Pit Team A against Team B on a neutral field with all things being equal (days of rest, travel time, etc.) and, forced to wager a mortgage payment on the game, tell me which team you’re betting.

Although a highly rudimentary approach to assembling power rankings, this test serves one key purpose: Backed into a corner and asked to support your opinion with cash, the answer to this question will no doubt serve as to which team you truly believe is better.

Entering Week 11, there were many, both amongst the media and fans, who were banging the drum for the Kansas City Chiefs to sit atop the power rankings. The argument coming from this portion of the population rested on one piece of data: Kansas City’s perfect record, unmatched by any other team in the National Football League.

If Kansas City sat atop your power rankings entering Week 11, don’t call them power rankings. Call them “standings.” The purpose of power rankings isn’t to assemble a list of the 32 NFL clubs based on record. It’s to rank each NFL team according to who is better, regardless of the standings. Kansas City’s 9-0 mark entering Sunday night warranted plenty of respect, but how many of you really felt that the Chiefs were the best team in the league? Would you have backed them on a neutral field against Denver? Seattle? New Orleans?

Exactly.

The numbers in brackets indicate each team’s Power Ranking, which is based on a scale of 1-100. These numbers can be used as a baseline to determine the point spread between any two teams on the list. Keep in mind that these numbers do not account for home field advantage, situational analysis (extra rest, back-to-back road games, divisional rivalries, etc), injuries, weather or public perception. They are merely to be used as a baseline for your initial analysis.

NFP POWER RANKINGS

1. Denver Broncos [90.0]
Record: 9-1 (Won 27-17 vs. Kansas City)
Previous ranking: 90.0 (1)

2. Seattle Seahawks [89.5]
Record: 10-1 (Won 41-20 vs. Minnesota)
Previous ranking: 89.5 (2)

3. New Orleans Saints [89.0]
Record: 8-2 (Won 23-20 vs. San Francisco)
Previous ranking: 88.5 (3)

4. Carolina Panthers [88.5]
Record: 7-3 (24-20 vs. New England)
Previous ranking: 88.0 (T4)

5. San Francisco 49ers [87.5]
Record: 6-4 (Lost 23-20 at New Orleans)
Previous ranking: 88.0 (T4)

6. New England Patriots [87.0]
Record: 7-3 (Lost 24-20 at Carolina)
Previous ranking: 87.5 (6)

T7. Kansas City Chiefs [86.0]
Record: 9-1 (Lost 27-17 at Denver)
Previous ranking: 86.5 (7)

T7. Indianapolis Colts [86.0]
Record: 7-3 (Won 30-27 at Tennessee)
Previous ranking: 86.0 (T8)

T9. Cincinnati Bengals [85.5]
Record: 7-4 (Won 41-20 vs. Cleveland)
Previous ranking: 85.5 (10)

T9. Detroit Lions [85.5]
Record: 6-4 (Lost 37-27 at Pittsburgh)
Previous ranking: 86.0 (T8)

T11. Dallas Cowboys [83.5]
Record: 5-5 (Bye)
Previous ranking: 83.5 (11)

T11. Chicago Bears [83.5]
Record: 6-4 (Won 23-20 vs. Baltimore)
Previous ranking: 83.0 (12)

13. Philadelphia Eagles [83.0]
Record: 6-5 (Won 24-16 vs. Washington)
Previous ranking: 81.5 (T17)

14. Arizona Cardinals [82.5]
Record: 6-4 (Won 27-14 at Jacksonville)
Previous ranking: 82.0 (T13)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers [82.0]
Record: 4-6 (Won 37-27 vs. Detroit)
Previous ranking: 79.0 (T22)

T16. New York Jets [81.5]
Record: 5-5 (Lost 37-14 at Buffalo)
Previous ranking: 82.0 (T13)

T16. Baltimore Ravens [81.5]
Record: 4-6 (Lost 23-20 at Chicago)
Previous ranking: 82.0 (T13)

18. New York Giants [80.5]
Record: 4-6 (Won 27-13 vs. Green Bay)
Previous ranking: 80.0 (T19)

19. Miami Dolphins [80.0]
Record: 5-5 (Won 20-16 vs. San Diego)
Previous ranking: 79.0 (T22)

20. San Diego Chargers [79.5]
Record: 4-6 (Lost 20-16 at Miami)
Previous ranking: 82.0 (T13)

T21. Green Bay Packers [79.0]
Record: 5-5 (Lost 27-13 at NY Giants)
Previous ranking: 81.0 (18)

T21. Cleveland Browns [79.0]
Record: 4-6 (Lost 41-20 at Cincinnati)
Previous ranking: 80.0 (T19)

T23. Washington Redskins [78.5]
Record: 3-7 (Lost 24-16 at Philadelphia)
Previous ranking: 79.5 (21)

T23. St. Louis Rams [78.5]
Record: 4-6 (Bye)
Previous ranking: 78.5 (T24)

T25. Buffalo Bills [78.0]
Record: 4-7 (Won 37-14 vs. NY Jets)
Previous ranking: 77.0 (T29)

T25. Minnesota Vikings [78.0]
Record: 2-8 (Lost 41-20 at Seattle)
Previous ranking: 78.0 (T26)

T25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [78.0]
Record: 2-8 (Won 41-28 vs. Atlanta)
Previous ranking: 77.0 (T29)

T28. Tennessee Titans [77.5]
Record: 4-6 (Lost 30-27 vs. Indianapolis)
Previous ranking: 77.5 (28)

T28. Oakland Raiders [77.5]
Record: 4-6 (Won 28-23 at Houston)
Previous ranking: 77.5 (28)

T28. Houston Texans [77.5]
Record: 2-8 (Lost 28-23 vs. Oakland)
Previous ranking: 78.0 (T26)

31. Atlanta Falcons [77.0]
Record: 2-8 (Lost 41-28 at Tampa Bay)
Previous ranking: 78.5 (T24)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars [73.0]
Record: 1-9 (Lost 27-14 vs. Arizona)
Previous ranking: 73.0 (32)

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