Where Are the Chargers on Power Rankings This Week?

Week 11 is now officially in the books. As you probably know, the last few weeks have been fairly unkind to the AFC West, but the Chargers have weathered the storm better than any of their nearest foes.

Power Rankings are largely arbitrary numbers that don’t mean jack squat. However, they’re fun to read and look at. At their most helpful, they give fans an idea of how each team compares with others. The top of the pack is pretty consistent for most power rankings: The Eagles are the cream of the crop, with the Patriots, Steelers, and Saints/Vikings rounding out the top 4.

The LA Chargers are still on the outside-looking-in in both playoff chances and league-wide respect. Their 4-6 record is hard to overlook. Here are the pre-week 12 standings, with pre-week 11 marks for the Chargers to compare.

As you can see, the Chargers are averaging a placement of 15th in the league. This is a good improvement over the last week, where they were averaging 19th.

I think that both weeks are fairly accurate to measure how the Chargers compared to the rest of the league. They really demonstrated that they have some power, and the league is starting to take notice. Keep in mind— that doesn’t mean that they’ve made a splash, and it certainly doesn’t mean that they’re being taken seriously as contenders quite yet.

Thursday’s showdown with the Cowboys marks a crucial turning point for both franchises this season. Both teams have to win to keep postseason aspirations alive. A tie would really mess things up, so I’m going to have to believe that will be the outcome.

-Jason “Fear. The league is Rank with it” Michaels