Best Teams Heading Into Playoffs

A reader, Todd Huotari, had a good question about my power rankings. He saw the 1-week difference in team strength and the 3-week difference, but both of those are cumulative numbers. Knowing what Russell Wilson’s passer rating was three weeks ago and what it is today can show a trend, but figuring out his passer rating just in the last three weeks tucks away past performance and allows you to see just how he is playing lately. That is what Huotari wanted to know, and he took the time to figure out using the my power rankings formula that I share each week. The results are interesting, and give a different perspective on which teams have been hottest heading into the playoffs.

Hawk Blogger Power Rankings - Season : Last 3 Weeks Comparison

As you can see, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Cincinnati are all hot in the AFC. Only Philadelphia stands out in the NFC. Surprisingly, with all the hand-wringing about Seattle’s slower finish, they have been the second-strongest team in the NFC the last three weeks by this ranking system.

Time will tell if the hotter teams are the winning teams this weekend.