2012 NFL Consensus Power Rankings: Pre-Season Week 1

Just like the majority of NFL players are gearing up to play their first 2012 NFL pre-season game this week, I too must practice in preparation for the regular season. So it's time to dust off the cobwebs and boot up the Rankings Machine and get it to crunch numbers again.

The good news for the Rankings Machine is that a lot of pundits are taking the summer off still. But, there are still some dedicated professionals out there that work over the summer and provide us with new content in the form of the Subjective Power Rankings.

We'll call this the Diet Coke of Power Rankings (I'm sure I've used that phrase before, oh well).

Notable Quotes

SBNation

The Chargers seem to have the talent to be one the league's top teams, but they'll once again be battling against luck, health and coaching. 2010 was the year of disastrous Special Teams, and 2011 was the year of Greg Manusky, disastrous Defensive Coordinator. If first-year DC John Pagano (brother of Chuck Pagano) can be as good as his brother was with the Ravens, the Chargers should have no problem making the playoffs.

This guy ... this guy gets it.

SportingNews

They still have the top-line talent to make up for two disappointing, playoff-less seasons. More consistency, both from Philip Rivers and a defense led by new coordinator John Pagano, will put them neck-and-neck with Denver.

So does this guy.

ProFootballTalk

We ranked the Chargers as a middle-of-the-pack team for 2012 because Turner has been on the job for five seasons, and San Diego's final-year positioning has essentially gotten worse on an annual basis. Some of it has to do with bad luck. Most of it has to do with underachieving, and we're not sold that the '12 Chargers are good enough to push the envelope they've established in the AFC.

We'll just have to see about that, now won't we?

Division Averages

My initial gut reaction to this ranking is that the AFC West is woefully underrated. But then I got thinking about it and I don't think overall ranking is a good measurement of a division's competitiveness. In future editions, I think I'll start incorporating divisional Standard Deviation too. That way it'll show which divisions are more tightly-grouped, and thus more competitive with each other.

Subjective Average

	Subjective
Packers	3	2	1	2	1	1		1.667		0.745
Giants	1	1	3	1	3	3		2.000		1.000
Patriots	2	3	2	3	2	2		2.333		0.471
49ers	5	6	4	4	4	4		4.500		0.764
Texans	6	4	7	5	5	6		5.500		0.957
Ravens	4	11	5	6	6	5		6.167		2.267
Steelers	8	5	6	8	7	7		6.833		1.067
Eagles	7	8	8	9	10	8		8.333		0.943
Broncos	10	13	10	7	9	10		9.833		1.772
Saints	13	9	9	12	8	9		10.000		1.826
Lions	9	10	13	11	11	12		11.000		1.291
Falcons	12	7	12	13	13	13		11.667		2.134
Bears	11	15	11	15	12	11		12.500		1.803
Cowboys	14	14	14	10	15	15		13.667		1.700
Bengals	16	12	15	14	16	14		14.500		1.384
Chargers	15	17	16	16	14	16		15.667		0.943
Jets	20	19	18	19	19	17		18.667		0.943
Bills	23	18	19	17	17	19		18.833		2.034
Titans	18	23	20	18	20	21		20.000		1.732
Panthers	21	24	17	21	18	20		20.167		2.267
Chiefs	17	22	21	23	21	18		20.333		2.134
Seahawks	22	20	22	20	22	22		21.333		0.943
Cardinals	19	16	25	24	26	23		22.167		3.532
Buccaneers	24	26	26	22	25	26		24.833		1.463
Redskins	25	27	24	25	23	25		24.833		1.213
Raiders	26	21	23	32	24	24		25.000		3.464
Dolphins	27	28	27	28	27	27		27.333		0.471
Jaguars	28	25	30	26	29	31		28.167		2.115
Rams	29	29	28	30	28	28		28.667		0.745
Vikings	31	30	29	31	30	29		30.000		0.817
Browns	30	31	32	27	32	30		30.333		1.700
Colts	32	32	31	29	31	32		31.167		1.067

Observations:

• Not a lot has changed since the end of the 2011 regular season. It would seem the expectation is the Chargers are going to be an "average" team (by average, I'm using the "median" definition).
• CBS, you okay there? Cardinals better than the Chargers? Okay ...
• Of course, in the AFC West, the Denver Broncos are getting all the sizzle. Picking up a future-Hall of Fame Quarterback during Free Agency will do that. I have my doubts of just how good the Broncos will be this year, but I'm not going to analyze it too much.
• I certainly think the Kansas City Chiefs will be better than a bottom-third team this year. Their draft wasn't anything that special, but they're getting some key players back from injury. Not to mention they'll have a 4th-place schedule this year. They could be dangerous.
• SportingNews has the Raiders at #32? I know they're a mess and all, but the worst team in the league? I'm not so sure.
• Slightly amused by the fact that Green Bay is still ranked higher than the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
• Last year, expectations were a bit high for the Rams. Not so much this year.

Subjective Standard Deviation

	Subjective
Dolphins	27	28	27	28	27	27		27.333		0.471
Patriots	2	3	2	3	2	2		2.333		0.471
Rams	29	29	28	30	28	28		28.667		0.745
Packers	3	2	1	2	1	1		1.667		0.745
49ers	5	6	4	4	4	4		4.500		0.764
Vikings	31	30	29	31	30	29		30.000		0.817
Chargers	15	17	16	16	14	16		15.667		0.943
Eagles	7	8	8	9	10	8		8.333		0.943
Jets	20	19	18	19	19	17		18.667		0.943
Seahawks	22	20	22	20	22	22		21.333		0.943
Texans	6	4	7	5	5	6		5.500		0.957
Giants	1	1	3	1	3	3		2.000		1.000
Steelers	8	5	6	8	7	7		6.833		1.067
Colts	32	32	31	29	31	32		31.167		1.067
Redskins	25	27	24	25	23	25		24.833		1.213
Lions	9	10	13	11	11	12		11.000		1.291
Bengals	16	12	15	14	16	14		14.500		1.384
Buccaneers	24	26	26	22	25	26		24.833		1.463
Browns	30	31	32	27	32	30		30.333		1.700
Cowboys	14	14	14	10	15	15		13.667		1.700
Titans	18	23	20	18	20	21		20.000		1.732
Broncos	10	13	10	7	9	10		9.833		1.772
Bears	11	15	11	15	12	11		12.500		1.803
Saints	13	9	9	12	8	9		10.000		1.826
Bills	23	18	19	17	17	19		18.833		2.034
Jaguars	28	25	30	26	29	31		28.167		2.115
Chiefs	17	22	21	23	21	18		20.333		2.134
Falcons	12	7	12	13	13	13		11.667		2.134
Ravens	4	11	5	6	6	5		6.167		2.267
Panthers	21	24	17	21	18	20		20.167		2.267
Raiders	26	21	23	32	24	24		25.000		3.464
Cardinals	19	16	25	24	26	23		22.167		3.532

Observations:

• Dolphins and Patriots are equally consistent in their rankings, just at opposite ends of the spectrum.
• Chargers have a pretty solid hold on that #16 spot.
• The Cowboys would have been very consistently ranked had the crackpots at SportingNews not put them in the top 10. Seriously?
• Also, CBS is a lone wolf in thinking the Ravens will be weaker than everyone else thinks.
• Some people want to believe in the Panthers, others not so much.
• Who knows what to think about the Raiders or Cardinals?

Sources

• ESPN
• CBS
• ProFootballTalk
• SportingNews
• SB Nation
• Associated Press