who could have set all-time passing yardage records without the help of a solid receiving corps and excellent coaching. With that said, the Saints have lost four of their 2014 games due to defensive collapses occurring within the waning moments of regulation time. They could easily be an 6-5 team, or perhaps even an 8-3 team. They continue to field a strong offense despite injury. It's hard to argue with your ranking of the Saints, but they are also the team that could propel up this list faster than any other team.

 

On a side note, it's great to be a good team in any "South" division. The second-place team has a losing record? There are a lot of good teams that will be sitting out of the playoffs this year in both conferences watching inferior teams trying to leverage a week eighteen home game into a Divisional Playoff appearance. During week 13, the Saints play in Pittsburgh, the Panthers will be hosted in Minnesota, and the Falcons will take on the Cardinals at the Georgia Dome. There is a very real possibility that with four weeks left to play in the season, no eventual NFC South representative will be able to muster better than a .500 record. By comparison, the 2010 Seahawks and 2010 Rams were 5-6 after week 12.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 13

 

1. Green Bay: Just defeated the NFL's top team while on a 4-game winning streak. Could win out.
2. New England: Losing this matchup is a big deal AFC seed wise - but dropping them below a team they beat handily would be an over-reaction when they've blown out most everyone else recently.
3. Denver: Despite their struggles, can anyone put them below third, even if one is not restricted to record? Even their bad punts or special team penalties pay off.
4. Philadelphia: Beating Dallas has to feel good - it was there first victory of note for a long time - made me have to not put them at the end of the tie-breakers.
5. Arizona: I guess losing Palmer was a big deal after all. Was hoping for some overconfidence heading into this week.
6. Cincinnati: When your QB throws three picks and you win despite the opponent being well within FG range before a stupid penalty - you know your defense is good or opponent is bad. In this case, both. Tie screwed my system, but winning keeps them up.
7. Indianapolis: This is how you beat Washington. It seems more teams let them hang around.
8. Dallas: Did enough early to get them 8-4. Beat Seattle head to head. Not sure if they could again, but I'll let them lose again before dropping them down.
9. Seattle: Yes, I put them this high to make us feel better, but the truth is, we would beat the Niners if Kaepernick played this way against us.
10. Detroit: Beating up on Chicago is so common it doesn't get you tie-breakers here. Being 8-4 puts you this high already.
11. San Diego: Not convinced this team will go to the playoffs, but they seem to have rebounded. Thanks for helping us out but please do it again by losing next week.
12. Kansas City: A bit of a makeup call for early over-criticism in the year. Beat Seattle, New England, San Diego on the road, Buffalo on the road, and Miami on the road. Should beat Arizona despite defense - though every team has said that and 9 of them lost.
13. Baltimore: Could have put them ahead of us, decided not to because I don't have to. I think breaking the ties with the next few teams was enough. Want real reasons? They lost to San Diego. If we lose Week 17, tie will go to Baltimore.
14. San Francisco: Yes, we lost to San Francisco head to head, but who have they beat? If we are tied with them at 9-5 in two weeks, they'll jump us because they will have beaten Seattle at Seattle.
15. Pittsburgh: Was tempted to put them above SF because they barely lost to NO but realized losing to NO isn't a good thing and garbage time TDs made it closer than it was (scored on TD last play of game).
16. Miami: They haven't played the Jets yet, but I'm giving them the win. Will fix this if they lose. They are so up and down and overhyped when they win a blowout that I am not going to put them higher even if they win by so much the impossible happens (in season firing of Rex Ryan).
17. Buffalo: Beating an opponent so convincingly never seemed so much of a "so what?" before. I can't tell if this is hate on Buffalo, who you can depend on being irrelevant come end of season or hate on Cleveland who never wins anything.
18. Cleveland: Second straight three interception game. High yards per attempt mean little when you are losing and throwing interceptions. 3 INTs win last week, tie breaker frowns on that.
19. Houston: J.J. Watt is great, but can I stop hearing MVP for a .500 team? Not when he is their MVP, I guess.
20. St. Louis: If beating SF, Seattle, and Denver wasn't enough to break the tie, winning 52-0 is. Should have won last week, too. Would have put them ahead of Houston.
21. New Orleans: Losing 7 times is punishment enough - no need to put others ahead, too. I lied about not using their reputation as a tie breaker again. Let's just say the Steelers are a good team and NO should have won 35-16.
22. Atlanta: Giving them the tie breaker over Minnesota because I feel loss to 3 INT Cleveland was too cruel to their defense.
23. Minnesota: Convincing win over Carolina gets you as much as Detroit's win over Chicago - a win, but no tie-breakers - except over Chicago.
24. Chicago: Cutler with weapons on off year, need I say more? Not sure if Cutler cares. He's here for three years unless traded. Maybe the Bears could trade him for Kaepernick and Kaepernick could be a two-sport athlete? CK was drafted by the Cubs after all and is from nearby Wisconsin.
25. Carolina: I think I can safely say the tie didn't affect where they are in the rankings. Washington is better with McCoy than RGIII, but bad still.
26. Washington: Applaud the guts it took to make the obvious decision - think about next year and don't allow RGIII to get some meaningless wins to make moving on harder PR-wise.
27. New York Giants: Losing an 18 point lead for a record third time doesn't fair well for Coughlin in his save his job campaign. To be fair, some coaches don't have enough success to coach long enough to do so. Without those titles, losing 8 in a row would be an in-season Fire. Expect it in off-season plus what to do with Manning?
28. Jacksonville: Jacksonville just couldn't help again being one win too good for the first pick overall. One day this is going to bite them in the ass.
29. New York Jets: Giving them a loss before it happens - but if they win, it moves them to 26th. Not enough reason to wait in my opinion.
30. Tampa Bay: Almost beating Cincinnati is a distinction held by most teams who have lost to them in the last three years - it's just something the Bengalis do - win in spite of their QB and due to their opponent/defense/luck. Just kick the field goal and have 11 on the field.
31. Tennessee: Beat the Chiefs, lost to everyone else but one, convincingly most often.
32. Oakland: Beat the Chiefs one week, get blown out 52-0 the next. Sounds like us beating Seattle and losing close to Oakland. Analogy checks out, right?

