Entering Week 6 as ESPN’s 15th-ranked team on its Football Power Index, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw the most significant move up the ranks and landed in the Top 10 following their 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Bucs put together a complete game on both sides of the ball, despite allowing 20 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter. Putting 51 points on the scoreboard against a division opponent on the road and being displaced much earlier in the week due to Hurricane Milton, it was no surprise to see the upward movement on ESPN’s FPI.
Not only did the Bucs beat the Saints by 24 points, but the dominating victory caused the Saints to slide 19 spots. At the same time, the Carolina Panthers remained in position, and the Atlanta Falcons jumped up two positions after beating the Panthers in Charlotte 38-20. With the Falcons taking the first game in the series with the Bucs and currently having the same record, the Bucs sit in second place in the NFC South standings- making their Week 8 rematch in Tampa much more important.
- Buccaneers: 10 (15)
- Falcons: 15 (17)
- Saints: 29 (10)
- Panthers: 30 (30)
How ESPN’s Football Power Index is determined
The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points a team is above or below average. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections are updated daily.