Week 10 Power Rankings

I was too busy to do a full Power Rankings this week, so I just did a Quick RSI this week. A QRSI takes last week's RSI number and adjusts it to this week's results. It isn't a full RSI because it doesn't change the value of past wins.

Once again, if two teams are within 1 RSI point of each other, don't get all wound up, it isn't statistically significant.

Here are the Week 10 Power Rankings:

The Big Boys

1. New Orleans Saints (9-0) - Same - 13.778 - W @ STL
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) - Same - 13.556 - W vs. NE
3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) - Same - 13.222 - W @ @ PIT
4. Minnesota Vikings (8-1) - Up 1 - 9.222 - W vs. DET
5. San Diego Chargers (6-3) - Up 5 - 6.444 - W vs. PHI
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L vs. CIN
7. New England Patriots (6-3) - Down 1 - 6.333 - L @ IND

The Sidekicks

8. Denver Broncos (6-3) - Down 4 - 5.889 - L @ WAS
9. Dallas Cowboys (6-3) - Down 3 - 5.222 - L W GB
10. Baltimore Ravens (5-4) - Up 1 - 4.444 - W @ CLE
11. Arizona Cardinals (6-3) - Up 1 - 4.333 - W vs. SEA
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-4) - Down 3 - 3.000 - L @ CAR

The Average Joes

13. Miami Dolphins (4-5) - Up 2 - 0.889 - W vs. TB
14. Green Bay Packers (5-4) - Up 5 - 0.778 - W vs. DAL
15. Houston Texans (5-4) - Same - 0.667 - Bye
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.444 - Bye
17. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) - Down 4 - 0.000 - L @ SD

The Nobody's

18. Carolina Panthers (4-5) - Up 3 - -0.111 - W vs. ATL
19. San Francisco 49ers (4-5) - Up 1 - 1.000 - W vs. CHI
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) - Up 2 - -1.444 - W @ NYJ
21. New York Jets (4-5) - Down 4 - -1.556 - L vs. JAX
22. Chicago Bears (4-5) - Down 4 - -2.222 - L @ SF

The Forgettables

23. Tennessee Titans (3-6) - Up 2 - -4.222 - W vs. BUF
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-6) - Same - -6.444 - L @ ARI
25. Cleveland Browns (1-8) - Up 1 - -6.778 - L vs. BAL
26. Buffalo Bills (3-6) - Down 3 - -7.111 - L @ TEN

The Losers

27. Washington Redskins (3-6) - Up 4 - -8.333 - W vs. DEN
28. Oakland Raiders (2-7) - Down 1 - -9.444 - L vs. KC
29. Detroit Lions (1-8) - Down 1 - -10.333 - L @ MIN
30. Kansas City Chiefs (2-7) - Same - -10.778 - W @ OAK
31. St. Louis Rams (1-8) - Up 1 - -11.889 - L vs. NO
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) - Down 3 - -12.556 - L @ MIA

Week 9 Power Rankings: With RSI

This week, I did something very different for my rankings. Up until now, I had simply slotted teams up and down the board due to last week's results. Now 8 weeks into the season, I felt like I could start crunching numbers and weighing wins statistically across the season.

I developed a very simple formula to determine a number called RSI (Record Strength Indicator).

The RSI is based on wins and losses as weighed by my most recent power rankings.

A win is weighed as following: w=33-last ranking. So, the number ranges from 1 through 32. For example, Seattle's win against last week's #29 team (Detroit) would yield a score of 4. (33-29=4).

A loss is weighed very similarly: l=last ranking. So, for example, Green Bay's loss to last week's #32 team (Tampa Bay) would yield a score of 32.

I added all w's and subtracted all l's, then divided that number by the number of games played to finally acquire my RSI value.

This surprisingly held relatively true with the rankings I had previously posted before I crunched the numbers. The only team it appears I was really wrong about was San Diego, who ranked 10 slots higher than I had them last week.

I do realize that to get even better results, I should do the test again with the new rankings posted below, but despite what it may look like, I do have a life. Also, when teams are +/- 1 RSI point of each other, it isn't a significant difference. So don't get all riled up because a team like Dallas ranks higher than Pittsburgh and New England. Their RSI are too similar to draw a true conclusion. For clarity's sake, I bunched these types of teams together.