[KCSLC2008 606]

I was upset with the loss so much that these rankings were a good distraction and tool to convince myself that the Chiefs were a top 1/2 to 1/3 team. FYI, under this experimental ranking, the highest the Chiefs could go was 12th and the lowest was 18th. I could have put Baltimore ahead and San Francisco ahead due to head-to-head, but I chose 12th overall. Screw it, it's my rankings and I feel we are better than last night (though not as good as we were against New England or Seattle).

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 14

 

1. Green Bay: They can beat everybody by just 6 points and they'll stay here. Good enough defense plus consistently great offense and you get this distinction. They've earned the benefit of the doubt.

2. New England: Matchups against Green Bay and Denver conveniently rank where these teams are in relation to each other. How often does it happen that the top three teams play each other?

3. Denver: Okay, Denver doesn't play Green Bay, but if they are so good, they can match up in the Super Bowl to settle it. Denver is the only team who lost to the Rams. Miami is better than the Rams, so that doesn't go against New England.

4. Arizona: Their defense is good. Their coach even better. This is probably where I would put them in a real rankings.

5. Seattle: They are peaking at the right time. They are playing to their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses. They picked a good time to struggle early in the season. Their loss to Kansas City was not a struggle, it was just two teams to match up well and one winning.

6. Dallas: They would normally lose the tiebreaker to Philadelphia due to the head-to-head, but I think the Cowboys are better than on Thanksgiving. Beating Chicago doesn't get you much, but they've built enough good victories to remain above the rest.

7. Indianapolis: It seems that they haven't been tested for a while, but they keep winning. That's all that matters. Cleveland was, emphasis on was, overachieving, but that doesn't mean that they're a good team. Barely beating them loses point in this rankings, not that they would care.

