Power Rankings

[RenoRaiders75]

I don't care about the power rankings but I do read then for whatever reason. I don't care that the Raiders are the last 1 win teams, but I just wanted to say, in the history of reading power rankings these might be the worse I have ever see.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/498 ... ers-debuts

[mranquales]

Seriously, you can argue until the end of time but power rankings use all the data possible to achieve the ranking, who you play, how you play and strength of your squad. Nobody, other than you, would ever think the Raiders should be ranked in the top 16 after one win vs one of the worst teams in the league. Wins factor in, but it is designed to take the totality of a team into consideration. Arizona won, that does not mean they are a top 16 team. Rams lost, that does not mean Arizona is better than the Rams and should be ranked higher. Sorry, you are wrong in my opinion.

But who did Arizona beat? That only adds to my point. You can't downplay the Cards if you truly think they are a bottom 5 team and then gas up the Chargers in that case. The Chargers are worse going into week 2 against us than they were in week 1.

Stafford is long in the tooth; this could be his final year. They already drafted and are currently grooming his replacement. The Rams did not look good against the 49ers. Yes, they are below the Raiders headed into week 2 imo.

Again, the rankings change every week anyway. The Rams being ranked lower than the Raiders and Cards RIGHT NOW is not a travesty. By your logic, the Chargers are still ranked higher than the Raiders if we beat them and are 2-0. That makes zero sense, and you know it.

[Attyla]

But who did Arizona beat? That only adds to my point. You can't downplay the Cards if you truly think they are a bottom 5 team and then gas up the Chargers in that case. The Chargers are worse going into week 2 against us than they were in week 1. Stafford is long in the tooth; this could be his final year. They already drafted and are currently grooming his replacement. The Rams did not look good against the 49ers. Yes, they are below the Raiders headed into week 2 imo.

Again, the rankings change every week anyway. The Rams being ranked lower than the Raiders and Cards RIGHT NOW is not a travesty. By your logic, the Chargers are still ranked higher than the Raiders if we beat them and are 2-0. That makes zero sense, and you know it.

Again, wins is just one factor. But you proved me right just now. You took the win, and then took into the power of the team Arizona beat. That is how a power ranking works. We did not move up because we played one of the weakest teams and we also threw two picks in that game. It is not the wins that matter, it is the totality that matters. Arizona did not move into the top 16 because they are a weak team according to pretty much everyone who knows their stuff but caught a more powerful team off guard. That and the fact that the Chargers line is beat up pretty bad. Thus the power of that win was lowered as a result. Wins is just one factor.

Going into week 2, who knows what will happen. That is why the power rankings change. It is not uncommon for teams with fewer wins to be ahead of teams with more wins because it is not determined by wins. It would be easy to rank teams by wins. But the discussion aspect of a power ranking is based on the factors that serve more as opinions. And like many things in sports, it is the discussion aspect that matters most. Without the opinion, the fact is one very boring discussion. Hey the Raiders won. end of discussion. Hey the Raiders won but the power ranking on (insert site) has them ranked at 26. The "why" is where the discussion gets interesting and engaging. You don't get that with just using the record alone.

[mranquales]

Again, wins is just one factor. But you proved me right just now. You took the win, and then took into the power of the team Arizona beat. That is how a power ranking works. We did not move up because we played one of the weakest teams and we also threw two picks in that game. It is not the wins that matter, it is the totality that matters. Arizona did not move into the top 16 because they are a weak team according to pretty much everyone who knows their stuff but caught a more powerful team off guard. That and the fact that the Chargers line is beat up pretty bad. Thus the power of that win was lowered as a result. Wins is just one factor.

This is where we respectfully reach the inevitable conclusion of both talking points. I'm using standard objectivity (wins, who the best ranked QB's are the last 5 years, offensive/defensive rankings, ect.), and you're veering off into subjectivity. That's where we separate. I'm using some nuance as well, but to a much lesser extent.

By what objective metric are the Cards worse than the Chargers going into week 2? By what objective metric this year are the Chargers better than the Raiders this year? It would appear your line of thinking seems to be, 'I think Justin Herbert is _____, therefore the Chargers are _____". I respectfully disagree with that line of thinking.

