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 - Jacksonville Jaguars (previous: 32)
This team is terrible. No other way to say it. No reason to sugarcoat it either.
# 31 - New York Giants (previous: 31)
Schisms between the offense and the defense are always good for teams… especially for teams playing as terribly as the Giants are. If the Jaguars weren't in complete self-destruct mode, the Giants would easily be the worst team in the league right now.
# 30 - Pittsburgh Steelers (previous: 30)
I cannot remember the Steelers playing this poorly… I'm sure they have, but Pittsburgh and 0-4 just doesn't feel right.
# 29 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (previous: 29)
All signs point to Freeman not only being benched in Tampa Bay, but also being kicked out of the city entirely before the week 6 trade deadline. Talk about a quick fall from grace.
# 28 - St. Louis Rams (previous: 25)
The Rams looked terrible last Thursday… maybe they needed more than three days to recover from the beating Dallas put on them the Sunday before. Bradford needs to step his game up, otherwise St. Louis will be looking for a new QB by season's end.
The Creatively Challenged~
Folly remains ever their mistress
# 27 - Philadelphia Eagles (previous: 20)
Time of possession is a big part of winning in the NFL, especially if your defense cannot keep the other guys from scoring touchdowns.
# 26 - Oakland Raiders (previous: 22)
The Raiders continue to play up - or down - to their preseason expectations.
# 25 - Washington Redskins (previous: 28)
A little bit of positivity for the Redskins… but a win over the Raiders is not exactly worth writing home to your mother about.
# 24 - Minnesota Vikings (previous: 27)
The Vikings get their first win of the season about as far removed from the home fans as they can get!
# 23 - Atlanta Falcons (previous: 18)
Ugh… three losses already and now they trail the Saints by three full games. The Falcons have dug themselves quite the hole to climb out of.
# 22 - Green Bay Packers (previous: 16)
The worst part about Green Bay's bye week? The Lions and Bears played each other and now the Packers are two games out of first place in the win column.
# 21 - Carolina Panthers (previous: 19)
An early bye-week following a big win may be just what the Panthers needed to push for a wild card spot.
The Remarkably Average~
Dancing the fine line between misfortune and glory
# 20 - New York Jets (previous: 15)
So much for winning and losing ugly… the Jets just got clobberd by the Titans.
# 19 - Arizona Cardinals (previous: 24)
A small, hard-fought victory last weekend as the Cardinals continue to try and discover their identity.
# 18 - San Francisco 49ers (previous: 26)
The win over the Rams was a good first step towards righting the ship.
# 17 - Cincinnati Bengals (previous: 10)
Just when you think the division is theirs for the taking, the Bengals go out and get beat by the Browns. Nothing like creating a log jam of mediocrity in the AFC North.
# 16 - Houston Texans (previous: 14)
If this is their year, the Texans certainly are not playing like it.
# 15 - Cleveland Browns (previous: 23)
Ok, so maybe they aren't giving up on the season after all. A win over the Bengals says far more than a win over the Vikings.
# 14 - Baltimore Ravens (previous: 13)
Despite the huge contract, Flacco still needs a running game in order to be effective.
# 13 - Buffalo Bills (previous: 21)
A big victory by the Bills at home has them right there in the AFC East mix.
The Fortunate Seven~
The best of those not yet elite
# 12 - Dallas Cowboys (previous: 8)
If you are going to lose, losing on the road to a non-conference opponent is the way to do it. Of course, good teams don't lose on the road to average teams. Still too early to say if Dallas is truly good this year or if they are just getting by in the weakest division in football.
# 11 - San Diego Chargers (previous: 17)
Despite a big win in front of the home crowd, the Chargers are still two full games behind both the Broncos and the Chiefs.
# 10 - Miami Dolphins (previous: 7)
Tough matchup on the road Monday Night, but Miami still keeps showing a lot of promise and potential.
# 9 - Chicago Bears (previous: 3)
Chicago may have stumbled in Detroit, but they will have something to say about that later this year when the Lions come back to visit them. But for now…
# 8 - Detroit Lions (previous: 11)
...The Lions are the team to beat in the NFC North.
# 7 - Tennessee Titans (previous: 12)
How can the Titans score 38 points and only get 20+ yards rushing out of Chris Johnson? A question on the minds of many fantasy owners following last week's impressive win over the Jets.
# 6 - Indianapolis Colts (previous: 9)
No sophomore slump here!
The Creative Elite~
Wielding misfortune at its finest
# 5 - New England Patriots (previous: 4)
Brady is the definition of a winner - no matter who he has around him, no matter how many times they drop the ball - he finds a way to lead his team to victory. It doesn't even matter who they are playing.
# 4 - New Orleans Saints (previous: 5)
The Saints keep on flying… and now they are playing defense, too.
# 3 - Kansas City Chiefs (previous: 6)
The Chiefs may be a little overrated, but after starting a surprising 4-0 they deserve to be ranked this high for at least one week.
# 2 - Seattle Seahawks (previous: 2)
If anybody out there was wondering if Seattle could win a close game, on the road, against a good team… now we know.
# 1 - Denver Broncos (previous: 1)
If they do get to 14-0, I really hope the Broncos don't bench Manning and try to save him for the playoffs. History shows that just doesn't work. Go for perfection!
Week 4 Power Ranking Awards:
The Free Fallers - Cincinnati Bengals (-7), Philadelphia Eagles (-7), Chicago Bears (-6), Green Bay Packers (-6), New York Jets (-5)
The Biggest Movers - Buffalo Bills (+8), Cleveland Browns (+8), San Francisco 49ers (+8), San Diego Chargers (+6), Tennessee Titans (+5)
Maintaining The Status Quo - Denver Broncos (1), Seattle Seahawks (2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (29), Pittsburgh Steelers (30), New York Giants (31), Jacksonville Jaguars (32)
Creative Misfortune Super Bowl XLVIII Favorite ~ After Week 4
Denver Broncos
Check back later today for Thursday Night Game predictions...
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