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 - Oakland Raiders (previous: 32)
One of these days the Raiders will break through with a win, but it won't be this week when the Broncos come to town.
# 31 - Jacksonville Jaguars (previous: 31)
Jacksonville continues to play spirited football, despite their losing record.
# 30 - New York Jets (previous: 30)
The Jets make a change at quarterback… finally. I wonder if Rex Ryan will survive New York's bye in week 11.
# 29 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (previous: 29)
How the Buccaneers upset the Steelers back in week 4, I will never know.
# 28 - Tennessee Titans (previous: 27)
Are the Titans still playing this season?
The Creatively Challenged~
Folly remains ever their mistress
# 27 - St. Louis Rams (previous: 28)
They may not fare well outside of their division, but against their division rivals, the Rams are world-beaters.
# 26 - Atlanta Falcons (previous: 26)
The Falcons should win coming out of their bye week, but the Buccaneers may be about the only team remaining on their schedule they can defeat.
# 25 - Carolina Panthers (previous: 24)
Once considered a "team to beat" in the NFC, the Panthers have degenerated down to nothing more than a one-man show.
# 24 - Chicago Bears (previous: 25)
Until the Bears show they can play defense, nobody will be afraid of seeing them on their schedule.
# 23 - Washington Redskins (previous: 23)
The Redskins follow up a great win over Dallas with a terrible loss in Minnesota. Maybe they should have stuck with Colt McCoy at quarterback.
# 22 - New York Giants (previous: 22)
The Giants are absolutely terrible.
# 21 - Minnesota Vikings (previous: 21)
Could the Vikings become a surprise Wild Card contender if Adrian Peterson is cleared to return to the roster? Stranger things have happened and with the NFC being weaker than expected, it is definitely possible, if not probable.
The Remarkably Average~
Dancing the fine line between misfortune and glory
# 20 - San Francisco 49ers (previous: 18)
You're supposed to put the ball in the end zone, Kaepernick, not on the ground! Butterfingers.
# 19 - Houston Texans (previous: 14)
Now that the Texans have slipped below .500, could a change at quarterback be coming?
# 18 - Cincinnati Bengals (previous: 20)
The division, once theirs, is now up for grabs. Cincinnati can reassert their claim on the division crown with a win against the Browns Thursday night.
# 17 - San Diego Chargers (previous: 10)
What happened last week? Can't remember a team - even the Chargers - being so completely dismantled like San Diego was by the Dolphins.
# 16 - Buffalo Bills (previous: 19)
Already trailing both Miami and New England, Buffalo has to be perfect down the stretch to have any real shot at a playoff spot.
# 15 - Seattle Seahawks (previous: 13)
These are not the Seahawks of 2013, but they still have time to turn their season around.
# 14 - Cleveland Browns (previous: 16)
The Browns can take a huge step forward in the division tonight, or falter and fall back like they have so often in their past.
# 13 - New Orleans Saints (previous: 15)
The Saints appear to be the only competent team in the NFC South, which isn't saying much for the division.
The Fortunate Seven~
The best of those not yet elite
# 12 - Green Bay Packers (previous: 11)
Have the Packers forgotten about their loss to New Orleans yet? Better hope so with a desperate Bears team coming to town.
# 11 - Dallas Cowboys (previous: 6)
Injuries have taken their toll on the Cowboys the last two weeks, but an International Series game against Jacksonville, followed by their bye week, should be just the medicine Dallas needs to get back on the winning track.
# 10 - Baltimore Ravens (previous: 8)
The Ravens have fallen out of favor and are starting to slip out of the playoff picture.
# 9 - Pittsburgh Steelers (previous: 12)
Two straight games, six touchdown passes. Never thought of the Steelers as a passing team.
# 8 - Miami Dolphins (previous: 17)
Miami throttled the Chargers last week. Their defense will need to continue to play at that same high level if they hope to catch New England before the end of the season.
# 7 - Detroit Lions (previous: 4)
Out of their bye week, can they fare better against Miami's defense than the Chargers?
# 6 - Kansas City Chiefs (previous: 9)
The Chiefs are quietly becoming one of the most solid teams in the AFC.
The Creative Elite~
Wielding misfortune at its finest
# 5 - Indianapolis Colts (previous: 5)
A little bit of Luck can take you a long way.
# 4 - Denver Broncos (previous: 1)
Manning may have to figure out how to beat the Patriots in New England come playoff time.
# 3 - Philadelphia Eagles (previous: 7)
How will the Eagles handle Foles' injury? If their defense and special teams play like they have most of the season, they should be okay.
# 2 - Arizona Cardinals (previous: 2)
The surprise team of the season, the Cardinals control their own destiny now in the NFC playoff race for the best overall seed and home-field advantage.
# 1 - New England Patriots (previous: 3)
Titanic line shift on 4th and 1, up by a couple touchdowns... you have to hand it to Bill Belichick. He just doesn't care what people think of him.
Week 9 Power Ranking Awards:
The Free Fallers - San Diego Chargers (-7), Dallas Cowboys (-5), Houston Texans (-5), Denver Broncos (-3), Detroit Lions (-3)
The Biggest Movers - Miami Dolphins (+9), Philadelphia Eagles (+4), Kansas City Chiefs (+3), Pittsburgh Steelers (+3), Buffalo Bills (+3)
Maintaining The Status Quo - Arizona Cardinals (2), Indianapolis Colts (5), Minnesota Vikings (21), New York Giants (22), Washington Redskins (23), Atlanta Falcons (26), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29), New York Jets (30), Jacksonville Jaguars (31), Oakland Raiders (32)
Creative Misfortune Super Bowl XLIX Favorites ~ After Week 9
AFC Favorite:
NFC Favorite:
Check back later tonight for Thursday Night Football game predictions.
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