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We love a good power rankings here at Fake Teams (who doesn’t) and now we’ve reached the end of the first quarter of the season, its time to share where your favorite NFL teams fall in the the pecking order. These rankings are a bit different from the majority of opinion based polls out there, as they are a statistical rankings based on over 40 different metrics, weighted to give every team an efficiency rating for their offense, defense and special teams, with an overall rating based on the three phases combined.
The team that tops the initial rankings through four weeks is the Indianapolis Colts, with a total rating of +35.4%. Their early success is thanks to having the top rated defense in the league (-19.1%), and they have been extremely difficult to pass against, conceding just 672 passing yards through four games (168 yards per game), with a league-leading seven interceptions. Offensively they have been solid too, ranking 12th overall with a +49.1% rating, led by Philip Rivers who currently ranks in the top 10 in my quarterback efficiency. None of the teams they have defeated so far (Jaguars, Vikings, Jets and Bears) rank in the top half of teams so far, and with the Browns, Bengals, a Week 7 bye and then the Lions in Week 8, they are in a great position to continue to push to be atop the rankings when we revisit in a month.
Second to the Colts are another 3-1 team in the Buccaneers (+32.5%), who bounced back from a Week 1 defeat to outscore their opponents 97-58 over the last three weeks. The Buccaneers are the only team through the first four weeks to rate in the top 10 for offense (10th), defense (4th) and Special Teams (4th), showing how balanced they are as a team, a great sign moving forward, especially traveling to the high-flying Packers in Week 6.
At the bottom of the rankings we find the lowly New York Jets, who with a rating of -51.4%, are on an early course to finish as the worst rated team I’ve ever graded. I’ve been tracking these ratings since the 2007 season and between then and 2019, the worst team I’ve rated to date is the 2009 Lions, who finished with a season-long rating of -40.5%. The 2020 Jets currently rank 31st in offense (+13.4%) and 22nd in defense (-51.9%), and head into the next quarter of the season with Joe Flacco under center with Sam Darnold currently sidelined with a shoulder injury.
From an offensive standpoint, the undefeated Packers head into their Week 5 bye boasting the league’s top-rated attack. Their +71.6% rating is the highest I’ve ever recorded and is currently outpacing even the 2007 Patriots (+60.5%) through the first quarter of the season. Aaron Rodgers’ form has been outstanding and he tops my quarterback efficiency rankings with a record rating, with strong support from the ground game which currently ranks 9th. They have faced four defenses ranked 20th or lower so far and so matching up with a top 5 defense in the Buccaneers after their bye will prevent a bigger challenge.
I will caveat the rankings to say that because of the postponement of the Titans and Steelers match up from Week 4, its inevitable that those teams, more so than the other 30, are going to be in a false position, though that will start to even itself out when we revisit the rankings after Week 8.
Fake Teams NFL Power Rankings 2020
| Team | Games Played | Record | Total Rating | Total Rank | Offense | Offense Rank | Defense | Defense Rank | Special Teams | Special Teams Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Games Played | Record | Total Rating | Total Rank | Offense | Offense Rank | Defense | Defense Rank | Special Teams | Special Teams Rank |
| Colts | 4 | 3-1 | 35.4% | 1 | 49.1% | 12 | -19.1% | 1 | 3.1% | 14 |
| Buccaneers | 4 | 3-1 | 32.5% | 2 | 51.3% | 10 | -29.7% | 4 | 22.9% | 4 |
| Steelers | 3 | 3-0 | 31.9% | 3 | 50.0% | 11 | -25.8% | 2 | 12.5% | 7 |
| Chiefs | 4 | 4-0 | 25.0% | 4 | 60.3% | 3 | -35.9% | 5 | -8.3% | 22 |
| Seahawks | 4 | 4-0 | 22.5% | 5 | 62.2% | 2 | -47.2% | 19 | 15.6% | 6 |
| Ravens | 4 | 3-1 | 22.5% | 5 | 46.6% | 17 | -38.8% | 8 | 39.6% | 1 |
| Rams | 4 | 3-1 | 19.3% | 7 | 58.8% | 4 | -39.7% | 9 | -7.3% | 21 |
| Packers | 4 | 4-0 | 18.6% | 8 | 71.6% | 1 | -51.6% | 21 | -12.5% | 25 |
| 49ers | 4 | 2-2 | 17.5% | 9 | 43.1% | 21 | -26.3% | 3 | -5.2% | 20 |
| Bills | 4 | 4-0 | 15.4% | 10 | 57.5% | 5 | -45.6% | 16 | 5.2% | 12 |
| Saints | 4 | 2-2 | 6.4% | 11 | 56.6% | 7 | -49.7% | 20 | -4.2% | 19 |
| Cardinals | 4 | 2-2 | 3.9% | 12 | 47.5% | 14 | -43.1% | 12 | -3.1% | 18 |
| Browns | 4 | 3-1 | 3.6% | 13 | 55.0% | 9 | -46.6% | 18 | -17.7% | 27 |
| Titans | 3 | 3-0 | 3.3% | 14 | 56.7% | 6 | -55.8% | 26 | 6.9% | 11 |
| Panthers | 4 | 2-2 | 0.0% | 15 | 47.5% | 14 | -53.1% | 23 | 18.8% | 5 |
| Patriots | 4 | 2-2 | -0.4% | 16 | 40.0% | 24 | -43.8% | 14 | 11.5% | 8 |
| Bears | 4 | 3-1 | -3.2% | 17 | 36.3% | 25 | -35.9% | 5 | -10.4% | 24 |
| Bengals | 4 | 1-2-1 | -3.9% | 18 | 33.8% | 26 | -45.9% | 17 | 29.2% | 2 |
| Cowboys | 4 | 1-3 | -8.9% | 19 | 55.9% | 8 | -61.3% | 32 | -8.3% | 22 |
| Chargers | 4 | 1-3 | -9.6% | 20 | 45.0% | 18 | -44.7% | 15 | -29.2% | 32 |
| Raiders | 4 | 2-2 | -10.7% | 21 | 48.1% | 13 | -59.7% | 28 | 7.3% | 9 |
| Lions | 4 | 1-3 | -11.4% | 22 | 40.3% | 23 | -58.4% | 27 | 27.1% | 3 |
| Dolphins | 4 | 1-3 | -11.4% | 22 | 44.4% | 19 | -55.6% | 25 | 4.2% | 13 |
| Vikings | 4 | 1-3 | -12.1% | 24 | 43.8% | 20 | -54.4% | 24 | 0.0% | 16 |
| Broncos | 4 | 1-3 | -17.1% | 25 | 25.9% | 30 | -43.1% | 12 | 7.3% | 9 |
| Eagles | 4 | 1-2-1 | -21.8% | 26 | 28.8% | 28 | -41.9% | 10 | -19.8% | 28 |
| Washington | 4 | 1-3 | -22.1% | 27 | 27.2% | 29 | -41.9% | 10 | -15.6% | 26 |
| Falcons | 4 | 0-4 | -22.9% | 28 | 46.9% | 16 | -60.3% | 29 | -21.9% | 30 |
| Jaguars | 4 | 1-3 | -26.8% | 29 | 43.1% | 21 | -60.3% | 29 | -20.8% | 29 |
| Texans | 4 | 0-4 | -31.4% | 30 | 33.1% | 27 | -60.3% | 29 | -1.0% | 17 |
| Giants | 4 | 0-4 | -34.6% | 31 | 7.8% | 32 | -38.4% | 7 | 1.0% | 15 |
| Jets | 4 | 0-4 | -51.4% | 32 | 13.4% | 31 | -51.9% | 22 | -21.9% | 30 |