The Unbiased Power Rankings give us a clear view at the teams to beat as we near the halfway point of the season. If you haven't seen the rankings yet, click over here first and then circle back for the breakdown.
The best teams in the Unbiased Power Rankings all reside in the American Football Conference.
The Best of the Best
The AFC wields all the power in the ongoing conference battle for supremacy. They are home to the top seven teams in our latest unbiased power rankings. The New York Jets and their five straight wins are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the pole position with the Indianapolis Colts not far behind in third place. The Jets and Steelers only losses this season were to the next team on our list.
The Baltimore Ravens, despite an overtime loss to the New England Patriots, are number four with the "How did we lose to the Cowboys?" Houston Texans at number five. The Tennessee Titans, fresh off their Monday night party in Jacksonville are sixth with the Patriots rounding out the top seven.
The reality of the stacked AFC means that two of these seven teams will not make the playoffs. Only six get in but somebody has to win the AFC West meaning, as the Unbiased Power Rankings dictate, the Titans and Patriots would be on the outside looking in.
Methodology: The Unbiased Power Rankings are exactly that, unbiased. We take into account a team’s wins, losses and their strength of schedule to arrive at a truly unbiased rating. We have no preseason polls, no preset baselines. Only the performance on the field - this season - matters. Emotion is not welcome here. Still interested? Here's the ingredients we use to make this delicious stew of math-based power rankings.