Sterling Pro Football Net Point Power Rankings™

  NFL Intriguing Game of the Day Green Bay Packers (6-8) @ Miami Dolphins (8-6) Bias+ Score 2.4 Favors Miami Dolphins Close Bias+ matchups are inherently intriguing. This one features a hot new contender vs a legacy team with a former MVP who’s reticent. However, it’s playoff elimination time and the Packers at 6 and 8 can’t afford a loss as they are on the bubble and would be on the outside looking in if the season ended today. By comparison, the Miami Dolphins are in the Hunt.   If the season ended today, they would make the playoffs. The declared Bias+ score is a season long number and teams morph through the season. Some get better. Some get worse. Or so it seems. Many time it’s the ups and downs of the competition. So, let’s look at both the season numbers, recent numbers and the competition. Through the season, the Dolphins offense is rated 9 th at 24.6 points per game (ppg). They will face a Green Bay defense that’s rated 16 th allowing 22.4 ppg. The Pack...

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  NFL Intriguing Game of the Day Detroit Lions @ New York Jets Bias+ Score 0.2 Favors Detroit Lions   The interesting thing about tracking teams with the Sterling Net Point Power Rankings™ is the relative nature of these stats. On the Ben and Barry on Football Show™ , we discussed the “Rankings Differential”. That’s the difference between the Points For or scoring and the Points Against or defensive points allowed. My classic example is the Denver Broncos, where they mortgaged the future for one Russell Wilson and as of the last accounting, the Broncos were 4 th in Points Allowed and dead last (32 nd ) in scoring averaging 14.9 points per game. That’s a ranking differential of 28. The other relative comparison is between the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. For most of this season, they were both on track to have outstanding offensive scoring and dismal defensive performances. Seattle is ranked 6 th in scoring averaging 26.3 ppg. Their defense however is 30 ...

  NFL Intriguing Game of the Day Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans Bias+ Score 0.2 Favors Jacksonville Jaguars   Sometimes a game looks intriguing and you don’t know why. Yes, this game meets one of my main criteria, it’s the smallest Bias+ Score of the week at 0.2. Plus, this is a Divisional matchup which is always a bit unpredictable. Also, that it favors the 4 & 8 Jaguars over the 7 & 5 Titans. This dichotomy is at the core of why we study the point differentials. In addition, we dove deep to find an astonishing statistic so let’s go the numbers. We start with the Titans. The Titans are 1 st in the division and look to have a hold on a playoff spot. But they are not posing a Super Bowl Threat as their odds to win the Title are +4000. For reference’s sake, the Buffalo Bills are +380. The reasons behind this show up in their Net points where they rank 20 th at -1.8.  How is a team sporting such a winning record and be negative in their Point Mar...

  NFL Intriguing Game of the Day New York Jets @ Minnesota Vikings Bias+ Score 1.4 Favors New York Jets   When you look at this Bias+ score and see the NY Jets favored, you have to say whaaaat??? Aren’t the Minnesota Vikings 1 st in the NFC North Division and 2 nd in the National Conference with a 9 and 2 record? Then you look at the NY Jets. Aren’t they 3 rd in the AFC East with a 7 and 4 record? Strangely, the answer to all of these questions is YES and thus we have my ‘Intriguing Game of the Week.’ I’m famous for trying to put things in context…Kinda LOL. When you look at the context of the Division opponents, the picture, the impression changes. The record of the rest of the NFC North is 11 and 24 while the competition in the AFC East is 30 and 16. At 7 and 4, the Jets would be 1st in the NFC North. Let’s look at the numbers. The underdog Minnesota Vikings rank 13 th in Average Net Points (ANP) at +0.5 Net Points. This is the first Red Flag. How is a team 9...

  NFL Intriguing Game of the Day Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles Bias+ Score 18.1 Favors Philadelphia Eagles The traveling Aaron Rodgers Road Show coupled with the Eagles having the highest Bias+ favor of the weekend is just the start of what makes this my ‘Intriguing Game’. How about, it’s the $50 Million quarterback vs the $1.5 Million quarterback. Hmmm. Just this fact has so many implications beyond this game. But let’s stick with the game for now. That this game has the highest Bias+ Score of the week begs for some scrutiny. If you follow me on Facebook* you will see my weekly piece called the Bias+ Buster of the Week™. We celebrate the underdog that wins. In the past weeks we’ve seen the Lions beat the favored Giants, we saw the Washington Commanders win over these same Philadelphia Eagles and the drama laden New York Jets defeat the odds-on Super Bowl Favorite Buffalo Bills. We love this stuff. But can the Green Bay Packers overcome? Let’s look at the numbers....

  NFL Intriguing Game of the Week Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings Bias+ Score 0.5 Favors Dallas Cowboys   I hesitated to choose this game as my ‘Intriguing Game’ as it’s the NFL Game of the week. As such, this game will be scrutinized to the Nth degree. My normal criteria has more to do with where these teams are in my Sterling Net Point Power Rankings™ and the resulting Bias+ Scores.   This game has the smallest Bias+ score of the week and that’s a big qualifier. However, this game has many more qualifiers. In addition to the smallest Bias+ score, the Vikings are coming off of one of the biggest wins of the season after beating the consensus Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills. This while the Cowboys took home a tidy L from the struggling Green Bay Packers. Although, the Vikings rank 9 th in Average Net Points at +3.9, they rank 1 st in the NFL rankings at 8 wins, 1 loss over the 8 and 1 Philadelphia Eagles since the Vikings are undefeated in their Divisio...