8. Detroit: They started to pick up their offense on Thanksgiving and continued against Tampa Bay. But it seems like everyone does that against Tampa Bay. It just depends on whether the Buccaneers will score some, too. They didn't. I can't jump them above the Colts because I think the Cleveland was a bigger test for Indianapolis than Tampa Bay was for Detroit.

9. Philadelphia: They seem to lose to all the good teams. But I haven't watched all the games. Losing to Seattle drops them, but only as far as not having another win.

10. Cincinnati: For the sake of this rankings, I am kind of happy they lost. They won in spite of their quarterback's 3 picks last week. Their QB plays well and they lose in blowout fashion in the fourth. Figures, huh?

11. Pittsburgh: The Steelers are a team I didn't want to see in the playoffs. So this week, I was a Cincinnati Bengals fan. But after all, it will not matter if the Chiefs aren't making it.

12. San Diego: I'm not going to drop them below the team they just beat when they lost to New England. Normally, I would have dropped them further because of the division rivalry, but I just think that it doesn't make much sense to do so.

13. Baltimore: Tie-breaker between the Steelers/Ravens was who they beat and how. I think Pittsburgh's blowout over Cincinnati, however late, was a bigger deal than beating Miami.

14. Kansas City: Have a lot of solid wins over good teams, two bad losses, and lost to division leaders. Arizona is good, KC has holes. Still place them above the rest. Benefit of the doubt is gone if they struggle or lose against spoiling Oakland.

15. Miami: Middle of the pack seems right for the Dolphins. I feel like the hype machine was building again, only to be brought down again by the Ravens at home. You know how close they were to losing to the Jets?

16. Houston: SF is better perhaps, but I have to reward the Texans for winning. This game was perfectly situated. I could have seen Houston having a bad game after Fitzpatrick's six touchdown game. But facing Jacksonville is good for all but the Giants. Miami is still ahead because Baltimore is a good team. Plus, they will both probably lose next week. I can reevaluate then.

17. San Francisco: Facing Oakland is supposed to be a cure all. But it seems like it only is for 11 teams. I thought they were going to sneak in, looks unlikely.

18. Cleveland: How nice it was for their coach to give Hoyer the loss instead of Manziel. I think that if they were playing a worse team than the Colts, Johnny would've started. And they almost won.

19. Buffalo: I don't know how they were in the top half of the league for so long. But order of wins matter in this ranking system.

20. St. Louis: 77-0 in last two games. The Rams seem to beat who they should and come close to who they shouldn't or win. Pretty good season for them considering their quarterback issues. Only Seattle has not had a quarterback issue in the NFC West.

21. Minnesota: I wonder how different this year would be if they had Adrian Petersen. They may still be starting Matt Cassel. They wouldn't win the division, but with the way Chicago is playing they might've been third.

22. Atlanta: Losing to Green Bay isn't that bad. Losing by only 6 is a victory in my mind. Having their record and losing to Cleveland is what's bad, however. It seems like every week someone talks about how they can seize their bad division, but they don't.

23. Chicago: I was hoping that they would make some feel that Dallas was going to finish 8-8 again, but they gave Dallas their ninth win. This year is clearly a lost year for the Bears.

24. New Orleans: You know bad your year is going when you can't win your division at 5-8 and you're behind Chicago. At least the Bears made a game of it.

25. Carolina: Sad to say, the division is within reach. I wonder how Cam Newton's contract negotiations are going to be.

26. New York Giants: Facing Tennessee seems to be a cure-all for all except us and the Giants. I included the Giants in there because no one was cured by this win.

27. Washington: I guess that if you're going to have a bad year, it should be a year where Philadelphia and Dallas are playing well. Because then, wouldn't you have assumed you weren't winning the division anyway? The NFC is too good to make it as a wildcard.

28. Oakland: How are they supposed to get the first overall pick if they are going to beat teams? KC no longer lost to the two worst teams. Bad news is that they are improving in our division.

29. Jacksonville: This year has been a good year to get Bortles some experience. I wonder if their fans are happy about not being the worst team and having the first pick. They keep doing this.

