The Giants climb back into the top 5 this week by winning convincingly on Sunday night over another top 10 team in the Green Bay Packers. Out of the top 5 are the Seattle Seahawks who continue to struggle on the road. The Seahawks went into Miami a 3 point favorite but were unable to defeat the Dolphins and subsequently drop to 8th. The Seahawks have put themselves in a more difficult situation to make the playoffs. While in the 6th spot in the NFC right now they are tied with Minnesota and Tampa and Washington, New Orleans and Dallas are on their heels.
Denver continues to hold the top spot but the gap is much narrower than it has been. San Francisco is just .13 off the lead with New England a point behind them.
Atlanta at 10-1 still struggles to get into the top 5. They win but not impressively and as such the computer has rated them low. I think the public is probably in agreement with the computer. Atlanta is a team that the public is not believing in yet.
Game of the Week
Seattle @ Chicago -4
Other games may sound sexier but this game features 2 potential playoff teams in the NFC and 2 of the top defenses in all of football. Chicago ranks 3rd in my defensive rankings and Seattle ranks 4th. Do not expect either team to pass it very well. Our model is looking for 157 passing yards from Seattle and 147 from Chicago. Both teams will look to run it. Both are top 10 rushing teams.
Biggest Mismatch
Houston @ Tennessee +5.5
In what seems to be a trap line the Titans are getting just 5.5 points from the Texans this week albeit in Memphis. Houston ranks 4th while Tennessee 29th. The Titans just lost to the worst team in the league the Jacksonville Jags. Houston won a controversial game at Detroit on Thanksgiving. On paper Tennessee can not stay with Houston but as we have seen these games sometimes do not go as conventional wisdom would lead you to think.
Worst Matchup
Jacksonville @ Buffalo -6
There are a few clunkers on the schedule this week but this one takes the cake. Buffalo is still hoping for a playoff spot but in our rankings they are just 26th. We all know how bad Jacksonville is ranked dead last. The Jags have shown some life recently with Chad Henne behind center. Buffalo can run it and Jacksonville has a hard time stopping the run. We look for Buffalo to be able to control clock and run the ball on the Jags.
| Rank |
Teams |
Power Rating |
| 1 |
Denver |
29.43 |
| 2 |
San Francisco |
29.30 |
| 3 |
New England |
28.29 |
| 4 |
Houston |
26.87 |
| 5 |
NY Giants |
25.61 |
| 6 |
Chicago |
25.27 |
| 7 |
Atlanta |
24.85 |
| 8 |
Seattle |
23.73 |
| 9 |
Pittsburgh |
23.61 |
| 10 |
Green Bay |
23.39 |
| 11 |
Detroit |
23.23 |
| 12 |
Baltimore |
23.20 |
| 13 |
Dallas |
22.97 |
| 14 |
Cincinnati |
22.17 |
| 15 |
Washington |
22.16 |
| 16 |
Tampa Bay |
21.43 |
| 17 |
Minnesota |
20.73 |
| 18 |
San Diego |
20.69 |
| 19 |
Carolina |
20.55 |
| 20 |
St. Louis |
19.67 |
| 21 |
New Orleans |
19.46 |
| 22 |
NY Jets |
19.12 |
| 23 |
Arizona |
18.68 |
| 24 |
Cleveland |
18.34 |
| 25 |
Indianapolis |
17.73 |
| 26 |
Buffalo |
17.67 |
| 27 |
Philadelphia |
17.66 |
| 28 |
Miami |
17.59 |
| 29 |
Tennessee |
15.90 |
| 30 |
Kansas City |
15.01 |
| 31 |
Oakland |
14.54 |
| 32 |
Jacksonville |
12.76 |
| Rank |
Teams |
Strength Of Schedule |
| 1 |
Carolina |
23.08 |
| 2 |
NY Jets |
22.75 |
| 3 |
St. Louis |
22.66 |
| 4 |
Dallas |
22.55 |
| 5 |
NY Giants |
22.22 |
| 6 |
Arizona |
22.10 |
| 7 |
Seattle |
22.09 |
| 8 |
Green Bay |
22.01 |
| 9 |
Philadelphia |
22.00 |
| 10 |
New Orleans |
21.71 |
| 11 |
Washington |
21.69 |
| 12 |
Kansas City |
21.58 |
| 13 |
Cleveland |
21.58 |
| 14 |
Detroit |
21.50 |
| 15 |
San Francisco |
21.48 |
| 16 |
Denver |
21.47 |
| 17 |
Buffalo |
21.38 |
| 18 |
Tennessee |
21.31 |
| 19 |
Jacksonville |
21.31 |
| 20 |
Minnesota |
21.19 |
| 21 |
Chicago |
21.14 |
| 22 |
Oakland |
20.90 |
| 23 |
Baltimore |
20.84 |
| 24 |
San Diego |
20.56 |
| 25 |
Tampa Bay |
20.53 |
| 26 |
Pittsburgh |
20.34 |
| 27 |
Atlanta |
20.22 |
| 28 |
New England |
20.16 |
| 29 |
Cincinnati |
20.05 |
| 30 |
Houston |
20.02 |
| 31 |
Miami |
19.56 |
| 32 |
Indianapolis |
19.25 |
| NFC East |
22.10 |
W |
L |
| NY Giants |
25.61 |
7 |
4 |
| Dallas |
22.97 |
5 |
6 |
| Washington |
22.16 |
5 |
6 |
| Philadelphia |
17.66 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
| NFC North |
23.15 |
W |
L |
| Chicago |
25.27 |
8 |
3 |
| Green Bay |
23.39 |
7 |
4 |
| Detroit |
23.23 |
4 |
7 |
| Minnesota |
20.73 |
6 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
| NFC South |
21.57 |
W |
L |
| Atlanta |
24.85 |
10 |
1 |
| Tampa Bay |
21.43 |
6 |
5 |
| Carolina |
20.55 |
3 |
8 |
| New Orleans |
19.46 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
| NFC West |
22.84 |
W |
L |
| San Francisco |
29.30 |
8 |
2 |
| Seattle |
23.73 |
6 |
5 |
| St. Louis |
19.67 |
4 |
6 |
| Arizona |
18.68 |
4 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
| AFC East |
20.67 |
W |
L |
| New England |
28.29 |
8 |
3 |
| NY Jets |
19.12 |
4 |
7 |
| Buffalo |
17.67 |
4 |
7 |
| Miami |
17.59 |
5 |
6 |
|
|
|
|
| AFC North |
21.83 |
W |
L |
| Pittsburgh |
23.61 |
6 |
5 |
| Baltimore |
23.20 |
9 |
2 |
| Cincinnati |
22.17 |
6 |
5 |
| Cleveland |
18.34 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
| AFC South |
18.31 |
W |
L |
| Houston |
26.87 |
10 |
1 |
| Indianapolis |
17.73 |
7 |
4 |
| Tennessee |
15.90 |
4 |
7 |
| Jacksonville |
12.76 |
2 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
| AFC West |
19.92 |
W |
L |
| Denver |
29.43 |
8 |
3 |
| San Diego |
20.69 |
4 |
7 |
| Kansas City |
15.01 |
1 |
10 |
| Oakland |
14.54 |
3 |
8 |
NFL FULL SEASON PACKAGE - $249.95
Get every game from now until the Super Bowl with the greatest savings
Posts
