NFL Fraud Power Rankings (Eagles Luck Will Eventually Run Out)
If you thought the Eagles beating the Bills in Week 12 was enough for me to take them off my Fraud Power Rankings, then you don't understand what these rankings are all about.
No, getting outplayed from start to finish, having the opposing kicker miss two field goals, having your opponent be flagged twice as many times, and needed the greatest field goal in NFL history to send the game to overtime isn't exactly a result that is going to convince me a team is for real. In fact, I think it further cemented my belief that this Eagles team isn't nearly as good as their record indicates.
But alas, before I dive into that any further, I need to let you know if there's any movement in the four spots below them on the Week 13 edition of my fraud rankings.
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Most Overrated Teams in the NFL
5) Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 2)
If nothing else, I'm fair. When a team starts to play well, they can earn themselves removal from this list and the Steelers are one more good performance away from doing that. Firing Matt Canada might have been the key to turn this team from a fraud to a legitimate playoff team in the AFC.
Despite scoring just 16 points, their offense looked the best they've looked all season and gained 6.2 yards per play against the Bengals. They're also eighth in the NFL in Net Yards per Play (+0.5) over their last three games, which is extremely impressive. We'll see if they can keep it up against the Cardinals this week.
4) Seattle Seahawks (Last Week: Not Ranked)
This is a bit of a tricky one because I don't think there are many people out there that are extremely high on the Seahawks, but they currently sit in a playoff spot and they're lucky to be there right now. They're 16th in the league in Net Yards per Play at -0.2 over their last three games and they're generally trending in the wrong direction on both sides of the football.
Geno Smith may not be the guy and now is not the time for them to be imploding as they're about to head into the toughest portion of their schedule. They have the Cowboys, 49ers, and Eagles in their next three games. Yikes.
3) Denver Broncos (Last Week: Not Ranked)
To a certain extent, I'm impressed by what the Denver Broncos have been doing lately, winning five-straight games, but let's all pump the brakes on this team just a little bit. There are whispers that they're a legitimately good football team now, and that's just not the case. Their success has been almost solely due to being able to force turnovers while not coughing up the ball themselves, sporting an average turnover margin of +2.7 over their last three games.
In no way, shape, or form is that sustainable and once those takeaways dry up, they're not going to be able to win football games.
This team is 29th in the NFL in Net Yards per Play at -0.9 and 22nd in Net Yards per Play at -0.5 over their last three games, each of them they've managed to win.
This team will not be in the playoffs, mark my words.
2) Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 3)
The Jaguars once again won a game I felt they didn't deserve to in Week 12 when they downed the Texans by a final score of 24-21. If the Texans kicker didn't go 0-2 including missing a game-tying field goal by a few inches, this would be a different story.
The numbers are the numbers and the Jaguars are 21st in the NFL in Net Yards per Play this season. That's below the likes of the Patriots, Titans, and Bears. They're also 28th in Net Yards per Play over their last three games at -1.1, despite being 2-1 in that stretch.
Don't let people fool you into thinking this team is a Super Bowl contender.
1) Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 1)
What can I say that I haven't already about the Philadelphia Eagles?
I'm not going to repeat myself too much, so if you want to read my essay about why the Eagles are frauds, then check out last week's edition of my fraud rankings. Every point I make in that article stands, despite them finding a way to win once again.
Yes, I understand they're 10-1, but the most fraudulent team in the NFL is always going to be a team that has a good record. Inherently, you have to in order to be a fraud. If you have a bad record, than you, by definition, can't be a fraud. You just are what you are.
Have you ever played blackjack? If you have, I'm sure at some point you've sat at a table and no matter what you get for cards, the dealer can't lose. When they need a 5, they get a 5. When they need a 7, they get a 7. When you finally get dealt a 20, the dealer gets blackjack. When you need anything but a 10, you get a 10 and bust.
This season, the Eagles are that dealer. Every time they need something to go their way, it does. Every time they need something to blow up in their opponent's face, it does. It may seem statistically impossible, but it continues to happen hand after hand or in this case, week after week.
Eventually, sooner or later, the dealer will run cold. Their luck will dry up. The problem is by the time they do, you might be broke.