NFL Relegation Standings
Here's a different look at the 2009 National Football League season. (I'll keep updating these standings through the end of the season.)
NFL Premier Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Indianapolis... 14-2 (3-0 vs. Premiere, 9-1 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
New Orleans... 13-3 (2-1 vs. Premiere, 6-1 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
San Diego... 13-3 (3-1 vs. Premiere, 4-2 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Minnesota... 12-4 (4-1 vs. Premiere, 2-2 vs. N.S.P., 6-1 vs. Dregs)
Philadelphia... 11-5 (0-4 vs. Premiere, 6-0 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Green Bay... 11-5 (3-3 vs. Premiere, 1-1 vs. N.S.P., 7-1 vs. Dregs)
Dallas... 11-5 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Cincinnati... 10-6 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Arizona... 10-6 (1-2 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. Minnesota's only Premiere loss was to Arizona. Half of their four Premier Division wins came against Green Bay.
2. Baltimore's only Premier win came against San Diego. The Ravens are clearly the odd team out, beating up on little sisters while falling short against quality opposition.
3. The Philadelphia Eagles, like the Ravens, have struggled against good teams while handling inferior opponents with greater ease (except for the Raiders).
Not-So-Premiere Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Pittsburgh... 9-7 (3-3 vs. Premiere, 4-0 vs. N.S.P., 2-4 vs. Dregs)
Atlanta... 9-7 (0-5 vs. Premiere, 4-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
Houston... 9-7 (2-3 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 4-0 vs. Dregs)
N.Y. Jets... 9-7 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-1 vs. Dregs)
Tennessee... 8-8 (1-4 vs. Premiere, 4-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-0 vs. Dregs)
N.Y. Giants... 8-8 (2-6 vs. Premiere, 1-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
San Francisco... 8-8 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 1-3 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Miami... 7-9 (1-4 vs. Premiere, 4-4 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. The New York Giants' and Houston Texans' overall records have been inflated thanks to excellent play against poor competition. Neither team has distinguished itself against good teams.
2. It's been a tale of two seasons in Denver. The Broncos began the year with six consecutive victories, four of which came against teams in the Premiere Division (Cincinnati, Dallas, New England, San Diego). They finished 2-8, with losses to Dregs teams in Kansas City, Washington, and Oakland intermixed with awful defeats to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and San Diego.
3. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a baffling season. They've lost to four of the very worst teams in the league in Chicago, Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland --- and they've also won impressively against six solid teams, including Super Bowl hopefuls San Diego and Minnesota.
Dregs Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Chicago... 7-9 (1-7 vs. Premiere, 1-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
Buffalo... 6-10 (1-3 vs. Premiere, 3-6 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
Seattle... 5-11 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Oakland... 5-11 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 2-4 vs. N.S.P., 1-3 vs. Dregs)
Cleveland... 5-11 (0-7 vs. Premiere, 2-2 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Washington... 4-12 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 1-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Kansas City... 4-12 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 2-3 vs. Dregs)
Tampa Bay... 3-13 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 0-7 vs. N.S.P., 1-2 vs. Dregs)
Detroit... 2-14 (0-8 vs. Premiere, 0-2 vs. N.S.P., 2-4 vs. Dregs)
St. Louis... 1-15 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 0-5 vs. N.S.P., 1-4 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. How about those Chicago Bears, the Kings of the Basement! Their non-Dregs win came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second week of the season... which makes me wonder how well their season could have gone if they'd have faced easier competition. (I also wonder how their season would have gone if Jay Cutler hadn't thrown all those redzone interceptions. Ba-zing!)
2. The Oakland Raiders somehow defeated the Eagles, the Steelers, the Broncos, and the Bengals this year -- but they lost in enormous routs to the mediocre Texans (29-6) and Jets (38-0) and were humbled fellow Dregs squads Washington (34-13) and Cleveland (23-9).
3. Detroit went 0-16 last year so you'd figure they'd get an easier schedule this year, right? Wrong. They played nine games against high-level competition, eight contests vs. Premiere clubs and one game against defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.