30. New York Jets: This is one of those games they should've won, but I feel they gave their all against Miami on Monday Night Football and that was it. If they can't beat Minnesota, even in overtime, they should be this low.

31. Tampa Bay: They seem to play a lot of teams close or at least I assume they're going to lose by a lot and they don't. But that might just be because they had the biggest loss this season.

32. Tennessee: They are the third or fourth team to take this spot. I don't know what else to say about them, but for their sake, I hope they saw what they needed to see from Mettenberger.

[KCSLC2008 606]

The other 7-6 teams are so bad, that I still had justification to put us top of the 7-6 list of teams. I could also see us being on the bottom of the list, too. We would've been 12 had we won, so maybe I should've put them lower to have a bigger difference in winning and losing.

 

However, we beat Miami and San Francisco lost to Oakland, too; they barely beat the Redskins and the Giants and lost to the Rams, Who we beat. Lost to Arizona, too, by more points. They didn't beat Seattle. They beat us, but that's not saying much. We beat Buffalo so we get the tiebreaker. Yes, the Bills are on their own losing streak. I don't think you can say that Cleveland is better than we are.

 

Houston is hotter, right now, so I could've put them above us. But dammit, I'm feeling bad, and I'm a homer. If we lose to Oakland and Houston loses next week, I will put Houston above us despite a tie.

[KCSLC2008 606]

I wish I loved football more. I just love the Chiefs. The season would've been pretty entertaining if I were just a football fan. Also, it would be fun to be a Green Bay Packers fan or a New England Patriots fan. Denver would be a little bit of a challenge for me because they're tops but they're not on their game.

[KCSLC2008 606]

St. Louis should be higher and Cincinnati has been too high all season. Ties and bye weeks and order of wins are factors in the system. I'll try to fix it next year. Ultimately though, it'll end up around the consensus give or take a few.

 

I am weighing each week stronger than the last on Excel. We are 15th on the season. (Highest was 5th after the Seattle win and lowest was 26th after the Tennessee loss.) It's lame, but it makes the Chiefs games smaller on what I think about.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 15

1. New England - Blowing out everyone, including division rivals and Denver. Big second half victory over Miami.
2. Denver - Manning showing his age only further justifies being second to New England - but old Manning is second in the league.
3. Arizona - Offensive issues and QB injuries clearly set them behind New England and Denver, but the coaching keeps them above the 4 loss teams.
4. Seattle: Officiating benefits aside, Seahawks are hitting their stride, never seemed out of the Niners game desire being down 7-3 at halftime.
5. Green Bay: Couldn't drop them further than this, but losing to Buffalo is bad when you are trying to claim the top seed. They are better than Indianapolis in my opinion, despite Indy's 4 game winning streak and this loss.

