I’m working on the All-256 deal. Forecast every game, and try to figure what the win-loss records and division standings might look like at the end of the year. I try to do this every few weeks, but it’s been about a month since I’ve tried.
I start by putting the teams in approximate 1-32 order just by how they look. I’ve posted a few of these kind of things. A few guys have complained that I’ve ranked the Atlanta Falcons too high, so I’m cross-checking against some of the other Power Rankings that around the web. Sure enough, nobody else has the Falcons in their top 20.
On that topic, here’s the top 32 when you average the polls of five major outlets (ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC, CBS and Sports Illustrated). For NBC, those are Mike Florio and his group at Pro Football Talk. For CBS, that’s Pat Kirwan. But regardless, five voices, then you average what they have to say.
COMPOSITE POWER RANKINGS (Week 6) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rk | Team | ESPN | FOX | NBC | CBS | SI |
1. | Seattle | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2. | Denver | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
3. | San Diego | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
4. | Philadelphia | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
5. | Indianapolis | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
6. | Cincinnati | 5 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
7. | Dallas | 6 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 7 |
8. | San Francisco | 7 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 8 |
9. | Green Bay | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
10. | Arizona | 10 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
11. | Baltimore | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 |
12. | New England | 11 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 12 |
13. | Carolina | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
14. | NY Giants | 13 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 14 |
15. | Detroit | 14 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
16. | Buffalo | 18 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 15 |
17. | Houston | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 18 |
18. | Kansas City | 19 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 17 |
19. | Cleveland | 23 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 |
20. | Pittsburgh | 16 | 23 | 15 | 20 | 21 |
21. | New Orleans | 20 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 20 |
22. | Chicago | 22 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 22 |
23. | Miami | 24 | 17 | 24 | 23 | 23 |
24. | Atlanta | 21 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
25. | Minnesota | 25 | 21 | 26 | 25 | 25 |
26. | Tampa Bay | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
27. | Washington | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
28. | St. Louis | 28 | 26 | 27 | 31 | 28 |
29. | Tennessee | 29 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 |
30. | NY Jets | 30 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 30 |
31. | Jacksonville | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 |
32. | Oakland | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
Note that if you just average what’s being said, San Diego is actually No. 2. I put the Broncos higher because three of the five guys rank them higher. And I did that same deal with a half dozen other spots in the poll.
—Ian Allan