When it comes to Creative Misfortune Power Rankings, production is combined with potential to determine a team's true strength compared to the rest of the league. Winning isn't the only factor, but it is one of the most important components of the rating. I don't believe teams can be powerful if they consistently lose, even to other great teams.
The Forked Few~
Abandon hope and fortune all ye who rank here
# 32 - Indianapolis Colts (previous: 32)
The bye week can’t come soon enough for Indianapolis.
# 31 - St. Louis Rams (previous: 30)
Giving up a 99-yard punt return touchdown is a devastating way to lose in overtime. But scoring 4 points in the third quarter on the strength of two safeties was pretty cool. The Rams have that going for them… if nothing else.
# 30 - Miami Dolphins (previous: 31)
The win over Kansas City probably allowed Coach Sparano to keep his job through the end of the year. A few more will be needed if he hopes to be around in 2012.
# 29 - Jacksonville Jaguars (previous: 29)
The Jaguars have little hope of being anything more than spoilers the second half of the season.
# 28 - Seattle Seahawks (previous: 26)
Meh.
The Creatively Challenged~
Folly remains ever their mistress
# 27 - Minnesota Vikings (previous: 25)
The Vikings have one last shot at the Packers and the NFL has given them a bye week and one extra day to prepare. They will have no excuses when they get blown out this weekend at Lambeau.
# 26 - Cleveland Browns (previous: 23)
The Browns continue to be one of the biggest disappointments of the 2011 season.
# 25 - Arizona Cardinals (previous: 27)
How careless do you have to be to give up two safeties in a single quarter? Teams can go years without giving up two safeties…
# 24 - Denver Broncos (previous: 28)
Don’t look now, but Tim Tebow has the Broncos just one game out of the division lead with 8 games left to play.
# 23 - Kansas City Chiefs (previous: 20)
I just don’t know what to make of the Chiefs. They are like a poor man's underachieving Chargers.
# 22 - Washington Redskins (previous: 22)
3-13 is still a distinct possibility.
# 21 - Carolina Panthers (previous: 24)
A bye week should have given them time to figure how exactly they can turn their stats into victories.
The Remarkably Average~
Dancing the fine line between misfortune and glory
# 20 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (previous: 21)
The Buccaneers have almost slipped completely out of the playoffs and now need to recover quickly if they hope to finish better than 8-8.
# 19 - Oakland Raiders (previous: 18)
How long before the Palmer reclamation project turns the fans completely off?
# 18 - San Diego Chargers (previous: 17)
Rivers has become a turnover machine. Lucky for the Chargers no other team in the AFC West seems capable of winning, either.
# 17 - Tennessee Titans (previous: 16)
The Titans are fading, much like the memory of Chris Johnson's 2,000 yards in a single season.
# 16 - Philadelphia Eagles (previous: 14)
The Eagles may be fine in the division, but they better turn it around quick and win the NFC East outright. Tiebreakers will kill them if they have to go the Wild Card route.
# 15 - Dallas Cowboys (previous: 19)
The Cowboys are beating the teams they should beat and losing to the teams they should lose to. An 8-8 finish seems about right, unfortunately.
# 14 - New York Giants (previous: 13)
The Giants have collapsed before, but after that gritty win in New England, even they will be hard pressed to let the division slip away from them this season.
# 13 - Atlanta Falcons (previous: 15)
Playing the Colts is like getting an extra bye week. The Falcons made the most of their superior skills and are now back squarely in the playoff race.
The Fortunate Seven~
The best of those not yet elite
# 12 - Chicago Bears (previous: 11)
The Bears could be surprisingly good, but they better figure out a way to keep Forte happy without breaking their bank.
# 11 - New York Jets (previous: 12)
A big win over the Bills gives the loud-mouthed Jets some nice momentum as they ready themselves for a classic tilt against the struggling New England Patriots.
# 10 - Pittsburgh Steelers (previous: 10)
Seriously? I always wondered what it would look like when a Steel Curtain shattered.
# 9 - Buffalo Bills (previous: 5)
A bad division loss to the Jets could be the beginning of the end for Buffalo.
# 8 - New England Patriots (previous: 6)
Seriously? What happened to the defensive genius that is Bill Belichick?
# 7 - New Orleans Saints (previous: 8)
The Saints evened their score with the Bucs and now only really have the Falcons to contend with for the division title.
# 6 - Cincinnati Bengals (previous: 9)
They just keep winning. Will midnight ever strike for this young Cinderella?
The Creative Elite~
Wielding misfortune at its finest
# 5 - Houston Texans (previous: 7)
No Andre Johnson? No problem when you have two running backs on pace for 1,000 yards.
# 4 - Detroit Lions (previous: 4)
The Turkey Day battle with Green Bay looms on the calendar, but the Lions cannot afford to overlook the Bears after what Chicago did in Philadelphia last Monday.
# 3 - Baltimore Ravens (previous: 3)
That huge victory over the Steelers in Pittsburgh should propel Baltimore into the playoffs… if they can just hold off the surprising Bengals.
# 2 - San Francisco 49ers (previous: 2)
Undefeated on the East Coast, the 49ers are rising above the muck that is the NFC West.
# 1 - Green Bay Packers (previous: 1)
Short yardage downs and a defense willing to bend, but not necessarily break, between the 20s may be the only things that will prevent Green Bay from finishing the season undefeated.
Week 9 Power Ranking Awards:
The Free Fallers - Buffalo Bills (-4), Kansas City Chiefs (-3), Cleveland Browns (-3), New England Patriots (-2), Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
The Biggest Movers - Dallas Cowboys (+4), Denver Broncos (+4), Cincinnati Bengals (+3), Carolina Panthers (+3), Houston Texans (+2)
Maintaining The Status Quo - Green Bay Packers (1), San Francisco 49ers (2), Baltimore Ravens (3), Detroit Lions (4), Pittsburgh Steelers (10), Washington Redskins (22), Jacksonville Jaguars (29), Indianapolis Colts (32)
Creative Misfortune Super Bowl XLVI Favorite ~ After Week 9
Thursday Night Football returns tonight! Check back later for predictions regarding tonight's game between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers...
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