In the world of sports, where game outcomes and standings should reign supreme, the NFL offers a constant reminder that rankings and predictions don’t always align with reality. The 2023 NFL season is approaching its 10th week, and despite the Philadelphia Eagles boasting the league’s best record at 8-1 and a recent victory over the Dallas Cowboys, the ESPN “computer model” appears to have its own agenda.
The highly-touted ESPN “computer model” has endeavored to reveal the top 10 NFL teams of the season, and it appears that the Eagles are not receiving the recognition they might expect. Instead, the model places the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at the top of the list, both with 7-2 records.
One might wonder how a 7-2 record is ranked above an 8-1 record, but that’s the quirky reality in BristolWorld. Surely, the Eagles would secure the third spot? Well, not according to the model. The Chiefs and Ravens are followed by the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers. Oddly enough, the Bills are 5-4 and currently outside the playoff picture, while the 49ers have lost three consecutive games with a 5-3 record.
The Miami Dolphins claim the fifth spot, and things get even more baffling from here. The 5-3 Cowboys find themselves at No. 6, and the Eagles are ranked No. 7.
The list goes on, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Jacksonville Jaguars, but it leaves us pondering how “ESPN Analytics” sometimes seems to overlook the significance of head-to-head results, where a team’s performance on the field should matter more than what a machine calculates.
As for the Bengals, what more must they do to surpass the 49ers and Bills? Apparently, even defeating these teams doesn’t suffice.
And as for the Eagles, what’s needed to rank them higher than the Dolphins and Cowboys? It appears that beating these teams isn’t enough in the eyes of the ESPN computer model.