Power Ratings After Week 10
Comments: You may have seen the stat tonight on MNF that there are eight teams with a 6-3 or better record in the AFC and only two such teams in the NFC. Actually that may understate things. The top nine teams in Power Rating are all AFC teams except for the Eagles, the second best team in the league.
The AFC is currently eight games over .500 against the NFC. Last year the AFC was only four games over .500, and one 10-6 team did not make the playoffs. This year the odds look high that two teams might achieve that distinction. Last year the NFC had all its 10-6 teams make the playoffs; this year it might be a 9-7 team that slips in. Lest you think this overstates things, consider this: the Bears are only one game out of the playoffs right now.
Can you name the three teams not to make the playoffs with 11 wins? Answer after the Power Rankings:
NE 111.0
Phi 108.7
Ind 107.6
Pit 107.6
SD 107.4
Bal 107.3
NYJ 104.0
Den 103.0
KC 102.8
Sea 102.2
Atl 102.0
NYG 102.0
Min 101.5
Jax 100.8
Cle 100.8
GB 100.4
Cin 99.2
Chi 98.9
Buf 98.9
Ten 98.2
Hou 98.2
StL 97.3
Det 96.8
TB 96.7
Was 96.3
AZ 96.1
Car 94.9
Mia 93.2
Oak 92.9
Dal 92.3
NO 92.1
SF 89.2
The 1985 Denver Broncos came up a day late and a game short with an 11-5 record which left them home for the holidays. Oddly enough (or perhaps not, given the wild cards) they are the only 11-5 team ever to miss the postseason.
The 1967 Baltimore Colts have to be history's all-time hard luck team in terms of missing the playoffs. They were undefeated going into the final game of the season at 11-0-2 (back then the NFL didn't have overtime, so tied games were more common), and in a moment of incredible scheduling and irony they traveled to the 10-1-2 Los Angeles Rams for the NFL's Coastal Division Title. The Rams won, making both teams 11-1-2, but LA was awarded the championship on the basis of best net points in games between the two teams.
The other team not to make the playoffs with 11 wins were the 1963 Green Bay Packers. Going for their third NFL title in a row, they went 11-2-1, and lost to the only team to beat them that year (twice), the Chicago Bears.
