Rankings cross-posted at sk7326's personal site:
When I heard the news that Al Davis passed away - I am sure my reaction was not uncommon - "Al Davis can be killed?" Opinions can vary on his efficacy in manning the Raiders the last 10 years, but there is no doubt that he is the last of a breed of football men in a way that NFL Films and such have long created legend around. You know what I mean: Landry, Noll, Walsh, Halas, Lombardi ... Al Davis surely fits in the same vein of names that are instantly identifiable with a franchise, a way. And Al Davis was not the spoiled, "starting life on third base" kazillionaire that is the subject of so much rightful ire. He learned the football business from the ground up - and worked his way into the top seat. Certainly no other owner - perhaps in sport - is as intimately connected to the enterprise as Davis was. He was also the first owner to hire an African-American head coach, and a Latino head coach ... whether it was due to a commitment to excellence, a commitment to diversity or because he wanted to be the person to do something like that. It is amazing to envision a Raiders without him.
After another week of action, we get the fourth number one in four weeks, with Detroit just sneaking to the top even with both they and Green Bay hanging up excellent prime time performances. Green Bay is a bit shackled by the disappointing performance to date of the Falcons, while Detroit's opponents have created a slight schedule advantage that is paying off for now. With the first bye week in the books, we started to see more movement, usually related to prior opposition either going up or down in stature. As always, the power ranking is a total comparison of teams on schedule adjusted winning percentage, schedule adjusted scoring margin, record vs good teams, record vs common opponents and head to head. So, what do the rankings hold for this week?
1 (2). Detroit Lions (5-0) 31 pairwins
2 (1). Green Bay Packers (5-0) 29
3 (5). Greater Boston and Providence Patriots (4-1) 29
4 (10). San Francisco 49ers (4-1) 28
5 (4). Buffalo Bills (4-1) 27
6 (6). Baltimore Edgar Allan Poems (3-1) 26
7 (3). New Orleans Saints (4-1) 25
8 (12). Oakland Raiders Unless the Crypt Keeper's Heirs Move Them (3-2) 23
9 (9). Dallas Cowboys (2-2) 23
10 (16). Cincinnati Other Paul Browns (3-2) 21
11 (18). Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) 20
12 (8). Houston Texans (3-2) 20
13 (7). Tennessee Non-Oilers (2-3) 19
14 (14). Northern New Jersey Jets (2-3) 18
15 (11). Washington Racial Slurs (3-1) 15
16 (20). San Diego Future Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) 14
17 (19). Denver Broncos (1-4) 13
18 (17). Chicago Bears (2-3) 13
19 (13). Area Surrounding Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) 11
20 (15). Northern New Jersey Giants (3-2) 11
21 (21). Atlanta Falcons (2-3) 8
22 (27). Seattle Seahawks (2-3) 8
23 (23). Philadelphia Eagles (1-4) 7
24 (28). Minnesota Vikings (1-4) 6
25 (30). Kansas City Slightly Less Offensive Racial Slur (2-3) 4
26 (25). Carolina Panthers (1-4) 4
27 (22). Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) 4
28 (24). Cleveland Paul Browns (2-2) 3
29 (26). Arizona Cardinals (1-4) 3
30 (29). Miami Dolphins (0-4) 2
31 (32). Indianapolis Colts (0-5) 0
32 (31). Saint Louis Rams (0-4) 0
Really, as mentioned earlier, Green Bay has nothing to hang its head about. It just happens that it was a good week for Detroit's opponents with the Chiefs and Vikings making moves. Really at this point, the teams are virtually identical.
The big mover to note are the 49ers. Amazing what a 48-3 victory over a fringy playoff contender can do. Alex Smith might have also had a positive effect on a certain diary author's fantasy team. Moreover, the attitude and coaching have just transformed. I am not sure how "real" they are, but the division is there to be marauded and they might end up being a legit force. At #11, the Steelers got a big move as well with their blowout of previous Top Ten Tennessee, who is now the big plunge of the week. That said, Tennessee's slip in form was not surprising - the amazing start they had was.
UPDATE: Since a commenter or two have had quips about schedule - the toughest schedules to date, based on winning percentage of opponents (removing games vs the team in question) and the opponents' opponents.
1. Cowboys
2. Bears
3. Broncos
4. Raiders
5. Patriots
6. Bills
7. Lions
8. Jets
The easiest schedules so far
25. Seahawks
26. Titans
27. Colts
28. Rams
29. Redskins
30. Browns
31. Cardinals
32. Giants
Easiest schedules to date
Anyway, your NFL discussion for the week ... presto!