Week 8 BES Rankings

The BES was an impressive 9-3-1 (.731) in Week 8 based on our Week 7 report.
One of those three losses was a monumental 20-10 upset suffered by the Vikings (5-2) at the hands of the Bears (2-6).  The loss penalized the Vikings’ BES Overall score by another .22 points giving  them a mere .01 point lead over the ever-surging, No. 2-ranked Cowboys (6-1) .

Also gnawing at the Vikings’ diminishing hold on the No. 1 spot atop our rankings are the Patriots (7-1) who, under All-Cosmos quarterback Tom Brady, are asserting their dominance over the AFC and quite arguably the entire league. Brady has had at his disposal a completely healthy surrounding cast that has helped the Patriots seize the title of No. 1 BES Offense in this week’s rankings.

Fallen from the BES Top-10 are the Eagles (4-3) who have now lost three of their last four games, including a pair of divisional losses to the Redskins (4-3-1) and Cowboys. That is something the BES can’t forgive enough to permit the Eagles’ continued occupancy of the top-10 thus their steep descent from No. 7  last week to  No. 14 in this week’s report.

Replacing the Eagles among the top-10 are the Chiefs (5-2) who, despite their record, toil in third place in an embattled AFC West behind the Raiders (6-2) and Broncos (6-2). The Chiefs will host the Jaguars in Week 9 while the Raiders and Broncos will battle for sole possession of the division lead.

On the outskirts of the top-10 we find the Titans (4-4) grinding their way up our rankings after a jump from No. 22 to No. 14. Under the quiet leadership  of second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Titans have established themselves as a throwback, run-first team that chokes the clock and relentlessly attacks on defense. However, three of the next four games are on the road which somewhat dims their odds of overtaking the Texans (5-3) for the lead in the AFC South.

Requisite Reads for Newcomers:

• About the BES
• BES Upgrades for 2016