The BES Report An Innovative Look at NFL Team Performance
After a rather wild Week 8 in the NFL, our latest BES rankings reveals some shifting among the Top-5 as well as newcomers to the Top-10 who might be mounting a second half surge toward the postseason.
The Patriots hold No. 1 for a fifth consecutive week after sweeping the first round of their AFC East battles. They arguably won’t face another viable threat until Week 12 when they visit the Broncos (7-0) who secured fourth-place after a demonstrative 29-10 win over the Packers (6-1).
Although our BES Game of Week 8 was the Packers at Broncos, we might have been better served previewing the Giants (4-4) at Saints (4-4) which resulted in the Saints winning a 52-49 shootout. The win sent the Saints into the Top-10 where they landed at No. 9 thus bumping the Giants down to No. 10.
Joining the Saints in their invasion of the Top-10 was the Rams (4-3) who jumped from No. 11 in our Week 7 Rankings to No. 7 this week. The Rams are 3-0 in the NFC West and playing some impressive football, particularly on defense where they now rank No. 2 in the BES.
Fallen from the BES Top-10 are the Falcons (6-2) and the Colts (3-5). After struggling to a 10-7 win over the Titans (No. 32) in Week 7 and losing to both the Saints and Buccaneers (No. 22) in Weeks 6 and 8 respectively, the Falcons could no longer hold their previous position at No. 6.
Meanwhile, the Colts enjoyed an exciting yet short-lived stay in the Top-10 after a heart-breaking, 29-26 overtime loss to the Panthers who moved into the No. 3 slot this week.
