NFL Power Index: Bengals take top spot, Seattle 3rd
By Keith Myers
Week 9 was a weird one and the NFL Power Index is left cleaning up the mess. The awful 49ers beat a good Falcons team. The previously-undefeated Broncos lost to a mediocre Colts team. If someone told me a plague of locusts to invaded the Patriots game in Foxboro, I would have believed it.
This is the third week this season that the NFL Power Index has been posted, and we’ve already had three different teams in the top spot. Two weeks ago the Jets had that spot, since then they’ve done nothing but drop.
Last week it was the Patriots in the top spot, but they’ve dropped a spot and nearly 6 points in overall index this week. They continue to be held down by their weak schedule.
The Seahawks and Cardinals both moved up by not playing last week. That was mostly due to Denver laying an egg against the Colts. That kind of poor performance will always lead to a decent drop.
San Francisco’s big win moved them up out of the “historically awful” zone. They’re still terrible, but they jumped almost 10 points in the NFL Power Index.
The Lions though are still the worst team that this index has ever seen. They’re worse than an expansion team. Anything below 20 is historically bad, and they have a 5.
What’s interesting is that they’re actually being held up by a tough SoS and good special teams. That’s right, the Lions being held up by two of the major inputs, but are still the worst team in decades.
Next: Midseason grades for the Seahawks
NFL Power Index
| Rank | Team | Yds | ST | 3% | SoS | Power |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 0.4 | 17.3 | 9 | 0.8 | 81.95 |
| 2 | New England | 0.9 | 19.7 | 7.2 | -1 | 78.00 |
| 3 | Seattle | 1.7 | 13.3 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 74.32 |
| 4 | Arizona | 2.6 | 22.4 | 8.1 | -2 | 70.91 |
| 5 | Denver | 1.0 | 14.8 | -1.9 | 0.9 | 70.66 |
| 6 | Kansas City | 0.5 | 26.2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 70.59 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh | 1.5 | 17.9 | -4.6 | 1.5 | 70.19 |
| 8 | Carolina | 1.1 | 20.4 | -1 | -1.1 | 66.20 |
| 9 | NY Jets | 0.4 | 14.8 | 6.4 | -1 | 65.13 |
| 10 | Green Bay | 0.0 | 23.8 | -6.1 | 1.1 | 62.46 |
| 11 | Oakland | 0.5 | 21.2 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 61.75 |
| 12 | Buffalo | 1.7 | 10.7 | -1.5 | -0.8 | 61.15 |
| 13 | Minnesota | 0.1 | 24.3 | 5.3 | -1.2 | 59.24 |
| 14 | St. Louis | 1.0 | 20.8 | -8.9 | 0.7 | 58.79 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 0.9 | 21.7 | 4.6 | -2.5 | 56.44 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 0.0 | 20.5 | -9.6 | 0.1 | 55.17 |
| 17 | NY Giants | -1.1 | 23.3 | -6.8 | -1.6 | 52.91 |
| 18 | New Orleans | -1.4 | 23.3 | 15.4 | -0.8 | 52.44 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay | 0.9 | 27.3 | -5.4 | -2.9 | 50.18 |
| 20 | Houston | -1.7 | 25.6 | 11.4 | -1.9 | 48.90 |
| 21 | Tennessee | -0.4 | 17.6 | -5.6 | -2.1 | 44.75 |
| 22 | Indianapolis | -0.8 | 18.3 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 43.27 |
| 23 | San Diego | -1.7 | 26.9 | 5.8 | -0.5 | 42.80 |
| 24 | Dallas | 0.2 | 33.9 | -0.3 | 1.4 | 42.77 |
| 25 | Miami | 0.2 | 18.3 | -11.3 | -0.2 | 39.51 |
| 26 | Jacksonville | 0.5 | 17.7 | -8.4 | 0.2 | 35.85 |
| 27 | Chicago | -1.0 | 25.2 | -2.3 | 1.3 | 35.76 |
| 28 | Washington | -2.2 | 11.2 | 2 | 0.2 | 34.35 |
| 29 | Cleveland | -1.6 | 19.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 29.93 |
| 30 | San Francisco | -1.2 | 22.2 | -1.8 | 1.7 | 27.51 |
| 31 | Baltimore | -1.0 | 25.2 | -13 | 1.4 | 25.64 |
| 32 | Detroit | -2.1 | 26.7 | -9.3 | 1.5 | 5.07 |
Over 30 statistics is combined into several indexes, and then those indexes are weighted and combined into a raw power index. That is then normalized to historical data from the last 15 years. 50 is average.
Yds – yards per play index. Offense and defense included, with run and pass weighted separately.
SOS – Strength of schedule from TeamRankings.
ST – Special teams index, created using punt and kick returns averages.
3% – Combined third down conversion rates.