6. Indianapolis: A win is a win is a win. 4 in a row. Luck is a turnover machine. Luckily for him, it doesn't ever matter.
7. Dallas: Would have ranked them higher than Green Bay if they hadn't surrendered their early lead over Philadelphia.
8. Detroit - If the Lions were better than 8th ranked, they wouldn't need a 14 point comeback to beat the Vikings. Should be happy that a delay of game due to headset issues turned a 63 yarder into 68.
9. Cincinnati: A win over Johnny, thank you, Brian Hoyer. Again, the Bengals win a game with more INTs than TDs from their quarterback.
10. Pittsburgh: Tie breaker between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is that Atlanta > Jacksonville and 7 from a pick 6 is > blocked punt return.
11. Baltimore: Hotter than Philadelphia with a better playoff track record.
12. Philadelphia: Does every quarterback who plays under Chip Kelly look like the next thing for a game or two? How much of it is the team and how much of it is the tempo?
13. Kansas City: It was nice to see some deeper passes in this offense. I probably would have dropped them to 19th if they lost again to Oakland.
14. Buffalo: Beating Green Bay with that defense puts in perspective how good the Chiefs win was earlier this year.
15. San Diego: Tough schedule lately, but why feel bad for them when an early easy stretch made people rank them NFL best?
16. Houston: Stringing wins together before losing your second starting QB and still having a shot - testament to your defense.
17. San Francisco: .500 is only underachieving if you are a good team. Second time around against Seattle couldn't be any worse than first. Bogus penalty.
18. Miami: Tough schedule recently. Allowing 28 points to New England would be a good thing if it weren't in just two quarters and you manage just 13 points.
19. Cleveland: Johnny Football wasn't helped by his receivers dropping the ball but Manziel didn't help his oline by leaving the pocket nearly every play (according to a source from the radio).
20. St. Louis: They have made so much lemonade from lemons that they deserve the benefit of the doubt despite being able to only score two field goals in the TNF game. Arizona's defense and coach are pretty good.
21. New Orleans: Chicago is the reverse of a trap game. You know who they have and yet, the ease in which to beat them is underestimated. Who needs defense when you're playing Chicago, that will just give you the ball.
22. Minnesota: The Vikings might have a win if their headsets could work. Bridgewater didn't know the play on the second to last play. He had to take a delay of game penalty and after a short play and a 68 yard FG attempt.
23. Carolina: No doubt that they are going to use this finish as optimism for the new year. Let's see if they can stave off elimination for one more week
24. Atlanta: The Falcons always let me down when I need them to win or lose. It's a law somewhere, I suppose. Matt Ryan is really good at getting garbage time yards and touchdowns.
25. NY Giants: Beating a rival is always a great feeling. I wonder what they're going to do this year with their coaching search and Manning's contract status. Since Manning has won twice I'm sure they will believe it's just a coaching issue, ignoring that their coach won two, as well.
26. Chicago: They have won too many games for me to drop them lower. I'm sure they are happy that they extended Cutler for so much guaranteed. Why does everyone always have to apologize to Cutler?
27. NY Jets: The Jets are screwing themselves from better draft picks. I guess that is Rex's revenge. Geno referred to his "pro-bowl" flashes. Assuming that every quarterback has touchdowns, wouldn't any of those touchdowns be pro bowl flashes?
28. Washington: The good news for RGIII is that he can say that he was only one decision from winning. He can also say that no one else is a solution.
29. Jacksonville: I thought they did a pretty good job competing with Baltimore.
30. Oakland: By beating Kansas City and San Francisco, oddly enough, those losses may prevent them from saying they've beat two playoff teams.
31. Tampa Bay: Do I really need to say anything? They lose to bad teams, too.
32. Tennessee: Is it any coincidence that the year they lose so many games is when the draft's top prospect is at the position they need the most with the coach that rightfully or wrongfully is known for his quarterback expertise.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Week 16

1. New England - If they hadn't beaten Denver, I'd have been tempted to move the Broncos ahead, but the Jets play with passion against Belichick. A win is a win.
2. Seattle: Offensively dominating a team with a great defense is a great way to jump up the standings. It also helps when your defense is dominating and you're playing a team without a quarterback.
3. Dallas: Got some help with drops and a fake punt dropped, but otherwise dominated by playing well on both runs and passes.
4. Denver: Well, this is what I get for jumping the gun. The Bengals beat the Broncos and it makes it clear that Denver has slipped this year. Still a top team, of course. Worst game for Peyton in a long time. Giving them the tie-breaker and benefit of the doubt over Green Bay because the Packers lost to Buffalo recently, too.
5. Green Bay: Slow start, but obviously no question on who would win, not after a bad loss to Buffalo.
6. Arizona: Team finds a way to fight any team in any style. Great coaching without a quarterback. Still, too many injuries at key positions to beat Seattle. Was tied or leading for first 19 minutes before no QB caught up with them.
7. Detroit: Not a good showing by the offense, and while they got fewer turnovers from Clausen than Cutler, they held Jimmy to fewer yards. Winning keeps them this high, 4 games in a row is good. Giving Arizona a nod here, as Detroit could easily be above them. Coaching is the factor.
8. Cincinnati: A win over the Broncos negates some of the clunkers they've had this year. Defense is pretty good, as they can actually catch an INT instead of knocking it down like KC's does.

9. Indianapolis: With all the drops I saw today, I figured out how Andrew Luck gets all his luck in the postseason - he uses all his bad luck when it doesn't matter.
10. Pittsburgh: They deserve it, great fire and good game plan. Open players whenever they needed a 3rd down conversion. Refs helped them win a game they were bound to win by merit regardless.
11. San Diego: Sure, SF helped, but have to give credit for huge comeback by the Chargers. Weddle made up for missed tackle on Kaepernick with forced fumble to win game.
12. Philadelphia: Was tempted to call them the Philadelphia Chiefs, but that's not fair. To Philadelphia. They got Sanchized and RGIII got a good rivalry win.
13. Baltimore: Terrible offense before garbage time - 87 passing yards on 35+ passes until the mop-up. Bad timing to have bad game, against backup QB. Can't do this in must win. Hope they do it again.
14. Houston: If they had a good QB from the start, they'd be challenging Indianapolis right now. All things considered, their great defense held Flacco to 87 yards on 35+ passes before garbage time.
15. Kansas City: KC beat Miami. That's all I got for tie-breakers. Oakland and Tennessee games suck and Seattle and New England game deserve credit, but Chiefs are who they are, right in the middle.
16. Miami: Yes, they came back to beat the Vikings, but they shouldn't have to do that in a do or die game. Up and down team who won on a blocked punt.
17. Buffalo: Oakland challenged them after they handled Green Bay. Defense gives them a shot but they need help.

18. Cleveland: If you can't beat Carolina, it's best to get out of the running - secure a better draft pick. Johnny's injury was irrelevant, as the most likely result of his positive play would be negated by rookie mistakes.

19. San Francisco: SF has a choice, do they try to spoil it for Arizona (seed) or develop their backups, save future from stupid injuries in meaningless game, and better you draft pick.
20. Carolina: They have a chance to make the playoffs at 7-8-1. Peaking at the right time before their first round exit.
21. St. Louis: Solid wins plus losses to nobodies - gets the fans some moments while securing a good draft pick. They'd have a better record than SF if their QBs weren't always injured.
22. Minnesota: Promising team in a difficult division. They should be spear-heading the push for playoffs expansion. I mean, do you seem them, with improvement, challenging Detroit or Green Bay? They need more WC teams.
23. Atlanta: Big win, but beating New Orleans doesn't mean anything any more. They'll get their watered down praise if they win next week to get the final WC spot.
24. NY Giants: This should set up a chance to muddy the waters on their decisions of who to keep and who to fire. Is 7-9 enough to give Coughlin another year?
25. New Orleans: If these rankings weren't record based, I'd put them lower, but they've won more than Chicago has.
26. Chicago: Change the QB and you could win, but not against Detroit's defense and with Clausen, who played alright. Disappointing year to say the least.
27. Washington: Playing spoiler sounds like fun, can the Chiefs spoil it for the Chargers? RGIII isn't safe if Gruden is still there, but had a good game not reflected in stats.
28. Oakland: Spoiled it for Buffalo, but this team is where it should be. Should be around .500 team next year.

29. NY Jets: Competitive to the end, that should be a good parting gift to Rex Ryan, shows they care. Their defense is pretty good, set up for some QB to take over their offense.
30. Jacksonville: Beating Tennessee is not smart for draft picks, but Jacksonville needs to have some wins I suppose.
31. Tampa Bay: Started the game alright, but in the end, they are the Buccaneers. Helped thier draft status, too.
32. Tennessee: This is how you secure the top overall seed, just hope that Tampa Bay wins another game, though they might not need it.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Had to change the rankings because Denver lost to the Bengals and I didn't realize that Buffalo lost.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Last of the regular season. Playoff teams can rise.

 

1. New England: Even after they lost, they still had the NFL's best record. No doubt they would have won if they were trying.

2. Seattle: Just like the season, they started slow and took off late when the defense came to the rescue. Locked in some key pieces contractually, too.

3. Dallas: The Cowboys didn't even make it interesting: a sign that that their better days are here. I expected a win, but making it look hard, too.

4. Denver: Secured their win early. Will have two weeks to rest the aging Manning. Safely the second best AFC team.

5. Green Bay: Losing to Buffalo cost them the chance to rest Rodgers an extra week. Rodgers came back to fix things, but calf is an issue.

6. Detroit: Needed an injury to be competitive in the game. Still, their defense is too good to state that they couldn't have made it a game otherwise.

7. Arizona: Backup or not, Arizona will fight. Lindley filled in well sans a few bad plays. Great effort to win to try and secure a bye. Beat a team trying to win for its coach.

8. Pittsburgh: Thought their botched fake punt was going to give Cincinnati yet another lucky win (past three seasons they have their share), but it also wasn't surprising they didn't.

9. Indianapolis: Vanilla win against a team fighting for their best draft pick. Can't punish the Colts for being practical and still winning.

10. Cincinnati: Despite their win over Denver, I've had a hard time taking them seriously, but maybe this year they can advance, because Luck > luck.

11. Baltimore: Waited a little long to secure their playoff spot, but I believe they belong. This wildcard game will be interesting.

12. Philadelphia: all in all, a good year, but our playoff year. It seemed like they were a bit off despite winning.

13. Houston: Watt is the DPOY, but won't get MVP until his team makes the playoffs. Get a quarterback and they'll get there. Wish they were in the NFC.

14. Kansas City: I am not really sure if they are the 14th best team, but the wins over New England and Seattle and those below them dictate this. Kansas City swept San Diego and beat Buffalo on the road. 9-7 and 8-8 seem worlds apart.

15. Buffalo: The Bills can now claim a winning season, even though they don't have a quarterback (retired). It was nice for New England to give them the wind. I'm sure they were getting tired of 8-8 and below.

16. San Diego: Normally, I would've put them higher, at least higher than Buffalo, but losing the way they did in a must win game and getting swept by us, doesn't allow it. Just like us losing to the Steelers, that game meant something.

17. San Francisco: Not sure where they are going to be next year, depends on who their coach is. They definitely wanted to win this game for him. Facing a third string quarterback at home helped.

18. Miami: I never bought into the hype for the Dolphins this year, but just when I thought they were good enough to beat the teams they should, they lost. The Jets are another team winning for pride.

19. Carolina: I still don't think Caroline is a good team, but this is the way you play in a must win game on the road against a team who could make the playoffs if they won. They came out firing. It helps when you're playing the Atlanta Falcons.

20. Cleveland: their defense will keep them afloat next year. I'm sure they would've loved having a non-losing season. Whenever you are starting your third string quarterback, especially after signing your back up off the street, it's not a good sign.

21. Atlanta: Normally, I would've put them below New Orleans for performing so poorly in a must win game, but when the Saints beat a team who is tanking, I cannot put them higher. That doesn't make the Saints better.

22. New Orleans: Do the Saints thank Tampa Bay for the win or get upset about the draft spot? That, to me, was a straight out tanking, no matter what they say. I am sure they will trade back and still somehow steal our receiver from us.

23. St. Louis: pretty good years through and through considering the circumstances. Jeff Fisher's job is safe. If they get a quarterback, they could be the second best team in the division. Same could be said for Arizona (keeping their spot).

24. NY Giants: It was reported that Coughlin has kept his job. I feel that they always do better in the second half, even when that second-half isn't good enough.

25. Minnesota: They ended up being the third-best in the division after all. I didn't think that was possible without AP. But with Chicago, anything is possible.

26. Chicago: So now that they've fired the coach and GM, they have to find a coach that will not bench Cutler and a GM will not draft a quarterback because everyone is scared of Jay. Do you feel Cutler would mentor anyone?

27. NY Jets: How patient will the Jet fans be with another GM and coach? Ended the season better than they started.

28. Washington: Wasn't close - they are smarter than Tampa Bay. They didn't make things close and then tank. They started from the get-go.

29. Oakland: Denver took their frustrations out on the Raiders, a natural punching bag when Oakland is better off losing.

30. Jacksonville: They seem to do this all year. Raise everyone else's hopes (when you need a rival to lose to the Jaguars) only to lose at the end. However, instead of it being season long, it's just game long.

31. Tampa Bay: They don't fool me. Despite their number one overall draft pick indicating that they were the worst team, their tanking shows that they were actually a better team than Tennessee. Tennessee is bad through and through, except for when they play us.

32. Tennessee: I think they were hoping it would hold on New Orleans, so they could go draft a quarterback. I would not be surprised if they tried to trade up. Not sure if Tampa Bay is willing. How close is Winston's college from Tampa Bay?

[eraser 722]

I cannot really argue with that. Oakland may have been better than Washington at the end of the season. Tennessee was the worst, but TB was very close. I think you nailed it. 

[KCSLC2008 606]

I cannot really argue with that. Oakland may have been better than Washington at the end of the season. Tennessee was the worst, but TB was very close. I think you nailed it.

My "system" experimental ranking was based upon record. I slotted each among their win categories. So a 3-13 has to be below a 4-12 team. That's why I put "rankings" in quotes. I felt true rankings are done by everyone and I'd just be regurgitating/imitating them.

 

Thanks for reading them, I never know if people do or not.

 

What should I do about ties and bye weeks? I can't give tying team losses or wins, but giving them 0.5 W, 0.5 L slots them in a spot I can't move them.

 

A bye week doesn't allow a team to keep up with the rest, so an early bye can be bad. But a 7-3 team is arguably better than a 6-3 team.

 

I could forget the records and do a standard rankings, but again, that's just everyone else's list.

[KCSLC2008 606]

When I get home, I will post the final regular-season standings. I weighed the most recent week the most, last week the second most the previous week the third most, etc. I felt opening weekend was the most irrelevant of the weeks and so it has the least weight. As a spoiler, we ended up 14th, I believe.

 

I need to figure out a way to make Carolina tge best team in the league if they win the Super Bowl. That's pretty tough to justify using the data I put in. Do I so heavily weigh every successive week to the point where the last week, the Super Bowl, is basically everything? I don't think I have to worry about this because they'll lose before then, in my opinion.

[KCSLC2008 606]

Here are the weighted rankings, where each successive week's rankings are weighted more than the last. In parenthesis are the highest and lowest they had been all year. Note, if one team seems to have been ranked way too high at their best, it was probably Week 1 when they were 1-0 and beat, say, New England (Miami). Seattle is so low because they started late and had an early bye (fault in the system) and couldn't catch up. Cincinnati was too high due to their tie and late bye (again, system flaw). I wanted the system to be different than the traditional rankings, but would like to fix byes and ties.

 

Playoffs will allow teams to rise, so if Carolina wins, they'll move up. I will give the postseason bye week teams a win for the first round.

 

• New England (1, 18)
• Denver (1, 10)
• Arizona (1, 7)
• Dallas (1, 22)
• Green Bay (1, 20)
• Philadelphia (2, 12)
• Seattle (1, 16)
• Detroit (4, 22)
• Cincinnati (2,12)
• Indianapolis (5, 26)
• Pittsburgh (7, 21)
• Baltimore (7, 23)
• San Diego (1, 21)
• Kansas City (5, 28)
• San Francisco (7, 19)
• Buffalo (6,23)
• Miami (3, 22)
• Houston (7, 21)
• Cleveland (11, 27)
• Carolina (5, 25)
• St. Louis (20, 31)
• New Orleans (18, 27)
• Atlanta (4, 28)
• Chicago (7, 27)
• Minnesota (13, 29)
• New York Giants (12, 30)
• Washington (23, 32)
• New York Jets (16, 31)
• Tennessee (6, 32)
• Tampa Bay (25, 32)
• Jacksonville (28, 32)
• Oakland (28, 32)

[kjon3 17]

I have enjoyed these. Look forward to reading them. Keep up the good work.