So let's see how this list turns out.

1. New Orleans Saints - (8-0) - Same - 15.375

2. Indianapolis Colts - (8-0) - Same - 12.125
3. Cincinnati Bengals - (6-2) - Up 3 - 11.625

4. Denver Broncos - (6-2) - Same - 10.500
5. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Down 2 - 9.750

6. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) - Up 4 - 7.625
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - Same - 7.500
8. New England Patriots (6-2) - Down 3 - 7.375

9. Atlanta Falcons (5-3) - Up 2 - 6.000

10. San Diego Chargers (5-3) - Up 10 - 4.750
11. Baltimore Ravens (4-4) - Down 3 - 4.125
12. Arizona Cardinals (5-3) - Same - 3.750

13. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) - Down 4 - 1.250
14. Houston Texans (5-4) - Up 1 - 0.667
15. Miami Dolphins (3-5) - Up 1 - 0.500
16. New York Giants (5-4) - Down 3 - 0.444
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - 0.125
18. Chicago Bears (4-4) - Same - 0.000

19. Green Bay Packers (4-4) - Down 5 - -2.500
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-5) - Same - -3.000
21. Carolina Panthers (3-5) - Same - -3.125
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) - Up 2 - -3.625

23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - -4.875
24. Seattle Seahawks (3-5) - Down 2 - -5.750
25. Tennessee Titans (2-6) - Up 3 - -6.000
26. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Up 5 -6.250
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Same - 6.875

28. Detroit Lions (1-7) - Up 1 - -11.000

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) - Up 3 - -12.250
30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) - Down 5 - -12.875
31. Washington Redskins (2-6) - Down 5 - -13.000
32. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Down 2 - -13.250

Week 8 Power Rankings

The top got rattled a little this week. New Orleans got a serious challenge from Atlanta. San Francisco kept Indy's high-power offense in check, Minnesota had to survive a tough second-half push from Green Bay and Denver's undefeated record is now a thing of the past. With New England, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati all off this past weekend, the top now is a lot more muddy.

I didn't have a lot of time this week, so I'm just going to list the teams instead of commenting on all of them:

The Big Boys

1. New Orleans Saints (7-0) - Same - W vs. ATL
2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) - Same - W vs. SF
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-1) - Up 1 - L W @ GB

The Sidekicks

4. Denver Broncos (6-1) - Down 1 - L @ BAL
5. New England Patriots (5-2) - Same - Bye
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) - Same - Bye
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) - Same - Bye
8. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) - Up 1 - W vs. DEN
9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) - Up 1 - W vs. NYG
10. Dallas Cowboys (5-2) - Up 3 - W vs. SEA
11. Atlanta Falcons (4-3) - Up 3 - L @ NO

The Average Joes

12. Arizona Cardinals (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. CAR
13. New York Giants (5-3) - Down 5 - L @ PHI
14. Green Bay Packers (4-3) - Down 2 - L vs. MIN

The Nobody's

15. Houston Texans (5-3) - Same - W @ BUF
16. Miami Dolphins (3-4) - Same - W @ NYJ
17. New York Jets (4-4) - Same - L vs. MIA
18. Chicago Bears (4-3) - Same - W vs. CLE

The Forgettables

19. San Diego Chargers (4-3) - Same - W vs. OAK
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) - Same - L @ IND
21. Carolina Panthers (3-4) - Up 3 - W @ ARI
22. Seattle Seahawks (2-5) - Down 1 - L @ DAL
23. Buffalo Bills (3-5) - Same - L vs. HOU
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) - Down 2 - L @ TEN

The Losers

25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) - Down 1 - Bye
26. Washington Redskins (2-5) - Down 1 - Bye
27. Oakland Raiders (2-6) - Down 1 - L @ SD
28. Tennessee Titans (1-6) - Up 2 - W vs. JAX
29. Detroit Lions (1-6) - Down 4 - L vs. STL
30. St. Louis Rams (1-7) - Up 2 - W @ DET
31. Cleveland Browns (1-7) - Down 2 - L @ CHI
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) - Down 1 - Bye