"Avg Off" and "Avg Def" indicate how much better that team does at that stat compared with its opponent's averages. That is, the Steelers averaged allowing 7.1 points fewer per game than their opponents had scored on average. A negative value means the team has done worse than other teams their opponents have faced.
The "Combined" rating is just the other two added together, and is how the teams are ranked. Further commentary is below the table.
Due to the lack of data for the new year, these final ratings are used for early predictions the following year. Predictions for weeks one and two of each new season are almost entirely based on the previous year's ratings.
| Team | Wins | Losses | Avg Off | Avg Def | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 12 | 4 | 1.7 | 7.1 | 8.8 |
| Ravens | 11 | 5 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 8.6 |
| Giants | 12 | 4 | 5.6 | 2.5 | 8.0 |
| Titans | 13 | 3 | 1.3 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Eagles | 9.5 | 6.5 | 4.8 | 2.8 | 7.6 |
| Panthers | 12 | 4 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 5.6 |
| Chargers | 8 | 8 | 4.9 | 0.6 | 5.5 |
| Colts | 12 | 4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 5.5 |
| Patriots | 11 | 5 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 5.2 |
| Saints | 8 | 8 | 6.1 | -2.1 | 4.0 |
| Falcons | 11 | 5 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| Vikings | 10 | 6 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.5 |
| Packers | 6 | 10 | 3.5 | -1.3 | 2.2 |
| Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | -1.1 | 3.2 | 2.1 |
| Jets | 9 | 7 | 2.6 | -1.1 | 1.5 |
| Bears | 9 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Dolphins | 11 | 5 | -1.6 | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| Cowboys | 9 | 7 | 1.9 | -1.5 | 0.4 |
| Cardinals | 9 | 7 | 4.4 | -5.2 | -0.8 |
| Texans | 8 | 8 | 2.3 | -3.8 | -1.5 |
| Redskins | 8 | 8 | -5.5 | 3.4 | -2.1 |
| Bills | 7 | 9 | -2.3 | 0.1 | -2.2 |
| Jaguars | 5 | 11 | -2.2 | -1.3 | -3.5 |
| 49ers | 7 | 9 | -2.4 | -1.9 | -4.3 |
| Broncos | 8 | 8 | 0.6 | -5.9 | -5.3 |
| Browns | 4 | 12 | -5.0 | -0.5 | -5.5 |
| Seahawks | 4 | 12 | -4.3 | -2.1 | -6.4 |
| Raiders | 5 | 11 | -6.2 | -0.5 | -6.7 |
| Bengals | 4.5 | 11.5 | -6.7 | -1.2 | -7.9 |
| Chiefs | 2 | 14 | -3.9 | -4.7 | -8.6 |
| Lions | 0 | 16 | -4.6 | -8.9 | -13.5 |
| Rams | 2 | 14 | -7.5 | -6.2 | -13.7 |
The Steelers, who eventually won the Superbowl, had the best combined rating at the end of the regular season. The Cardinals, who almost upset them, were all the way down at #19, and would have been the worst ranked team to ever win the Superbowl.
Also of note, the worst team in the league was actually the Rams, not the 0-16 Lions. The Rams combined were slightly worse, although both were atrocious. This makes it look as though the top five teams were all pretty close.
For the most part, you can see a pretty direct correlation between the combined rating and the record of the team. Of course, since those ratings are derived from points, you'd expect them to match up fairly well.
Of note is that the Saints had the best-rated offense, but due to their weak defense, they were brought down. If they could strengthen their defense in 2009 they could be a significant threat.
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