ESPN power-ranking formula tabs Steelers as exactly average among NFL’s 32 teams
The Worldwide Leader is predicting that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be very average this season.
ESPN’s first Football Power Index of 2019 is out, and the network used it to rank the NFL teams 1-32. The Steelers came out right in the middle at No. 16.
The ESPN calculation projects the Steelers at 8.5 wins and with a 45.8% chance of making the postseason.
ESPN explains its FPI as: “Each team’s rating is composed of a predicted offensive, defensive and special teams efficiency, as measured by expected points added per play, and that rating is the basis for FPI’s game-level and season-level projections.”
The good news for the Steelers? If ESPN is accurate, they’ll still be well in the thick of the AFC North race. The Cleveland Browns, Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, are Nos. 15-17 in the power rankings (the Cincinnati Bengals are 29th).
The Browns are projected for 8.8 wins and a 51.5% postseason chance; the Ravens, like the Steelers, are pegged at 8.5 wins – but Baltimore has a slightly smaller chance than the Steelers at making the playoffs (44.9%).
ESPN’s FPI ranks the Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL’s best team, followed by the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.
The worst team? The Miami Dolphins, followed by the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
Hey, Steeler Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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