| Rank | Team | Power Index | W-L | This Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-) | Seahawks | 1.0951 (LW × 0.9751) | 12-3 | Lost by 7 vs Cardinals |
| 2 (-) | 49ers | 1.0944 (LW × 0.9927) | 11-4 | Won by 10 vs Falcons |
| 3 (-) | Panthers | 1.0703 (LW × 0.9993) | 11-4 | Won by 4 vs Saints |
| 4 (↑2) | Cardinals | 1.0569 (LW × 1.0488) | 10-5 | Won by 7 @ Seahawks |
| 5 (↓1) | Broncos | 1.0177 (LW × 0.9934) | 12-3 | Won by 24 @ Texans |
| 6 (↓1) | Saints | 1.0154 (LW × 0.9978) | 10-5 | Lost by 4 @ Panthers |
| 7 (↑1) | Patriots | 1.0010 (LW × 1.0222) | 11-4 | Won by 34 @ Ravens |
| 8 (↓1) | Bengals | 1.0005 (LW × 1.0075) | 10-5 | Won by 28 vs Vikings |
| 9 (↑2) | Rams | 0.9696 (LW × 1.0203) | 7-8 | Won by 10 vs Buccaneers |
| 10 (-) | Chargers | 0.9452 (LW × 0.9906) | 8-7 | Won by 13 vs Raiders |
| 11 (↓2) | Dolphins | 0.9337 (LW × 0.9770) | 8-7 | Lost by 19 @ Bills |
| 12 (↑2) | Steelers | 0.9330 (LW × 1.0101) | 7-8 | Won by 7 @ Packers |
| 13 (↑2) | Eagles | 0.9273 (LW × 1.0159) | 9-6 | Won by 43 vs Bears |
| 14 (↑2) | Colts | 0.9211 (LW × 1.0302) | 9-5 | Won by 16 @ Chiefs |
| 15 (↑3) | Buccaneers | 0.8900 (LW × 1.0013) | 4-11 | Lost by 10 @ Rams |
| 16 (↓4) | Chiefs | 0.8892 (LW × 0.9462) | 11-4 | Lost by 16 vs Colts |
| 17 (↓4) | Ravens | 0.8836 (LW × 0.9559) | 8-7 | Lost by 34 vs Patriots |
| 18 (↑3) | Giants | 0.8666 (LW × 0.9996) | 6-9 | Won by 3 @ Lions |
| 19 (↑5) | Bills | 0.8611 (LW × 1.0379) | 6-9 | Won by 19 vs Dolphins |
| 20 (↑3) | Titans | 0.8587 (LW × 1.0112) | 6-8 | Won by 4 @ Jaguars |
| 21 (↓4) | Bears | 0.8486 (LW × 0.9525) | 8-7 | Lost by 43 @ Eagles |
| 22 (↓2) | Cowboys | 0.8476 (LW × 0.9729) | 8-7 | Won by 1 @ Redskins |
| 23 (↓4) | Lions | 0.8371 (LW × 0.9606) | 7-8 | Lost by 3 vs Giants |
| 24 (↓2) | Vikings | 0.8358 (LW × 0.9747) | 4-10-1 | Lost by 28 @ Bengals |
| 25 (↑1) | Falcons | 0.8345 (LW × 1.0121) | 4-11 | Lost by 10 @ 49ers |
| 26 (↑1) | Jets | 0.8082 (LW × 1.0063) | 7-8 | Won by 11 vs Browns |
| 27 (↑1) | Jaguars | 0.7977 (LW × 1.0061) | 4-11 | Lost by 4 vs Titans |
| 28 (↓3) | Packers | 0.7879 (LW × 0.9555) | 7-7-1 | Lost by 7 vs Steelers |
| 29 (↑2) | Raiders | 0.7488 (LW × 0.9920) | 4-11 | Lost by 13 @ Chargers |
| 30 (↓1) | Browns | 0.7472 (LW × 0.9701) | 4-11 | Lost by 11 @ Jets |
| 31 (↓1) | Redskins | 0.7453 (LW × 0.9778) | 3-12 | Lost by 1 vs Cowboys |
| 32 (-) | Texans | 0.7400 (LW × 0.9921) | 2-13 | Lost by 24 vs Broncos |
Comments:
Thanks to a big upset win, the Cardinals climb into the top 5. Thanks to the Falcons faceplant on MNF, they will probably be the highest ranked team out of the playoffs next week.
Although I see there's a cluster of 7 and 8 win teams starting at #9. Looking at the teams below them... the Eagles should probably be higher. The Colts and Ravens have each had some pretty ugly games lately, and arguably don't belong any higher.
The Lions got the help they needed to get back into the playoffs this week: both the Packers and Bears lost. Sadly, the one critical piece of that scenario was a win over the hapless Giants, and they just couldn't get it done.
The Lions actually had a 7 point lead with 5:06 left in the game when Stafford threw a pick 6. Whether you blame that on Stafford, his receiver, or the play calling, the inability to convert a late lead into a victory is the sign of a team that doesn't know how to win.
If you're thinking that there's not a good team in the NFC North, I'd be hard pressed to find a reason to argue. And even when (or if) the Packers get Aaron Rodgers back, their very unremarkable defense makes it hard to rank them among the best teams in the league this season.
