Race for #1 AFC Seed

[MojoMan]

Fortunately, ESPN has a page that calculates Strength of Victory:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/type/playoffs

Here are the current rankings for these three teams:

CONF RK	AFC	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1	Baltimore 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	5-2-0	.490	.529	AFC North Champ (Wins tie break over Pittsburgh based on head-to-head win percentage.)
Wins tie break over Houston based on head-to-head win percentage.
2	Houston 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	6-2-0	.460	.371	AFC South Champ
3	New England 	6	3	0	.667	3-1-0	5-2-0	.522	.483	AFC East Champ

However, please note that New England actually has the highest SOV, but that is calculated before playing Kansas City tonight. Nevertheless, it appears likely that the Texans will take the third seed, unless these numbers change more drastically than I think. It is going to be hard to use this criteria before the end of the season.

The upside is that there are still six more games and the first tie breaker is still wins and losses. If the Texans don't continue to win, none of this tie-breaker business is going to matter anyway.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by MojoMan

Fortunately, ESPN has a page that calculates Strength of Victory:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/type/playoffs

Here are the current rankings for these three teams:

CONF RK	AFC	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1	Baltimore 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	5-2-0	.490	.529	AFC North Champ (Wins tie break over Pittsburgh based on head-to-head win percentage.)
Wins tie break over Houston based on head-to-head win percentage.
2	Houston 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	6-2-0	.460	.371	AFC South Champ
3	New England 	6	3	0	.667	3-1-0	5-2-0	.522	.483	AFC East Champ

So far, our SOV is .371

& the second half of our schedule is easier than the first.

Wow.

[Cerberus]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Watched every one of them. And I say again, you're comparing him to Foster, Tate, and Ward. Most the league pales in comparison to that trio. Foster and Tate are two of the top ten RBs in the league. Ward would start on some teams and, at a minimum, be a solid #2 on others (I'll bet the Giants wished they had him back given how their running game sucked tonight). Of course Chris O. looked bad compared to those guys.

I'll agree that he wasn't a fit for our zone blocking scheme. That's why he's elsewhere. But "horrible"...? okay, horrible for us. Okay enough for Cleveland. How about that?

Wow. While Ben Tate may be in the Top 10 RBs statistically speaking, I hardly think he is in the Top 10 overall. Think about it for a minute: Gore, Foster, McFadden, Forte, Peterson, C. Johnson, MJDrew, McCoy, F. Jackson, M. Turner, S. Jackson, Benson, Rice, etc. . . . As for Ward, he was discarded by the Giants, couldn't cut it in Miami, and is now a 3rd string RB.

Just tryin' to keep it real.

[BattleRedSnoop]

Of course tha Jags are going to play against hard on tha road. It's still a division rival so I know they're going to fight. What team do you know that can just blow every team out? We need some tough games but I still think that we are capable of handling our business. Tha Bengals on tha road will be our toughest challenge in my opinion.

[euro-Texan]

I think NY wanted to keep Ward. He was playing real well when he left in FA. Then he went to Tampa vice Miami

[BattleRedSnoop]

People are really starting to piss me off sayin that we're going to win tha division with a 7-9 record. You REALLY think that we will lose ALL 6 of tha games that we have left?! I don't care if it's Leinart or Schaub under center, with a running game and a defense like that there is NO way in hell we'll go on a 6 game losing streak to close out tha season. I'll put money on that..

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by BattleRedSnoop

People are really starting to piss me off sayin that we're going to win tha division with a 7-9 record. You REALLY think that we will lose ALL 6 of tha games that we have left?! I don't care if it's Leinart or Schaub under center, with a running game and a defense like that there is NO way in hell we'll go on a 6 game losing streak to close out tha season. I'll put money on that..

I just like to tell them on GoTitans that we're going to win it with a 7-9 record. I don't really mean it.

[ChampionTexan]

Originally Posted by BattleRedSnoop

People are really starting to piss me off sayin that we're going to win tha division with a 7-9 record. You REALLY think that we will lose ALL 6 of tha games that we have left?! I don't care if it's Leinart or Schaub under center, with a running game and a defense like that there is NO way in hell we'll go on a 6 game losing streak to close out tha season. I'll put money on that..

Uhmmmmm.... who's been saying that?

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by BattleRedSnoop

People are really starting to piss me off sayin that we're going to win tha division with a 7-9 record. You REALLY think that we will lose ALL 6 of tha games that we have left?! I don't care if it's Leinart or Schaub under center, with a running game and a defense like that there is NO way in hell we'll go on a 6 game losing streak to close out tha season. I'll put money on that..

I don't know; we could do it.

[MojoMan]

After New England's win last night, the Texans are the #3 seed in the AFC:

CONF RK	AFC	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1	New England 	7	3	0	.700	3-1-0	6-2-0	.510	.471	AFC East Champ
Wins tie break over Houston based on strength of victory. Wins tie break over Baltimore based on best win percentage in conference games.
2	Baltimore 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	5-2-0	.490	.529	AFC North Champ (Wins tie break over Pittsburgh based on head-to-head win percentage.)
Wins tie break over Houston based on head-to-head win percentage.
3	Houston 	7	3	0	.700	3-0-0	6-2-0	.460	.371	AFC South Champ

http://espn.go.com/nfl/standings/_/type/playoffs

[HJam72]

Very important to remember that at this point in time Jax wins the tie-breaker over Miami because of winning percentage in conference games, just in case they both magically win-out and (among other things) Leinart vomits on his career.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Cerberus

Wow. While Ben Tate may be in the Top 10 RBs statistically speaking, I hardly think he is in the Top 10 overall. Think about it for a minute: Gore, Foster, McFadden, Forte, Peterson, C. Johnson, MJDrew, McCoy, F. Jackson, M. Turner, S. Jackson, Benson, Rice, etc. . . . As for Ward, he was discarded by the Giants, couldn't cut it in Miami, and is now a 3rd string RB.

Just tryin' to keep it real.

I did "think about it for a minute".
Every back you listed is THE feature back for their team. Tate is, technically, a backup. Yet his stats are right there with all those guys. Tate is waaay better than this year's edition of Chris Johnson.
He's younger and faster than C. Benson.
He's bigger and stronger than Ray Rice.
He's younger than Frank Gore and the Jackson brothers (Steve and Fred) who are sneaking up on every RB's Kryptonite, the age of 30. In fact, Fred IS 30.

So I'd put Tate in the top ten of current RBs especially given his production on limited touches.

[badboy]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

I did "think about it for a minute".
Every back you listed is THE feature back for their team. Tate is, technically, a backup. Yet his stats are right there with all those guys. Tate is waaay better than this year's edition of Chris Johnson.
He's younger and faster than C. Benson.
He's bigger and stronger than Ray Rice.
He's younger than Frank Gore and the Jackson brothers (Steve and Fred) who are sneaking up on every RB's Kryptonite, the age of 30. In fact, Fred IS 30.

So I'd put Tate in the top ten of current RBs especially given his production on limited touches.

Good post Obsi, I take Tate over C Johnson.