Just like it's important for the players to play preseason games so they can get into regular-season form, it's important for us to dust off the cobwebs on our weekly columns in the preseason so we can perform well in the regular season. We're kicking off the preseason with one of the community's favorite columns: our Power Rankings analysis.

Being the preseason, there aren't a ton of rankings available. As I've called it every year: this is the Diet Coke of the rankings analysis.

Division Averages

Division Avg Ranking NFC West 11.7083 AFC North 14.4583 NFC South 14.7500 NFC North 15.2500 NFC East 16.0417 AFC South 18.7917 AFC West 19.8333 AFC East 21.1667

Stock Rising

Team Week 17 Average Preseason Week 1 Average Difference KC 31.838 22.500 9.300 DET 27.200 22.500 4.700 SF 5.700 1.500 4.200 NYG 15.300 11.167 4.133 PHI 28.200 25.000 3.200

Stock Falling

Team Week 17 Average Preseason Week 1 Average Difference CLE 23.200 28.500 -5.300 NYJ 24.400 29.667 -5.267 MIN 11.400 16.500 -5.100 WAS 8.500 12.833 -4.333 BUF 25.700 29.333 -3.633

Worth noting: the Chargers didn't quite make the Stock Falling list, but they fell: they were 7th on the list, falling ~2.5 spots compared to the end of last season. So the rankers see the Chargers as actually getting worse in the offseason.

Subjective Average

Subjective 49ers 2 2 1 2 1 1 1.500 4.200 Broncos 3 1 2 3 3 2 2.333 -1.233 Seahawks 1 5 4 1 2 4 2.833 2.367 Falcons 4 3 5 4 5 3 4.000 -1.900 Patriots 6 4 7 7 4 7 5.833 -2.333 Packers 5 6 8 6 6 5 6.000 -2.400 Ravens 8 8 3 5 7 6 6.167 2.933 Bengals 9 7 6 9 9 9 8.167 2.333 Texans 7 9 10 8 8 8 8.333 -1.333 Colts 10 12 12 12 11 10 11.167 -0.567 Giants 12 10 13 10 10 12 11.167 4.133 Redskins 11 13 11 17 12 13 12.833 -4.333 Saints 14 16 9 19 13 11 13.667 2.933 Steelers 16 17 15 13 15 14 15.000 2.100 Cowboys 20 14 14 11 16 16 15.167 -1.567 Bears 13 11 18 22 14 18 16.000 -2.900 Vikings 17 19 16 15 17 15 16.500 -5.100 Rams 15 15 17 14 18 21 16.667 0.833 Buccaneers 19 18 24 20 21 17 19.833 1.867 Dolphins 18 23 23 16 19 20 19.833 -0.533 Panthers 21 20 25 18 22 23 21.500 -1.900 Lions 24 28 20 21 20 22 22.500 4.700 Chiefs 22 24 21 24 25 19 22.500 9.300 Chargers 23 26 22 25 23 24 23.833 -2.433 Titans 27 22 19 29 27 26 25.000 0.900 Eagles 25 25 26 23 24 27 25.000 3.200 Cardinals 26 21 29 26 28 25 25.833 1.067 Browns 28 27 31 30 26 29 28.500 -5.300 Bills 30 31 28 28 29 30 29.333 -3.633 Jets 32 30 27 31 30 28 29.667 -5.267 Jaguars 31 32 30 27 32 32 30.667 0.533 Raiders 29 29 32 32 31 31 30.667 -0.667

Observations:

Broncos-9ers Super Bowl in 2014, anyone?

ESPN: "No more Tebow? The Jets are the worst team in the NFL now!"

Hovering around 23-24 is about where I would have ranked the Chargers myself.

Slightly amused that the defending Super Bowl champions are about 7th on the list. Yes I know Flacco's mega-contract meant a lot of players had to go. But still, amusing.

It's rather odd to see the Bengals ranked so highly. I know they have a lot of young talent and they finished strong last year, but still odd to see.

As we saw above, the AFC East is now the overall worst division in the league, thanks to the Bills and Jets being ranked 29th and 30th respectively.

Continuing the trend from last year: 8 of the bottom-10 teams are from the AFC. That means only 8 AFC teams represent the top 22 teams overall.

Subjective Standard Deviation

Subjective 49ers 2 2 1 2 1 1 0.500 -0.687 Broncos 3 1 2 3 3 2 0.745 0.445 Falcons 4 3 5 4 5 3 0.817 0.278 Colts 10 12 12 12 11 10 0.898 -0.530 Texans 7 9 10 8 8 8 0.943 0.168 Packers 5 6 8 6 6 5 1.000 0.200 Bills 30 31 28 28 29 30 1.106 -0.629 Giants 12 10 13 10 10 12 1.213 0.573 Bengals 9 7 6 9 9 9 1.213 0.095 Raiders 29 29 32 32 31 31 1.247 1.247 Steelers 16 17 15 13 15 14 1.291 0.348 Eagles 25 25 26 23 24 27 1.291 -0.179 Chargers 23 26 22 25 23 24 1.344 0.544 Patriots 6 4 7 7 4 7 1.344 0.538 Vikings 17 19 16 15 17 15 1.384 0.103 Seahawks 1 5 4 1 2 4 1.572 1.172 Jets 32 30 27 31 30 28 1.700 0.203 Browns 28 27 31 30 26 29 1.708 0.631 Ravens 8 8 3 5 7 6 1.772 0.472 Jaguars 31 32 30 27 32 32 1.795 1.395 Redskins 11 13 11 17 12 13 2.034 1.534 Chiefs 22 24 21 24 25 19 2.062 1.662 Panthers 21 20 25 18 22 23 2.217 1.554 Buccaneers 19 18 24 20 21 17 2.267 0.998 Rams 15 15 17 14 18 21 2.357 1.686 Cardinals 26 21 29 26 28 25 2.544 1.323 Dolphins 18 23 23 16 19 20 2.544 1.763 Cowboys 20 14 14 11 16 16 2.734 2.071 Lions 24 28 20 21 20 22 2.814 1.737 Saints 14 16 9 19 13 11 3.249 1.341 Titans 27 22 19 29 27 26 3.416 1.776 Bears 13 11 18 22 14 18 3.697 3.158

Observations:

The top-3 ranked teams are also the top-3 most-consistently-ranked teams as well. Though, that's normal.

Ahh, da Bears. Who knows how good they are? Go ahead, raise your hands.

Titans. Meh, who cares?

Wow, Saints all over the map. Are some people bullish on Sean Payton's return? Are others not so sure it'll matter?

Chargers are rather consistent in their mediocre rating.

Sources

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