What this is
A comparison of APR's Week 12 power rankings with ESPN's rankings for the same week of games. This acts as a sanity check (both ways) to see what teams are over- or underrated.
Only teams that are at least 9 positions apart are listed. The number in parentheses is the difference between APR's rank and ESPN's rank.
Teams ESPN likes more than APR:
Amazing—for the first time this early in the season, there isn't any team outside my 9-position limit. There are some on the bubble, though.
- On the bubble:
- Seahawks (+8). Can a #22 ranking be too high for a 5-6 team? The Seahawks make a strong case for 'yes'.
- In range:
- Rams (+6). On the other hand, maybe APR has the Rams ranked too low. They are clearly improving, and with three division games left on their schedule, have a real shot at 8 wins this year (which is more than their combined wins for 2007, 2008, and 2009).
Teams APR likes more than ESPN:
- On the bubble:
- Browns (-8). The Browns came within a doinked last-second field goal of losing to the Panthers. The Browns may be on the verge of success, but it sure doesn't seem like Jake Delhomme has a part in making it happen.
- In range:
- Buffalo (-6). They've had two outright wins, and three losses in overtime since their bye. Definitely not a team to pencil in as an easy win anymore.