NFL Premier Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Indianapolis... 14-2 (3-0 vs. Premiere, 9-1 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
New Orleans... 13-3 (2-1 vs. Premiere, 6-1 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
San Diego... 13-3 (3-1 vs. Premiere, 4-2 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Minnesota... 12-4 (4-1 vs. Premiere, 2-2 vs. N.S.P., 6-1 vs. Dregs)
Philadelphia... 11-5 (0-4 vs. Premiere, 6-0 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Green Bay... 11-5 (3-3 vs. Premiere, 1-1 vs. N.S.P., 7-1 vs. Dregs)
Dallas... 11-5 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Cincinnati... 10-6 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Arizona... 10-6 (1-2 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
New England... 10-6 (1-2 vs. Premiere, 6-5 vs. N.S.P., 3-0 vs. Dregs)
Baltimore... 9-7 (1-6 vs. Premiere, 2-1 vs. N.S.P., 6-0 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. Minnesota's only Premiere loss was to Arizona. Half of their four Premier Division wins came against Green Bay.
2. Baltimore's only Premier win came against San Diego. The Ravens are clearly the odd team out, beating up on little sisters while falling short against quality opposition.
3. The Philadelphia Eagles, like the Ravens, have struggled against good teams while handling inferior opponents with greater ease (except for the Raiders).
Not-So-Premiere Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Pittsburgh... 9-7 (3-3 vs. Premiere, 4-0 vs. N.S.P., 2-4 vs. Dregs)
Atlanta... 9-7 (0-5 vs. Premiere, 4-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
Houston... 9-7 (2-3 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 4-0 vs. Dregs)
N.Y. Jets... 9-7 (3-2 vs. Premiere, 3-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-1 vs. Dregs)
Tennessee... 8-8 (1-4 vs. Premiere, 4-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-0 vs. Dregs)
N.Y. Giants... 8-8 (2-6 vs. Premiere, 1-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
Denver... 8-8 (4-2 vs. Premiere, 1-3 vs. N.S.P., 3-3 vs. Dregs)
Carolina... 8-8 (3-4 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 3-1 vs. Dregs)San Francisco... 8-8 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 1-3 vs. N.S.P., 5-1 vs. Dregs)
Miami... 7-9 (1-4 vs. Premiere, 4-4 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
Jacksonville... 7-9 (0-4 vs. Premiere, 4-3 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. The New York Giants' and Houston Texans' overall records have been inflated thanks to excellent play against poor competition. Neither team has distinguished itself against good teams.
2. It's been a tale of two seasons in Denver. The Broncos began the year with six consecutive victories, four of which came against teams in the Premiere Division (Cincinnati, Dallas, New England, San Diego). They finished 2-8, with losses to Dregs teams in Kansas City, Washington, and Oakland intermixed with awful defeats to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and San Diego.
3. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a baffling season. They've lost to four of the very worst teams in the league in Chicago, Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland --- and they've also won impressively against six solid teams, including Super Bowl hopefuls San Diego and Minnesota.
Dregs Division... (overall record listed first in bold)
Chicago... 7-9 (1-7 vs. Premiere, 1-2 vs. N.S.P., 5-0 vs. Dregs)
Buffalo... 6-10 (1-3 vs. Premiere, 3-6 vs. N.S.P., 2-1 vs. Dregs)
Seattle... 5-11 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Oakland... 5-11 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 2-4 vs. N.S.P., 1-3 vs. Dregs)
Cleveland... 5-11 (0-7 vs. Premiere, 2-2 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Washington... 4-12 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 1-4 vs. N.S.P., 3-2 vs. Dregs)
Kansas City... 4-12 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 2-3 vs. N.S.P., 2-3 vs. Dregs)
Tampa Bay... 3-13 (2-4 vs. Premiere, 0-7 vs. N.S.P., 1-2 vs. Dregs)
Detroit... 2-14 (0-8 vs. Premiere, 0-2 vs. N.S.P., 2-4 vs. Dregs)
St. Louis... 1-15 (0-6 vs. Premiere, 0-5 vs. N.S.P., 1-4 vs. Dregs)
Three notes:
1. How about those Chicago Bears, the Kings of the Basement! Their non-Dregs win came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second week of the season... which makes me wonder how well their season could have gone if they'd have faced easier competition. (I also wonder how their season would have gone if Jay Cutler hadn't thrown all those redzone interceptions. Ba-zing!)
2. The Oakland Raiders somehow defeated the Eagles, the Steelers, the Broncos, and the Bengals this year -- but they lost in enormous routs to the mediocre Texans (29-6) and Jets (38-0) and were humbled fellow Dregs squads Washington (34-13) and Cleveland (23-9).
3. Detroit went 0-16 last year so you'd figure they'd get an easier schedule this year, right? Wrong. They played nine games against high-level competition, eight contests vs. Premiere clubs and one game against defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh.
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