Yes, Herbert is objectively an upgrade over Kirk right now, but the Raiders have a better overall offense (TE, RB, LINE) right now than the Chargers. So do the Cards (MHjr, Jermiah Love, Trey McBride). That's why the Chargers lost, and they are most likely to lose (if Brock was 100%) against the Raiders.

The Chargers are not mathematically a top 10 team this year, and their schedule confirms that. Their ceiling is 9 wins, and the narrative for them having a bad season has already been created. Even their fans acknowledge that on their forums.

Going into week 2, who knows what will happen. That is why the power rankings change.

And because they change every week, we can safely use wins and losses as the top metric.

The Chargers are NOT objectively better than the Raiders right now. The Raiders have a top 10 defense versus the Chargers who are bottom 10, and our offensive rankings are neck and neck. On paper the Raiders have a better RB, TE, and LINE. The Chargers have a better QB and WR core. Both teams played against 2 consensus bottom 5 teams. The Raiders dominated in their win, the Chargers got dominated in their loss.

The Raiders are the better team headed into week 2 whether you like it or not. You can argue subjectivity in rankings all you want to, but objectivity ultimately remains. You can have the last word on this topic my friend, but we can end the debate here.

[Attyla]

Well, first and most importantly, power rankings are subjective. So no, subjectively Arizona is not a top 16 team and neither are the Raiders. There is not a person other than a vast minority that would place either team in that category at this time. And that is how this works. A power ranking is very subjective and changes week to week as teams play the game. Hell, I have seen teams shift the week of their bye based on what other teams do. And yes, as the year progresses, wins will factor in more and more as teams solidify their seasons.

But it will always be the totality that is considered and not the record alone.

[powski]

Now that was a good back and forth. Not just because it wasnt personal attacks, but because you both made good points and it stayed interesting. I care very little about the Power Rankings but they can be good fodder for debate on what they should actually be.

[Attyla]

Now that was a good back and forth. Not just because it wasnt personal attacks, but because you both made good points and it stayed interesting. I care very little about the Power Rankings but they can be good fodder for debate on what they should actually be.

And that is the point of a power ranking. Can you create a debate?

[tadow]

Man...the power of a win and the hope of continuing to look like a professionally ran team has everyone friend or foe, tempering their discussions in a respectful and worthy debate. The tides may have finally turned for Raider Nation!! I would love to enjoy success and watching this team improve with my daughter for once. All she's known as a fan is loss and disappointment since she got hit with the bug. She's the main reason I've gotten NFL Sunday ticket the last 4 years. Just so we can watch the game together every Sunday. Making memories is what being a fan is all about and we are on the way imo to start making some great ones in the very near future!

[WNYRAIDER]

19, which means nothing, in real life, at this point....

[ELCAraiderfan]

Raiders move up to #22 in Power Rankings after 2nd week for what it's worth


22. Las Vegas Raiders
Record: 2-0

Previous ranking: 29 ↑

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2 ... ucs-broken

[Attyla]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nfl/articl ... 18598.html

18th. Not sure we can safely say we are near 18th after playing what appears to be two terrible teams

[RI RAIDER]

I think no team has looked exceptional this season. Its really very tough (especially this season) to figure out the best teams. How much credence do you give to previous seasons vs this season? I think power rankings are worthless (other than for entertainment). I'll say one thing. The Saints have looked like one of the best teams in football starting at halftime of week 1.

[Attyla]

I think no team has looked exceptional this season. Its really very tough (especially this season) to figure out the best teams. How much credence do you give to previous seasons vs this season? I think power rankings are worthless (other than for entertainment). I'll say one thing. The Saints have looked like one of the best teams in football starting at halftime of week 1.

Cinci is dangerous this year. They are killing it early on defense and the offense has been upper tier and will get better as they move on. They are also in a division that is going to gift them wins without much effort.

[mstrbass2000]

raiders r 2-0 and could go 3-0 with a victory over the saints ...just keep winning and everything else takes care of itself

[Opoponax50]

IDGAF if we go 17-0 and are rated No. 32 in everyone's power rankings.

We did get wins against two bad teams. That's what we (or at least I) wanted to happen--to beat the teams we should beat and pick up a few more wins here and there.

We'll find out how we're doing come midseason. Our schedule is nothing short of f'ing brutal for the next 8 games. If we can come out of that stretch with 3-4 wins, we'll be well on the road to real respectability.