Our decision -- OK, my decision -- to establish clear tiebreakers for ESPN.com's Power Rankings didn't convince everyone.
The Saints prevailed over the Colts in the No. 1 spot last week on the fourth tiebreaker: previous ranking.
The first three -- head-to-head results, overall record and which team won most recently -- failed to break the ties.
"Mike, you guys had a tough decision to make, but by your own rules, you've gotten it wrong," Andrew from Indianapolis wrote. "There is no clarification on the scope of this third tiebreaker. The Colts currently have a 18-game regular-season winning streak whereas the Saints lost the last game of the 2008 season. I believe you have some re-ordering to do."
Thanks for the feedback, Andrew, but we cannot un-ring this bell.
The way I read the tiebreaker, both teams won in the previous week and both teams had won every week this season. I wasn't going to dip into last season. The Colts lost in the playoffs. Should that count? I'm comfortable with the tiebreakers as interpreted, even though it's tough to say one team is clearly better than the other at this point.
Let's clarify the third tiebreaker to include which team won most recently this season.
By the way, the chart shows rankings from last week, with Week 11 losers in red. New power rankings appear here Tuesday.
And now, the power rankings revisited ...
The reckoning: Three games featured lower-ranked teams defeating higher-ranked teams:
Homing in: The Browns and Rams both lost at home despite inflicting injuries upon opposing quarterbacks. We should expect nothing less from the only teams without at least one home victory this season.
Rising in defeat: The Redskins? They played the Cowboys tough on the road and nearly won the game.
Northbound in a hurry: The Chargers have won five in a row. The Titans will have won four in a row if they can beat the Texans. The Jaguars, Vikings and Cardinals have each won three in a row, but Minnesota doesn't have much room for improvement in the power rankings. Arizona could challenge for the top five after the Bengals and Steelers lost to weak opponents.
On a roll: The top seven teams in the NFC standings (not the power rankings) have won a combined 21 games in a row (Saints 10, Vikings 3, Cowboys 1, Cardinals 3, Eagles 1, Packers 2, Giants 1).
Free falling: The Bears and Broncos can't find the ripcord, while the Seahawks have been outscored 66-15 since taking a 14-0 lead over the Cardinals in Week 10.
My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: Indianapolis. The Saints are also worthy. What's not to like about teams with 10-0 records?
The Saints prevailed over the Colts in the No. 1 spot last week on the fourth tiebreaker: previous ranking.
Power rankings revisited
| Rk | Tm |  |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NO | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | IND | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | MIN | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | CIN | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | NE | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | PIT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | ARI | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | SD | 8 | 11 | 9 | 6 |
| 9 | DEN | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | DAL | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| 11 | BAL | 9 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| 12 | PHI | 12 | 9 | 14 | 15 |
| 13 | HOU | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| 14 | ATL | 15 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| 15 | GB | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| 16 | NYG | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | JAC | 21 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| 18 | MIA | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
| 19 | SF | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | CAR | 13 | 23 | 22 | 20 |
| 21 | NYJ | 22 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | TEN | 19 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | CHI | 23 | 21 | 24 | 22 |
| 24 | WAS | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 |
| 25 | SEA | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
| 26 | BUF | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | KC | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| 28 | OAK | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
| 29 | TB | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 30 | STL | 27 | 30 | 32 | 29 |
| 31 | DET | 32 | 31 | 28 | 30 |
| 32 | CLE | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 |
"Mike, you guys had a tough decision to make, but by your own rules, you've gotten it wrong," Andrew from Indianapolis wrote. "There is no clarification on the scope of this third tiebreaker. The Colts currently have a 18-game regular-season winning streak whereas the Saints lost the last game of the 2008 season. I believe you have some re-ordering to do."
Thanks for the feedback, Andrew, but we cannot un-ring this bell.
The way I read the tiebreaker, both teams won in the previous week and both teams had won every week this season. I wasn't going to dip into last season. The Colts lost in the playoffs. Should that count? I'm comfortable with the tiebreakers as interpreted, even though it's tough to say one team is clearly better than the other at this point.
Let's clarify the third tiebreaker to include which team won most recently this season.
By the way, the chart shows rankings from last week, with Week 11 losers in red. New power rankings appear here Tuesday.
And now, the power rankings revisited ...
The reckoning: Three games featured lower-ranked teams defeating higher-ranked teams:
- (28) Oakland 20, (4) Cincinnati 17. And to think, I almost started Carson Palmer in the NFC West Gridiron Challenge. The Raiders have allowed only eight touchdown passes all season.
- (27) Kansas City 27, (6) Pittsburgh 24 (OT). Todd Haley would have traded this one for a victory over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.
- (16) New York Giants 34, (14) Atlanta 31. Both quarterbacks needed to make big plays, and they did. Eli Manning and Matt Ryan combined for five touchdowns and one interception.
Homing in: The Browns and Rams both lost at home despite inflicting injuries upon opposing quarterbacks. We should expect nothing less from the only teams without at least one home victory this season.
Rising in defeat: The Redskins? They played the Cowboys tough on the road and nearly won the game.
Northbound in a hurry: The Chargers have won five in a row. The Titans will have won four in a row if they can beat the Texans. The Jaguars, Vikings and Cardinals have each won three in a row, but Minnesota doesn't have much room for improvement in the power rankings. Arizona could challenge for the top five after the Bengals and Steelers lost to weak opponents.
On a roll: The top seven teams in the NFC standings (not the power rankings) have won a combined 21 games in a row (Saints 10, Vikings 3, Cowboys 1, Cardinals 3, Eagles 1, Packers 2, Giants 1).
Free falling: The Bears and Broncos can't find the ripcord, while the Seahawks have been outscored 66-15 since taking a 14-0 lead over the Cardinals in Week 10.
My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: Indianapolis. The Saints are also worthy. What's not to like about teams with 10-0 records?
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