LAS VEGAS -- The New England Patriots stayed atop the NFL Vegas Rankings, but the Seattle Seahawks closed the gap, while the Dallas Cowboys continue their rise.
The Patriots were rated 4 points higher than the Seahawks last week in our panel's power ratings -- which are compiled by taking the average of the power ratings of ESPN Chalk handicappers, including Erin Rynning and yours truly, and ESPN's Football Power Index -- so it wasn't too shocking that the Patriots were favored by 7.5 with home-field advantage. But after the Seahawks went into New England and won 31-24, the Patriots are now just 2.5 points ahead of the Seahawks and the line would clearly be under a touchdown if they were to play the game again (or around a field goal if meeting on a neutral field).
Remember, the main purpose of the NFL Vegas Rankings is to use the power ratings to compare two teams as if they were to meet on a neutral field (after which most teams get 2.5 points for home-field advantage) and can be used to compare to the current point spread. We've also added the FPI and Massey-Peabody rankings to our chart for comparative purposes.
Here's a look at the teams making the biggest moves up and down the rankings, and then we'll look for some Week 11 value plays using this week's power ratings: