Tuesday, December 23, 2014

NFL - Week 16

So I missed a few weeks, but here I am to check in with the current power ranks on the NFL.

The interesting thing I find when I compare my list to other ranking systems is that my methodology takes into account the entire body of work for the season.  Where many opinion based rankings rank the teams based on which team is playing the best football currently, my system takes into account all games played regardless of any other factors or changes to the team.

My ranks give you a rank based on a formula that takes into account many statistics and opponents over the course of the year.  Is it better?  Not at all.  You have to know what the data is trying to tell you to know if it's useful to you.  Some guys ranks is completely dependent on that guys personal knowledge of each team in the league.  He's making a rank based on whatever amount of tape he's seen or not.  And raw box score data (hopefully).  And whatever other bias about a team or player may interfere.  We all have them.

But with a model to develop ranks I place my biases into what statistics I believe are important for a teams success and let the numbers fall where they may.

So where are they falling today?

New England has cemented its place at the top for several weeks now.  However, just like last year, Seattle has moved up the charts and is a whisper behind in the model.  Really we forget how mediocre the Seahawks were early last year.  It's starting to look like a trend.  However this is a better trend than starting hot and ending lukewarm.

Of course my Browns continue to slide in their spiral of self-loathing destruction into another offseason of quarterback talk.  The reality being that neither fellow is a viable contender as an elite slinger.  Hell Manziel doesn't even look like a viable contender of being this generations Doug Flutie.

And while I like Hoyer's presence and general intangibles, he hasn't the physical gifts to back them up.  Perhaps his best comparison is a fellow we knew in this town, Don Strok (no relation and also the only Browns QB to never lose a start).

So here we are back to the old debate.  I find it hard to imagine that the team will go out and make a deal to get a hold of a top QB prospect this year.  The safe move is to give the kid another eight games minimum to really prove that he has no ability to play in this league.  But the smart move is to go out and get a player you think is better.  It's never a bad idea to upgrade at that position.  All I need to say is Terry Hanratty. 

One more week of fun and it's all mercifully over.  The recovering will never end...





OFFENSE RANK DEFENSE RANK
RECORD SS
1 NEW ENGLAND   2 6
12-3-0 12
2 SEATTLE   4 1   11-4-0 9
3 GREEN BAY   3 7
11-4-0 25
4 DENVER   1 15   11-4-0 3
5 ARIZONA   19 4
11-4-0 7
6 DETROIT   17 2   11-4-0 26
7 BALTIMORE   8 11
9-6-0 28
8 KANSAS CITY   11 13   8-7-0 11
9 DALLAS   5 19
11-4-0 31
10 PITTSBURGH   6 21   10-5-0 30
11 MIAMI   10 14
8-7-0 4
12 CINCINNATI   16 9   10-4-1 19
13 HOUSTON   20 5
8-7-0 32
14 INDIANAPOLIS   7 12   10-5-0 15
15 SAN DIEGO   12 16
9-6-0 6
16 BUFFALO   22 3   8-7-0 9
17 SAN FRANCISCO   24 8
7-8-0 13
18 MINNESOTA   23 17   6-9-0 16
19 PHILADELPHIA   14 22
9-6-0 19
20 ATLANTA   13 25   6-9-0 22
21 NY GIANTS   15 20
6-9-0 18
22 CLEVELAND   25 18   7-8-0 29
23 CAROLINA   21 23
6-8-1 16
24 NEW ORLEANS   9 29   5-10-0 13
25 ST LOUIS   27 10
6-9-0 7
26 CHICAGO   18 28   6-9-0 5
27 WASHINGTON   26 30
4-11-0 27
28 TAMPA BAY   31 26   2-13-0 24
29 JACKSONVILLE   32 24
3-12-0 21
30 NY JETS   29 27   3-12-0 2
31 TENNESSEE   30 31
2-13-0 23
32 OAKLAND   28 32   3-12-0 1

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