Weighted Pythagorean Ranking (PYTH)
After week 9
RK Prv TEAM Opp1 Opp2 Opp3 Opp4 Opp5 Opp6 Opp7 Opp8 Opp9 PYTH ProjW ProjL % 1 3 Miami Dolphins 1.054 0.946 0.329 0.843 0.860 0.758 0.788 0.999 0.822 13.2 2.8 1.0000 2 4 New York Giants 0.823 0.780 0.434 0.919 0.459 0.546 1.034 1.053 0.756 12.1 3.9 0.9196 3 6 Minnesota Vikings 1.033 0.483 0.076 0.904 0.970 0.642 0.829 0.809 0.718 11.5 4.5 0.8734 4 13 San Diego Chargers 0.189 0.929 0.744 0.371 0.767 0.976 0.946 0.782 0.713 11.4 4.6 0.8671 5 1 Jacksonville Jaguars 0.925 0.903 0.663 0.861 0.074 0.232 0.894 0.770 0.665 10.6 5.4 0.8090 6 5 New Orleans Saints 1.013 1.020 0.122 0.437 0.689 0.927 0.578 0.470 0.657 10.5 5.5 0.7990 7 12 New England Patriots 0.694 0.003 0.811 0.746 0.547 0.530 0.980 0.406 0.590 9.4 6.6 0.7174 8 15 Atlanta Falcons 0.085 0.653 0.848 0.568 0.766 0.849 0.920 0.000 0.586 9.4 6.6 0.7131 9 7 Baltimore Colts 0.959 0.500 0.679 0.570 0.634 0.497 0.612 0.088 0.567 9.1 6.9 0.6899 10 9 Seattle Seahawks 0.749 0.716 1.027 0.116 1.025 0.363 0.031 0.371 0.550 8.8 7.2 0.6685 11 8 San Francisco 49ers 0.167 0.574 0.919 0.754 0.801 0.133 0.627 0.438 0.474 0.543 8.7 7.3 0.6603 12 23 Dallas Cowboys 0.088 0.341 0.180 0.905 0.562 0.678 0.980 0.559 0.537 8.6 7.4 0.6529 13 16 Los Angeles Rams 0.770 0.287 0.411 0.696 0.495 0.271 0.541 0.634 0.513 8.2 7.8 0.6240 14 20 Detroit Lions 0.034 0.015 0.763 0.747 0.432 0.823 0.904 0.165 0.485 7.8 8.2 0.5903 15 11 Chicago Bears 0.882 0.177 0.372 0.942 0.139 0.315 0.026 0.952 0.476 7.6 8.4 0.5788 16 30 Oakland Raiders 0.018 0.109 0.004 0.263 0.873 0.849 0.952 0.735 0.475 7.6 8.4 0.5783 17 10 Arizona Cardinals 0.797 0.733 0.313 0.505 0.103 0.340 0.773 0.214 0.472 7.6 8.4 0.5743 18 2 Denver Broncos 0.902 0.580 0.674 0.746 0.002 0.574 0.075 0.029 0.448 7.2 8.8 0.5447 19 14 Houston Oilers 0.368 0.379 0.566 0.699 0.911 0.106 0.000 0.549 0.447 7.2 8.8 0.5438 20 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0.048 0.546 0.132 0.127 0.670 0.479 0.425 1.036 0.433 6.9 9.1 0.5265 21 24 Pittsburgh Steelers 0.162 0.300 0.500 0.838 0.547 0.526 0.364 0.160 0.425 6.8 9.2 0.5165 22 19 Philadelphia Eagles 0.101 0.601 0.482 0.081 0.978 0.578 0.021 0.544 0.423 6.8 9.2 0.5147 23 17 Green Bay Packers 0.041 0.902 0.946 0.131 0.177 0.115 0.753 0.267 0.417 6.7 9.3 0.5067 24 18 New York Jets 0.595 0.838 0.173 0.226 0.433 0.249 0.560 0.038 0.389 6.2 9.8 0.4733 25 21 Carolina Panthers 0.939 0.025 0.200 0.389 0.269 0.000 0.007 0.504 0.292 4.7 11.3 0.3548 26 22 Buffalo Bills 0.596 0.000 0.591 0.115 0.047 0.037 0.122 0.767 0.284 4.5 11.5 0.3458 27 27 Washington Redskins 0.000 0.327 0.192 0.374 0.026 0.263 0.313 0.662 0.359 0.279 4.5 11.5 0.3399 28 28 Cleveland Browns 0.130 0.445 0.104 0.119 0.780 0.000 0.037 0.189 0.225 3.6 12.4 0.2741 29 25 Cincinnati Bengals 0.306 0.016 0.648 0.011 0.358 0.003 0.079 0.336 0.220 3.5 12.5 0.2671 30 29 Kansas City Chiefs 0.097 0.257 0.138 0.091 0.010 0.107 0.000 0.051 0.094 1.5 14.5 0.1143
This poll ranks each team by applying the Pythagorean formula to their Points For (PF) and Points Allowed (PA). For football, statistic experts have found that an exponent of 2.37 seems to work best for predicting expected record for football. So the Pythagorean Theorem for football looks like this: PF^2.37 / (PF^2.37 + PA^2.37).
Some would argue that blowouts, especially extreme blowouts can artificially inflate or deflate a team's Pythagorean score depending on whether or not they received or doled out the beating. The solution for this margin of victory issue? The Pythagorean percentage is computed on a game by game basis. Because some opponents are stronger than others, each game's Pythagorean percentage is further adjusted by the strength of the opponent (based on their W/L% and their opponent's strength of schedules). Each game's score is then added together and divided by games played. This formula ensures each game is counted the same and lessens the effect of blowouts of weaker opponents.