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Over the last five weeks, we have covered the top offenses and defenses using different categories. For offense, we graded and ranked passing offense, run offense, receivers, run blocking, and pass blocking. On the defensive side of the football, we graded and ranked the top pass-rush, run stop, and pass coverage defenses. The results of each, when combined, provide us with a preseason situational analysis grade for both the offense and defense of every NFL team that we use to determine NFL power rankings, the strength of schedule for all teams, and projected win totals.
About The Analysis
Today's analysis wraps up our total team grades combining pass offense, run offense, receiving, run blocking, and pass blocking team grades with the defensive grades, pass coverage, run stop, and pass rush. The average for each team determines how a team will be ranked heading into the 2021 NFL season.
The Grade Scale
The team grades use the individual player grades to get an average for each category. For offense, it's passing, run offense, run blocking, and pass blocking. As mentioned above, we use pass rush, run stop, and pass coverage for the defense. The scale is a 1 to 10 rating scale, with one being the lowest and ten being the highest. On average, based on preliminary analysis, a grade of 6 to 6.99 is a playoff-caliber position group, or if the entire offensive grade is in the area of 6 to 6.99, that will represent a playoff-caliber offense. A seven or higher average represents a Super Bowl Caliber offense, defense, or position group.
You can find all of our preseason NFL team grades by visiting our beta version of the Team and Player Grade Dashboard.
Top Ten (w/14 Teams Because of Ties) Projected NFL Teams Heading Into 2021
Today's analysis covers the top ten NFL teams using the grades from all offensive and defensive categories that we use to grade every NFL team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 1st
OFFENSE: 1st
DEFENSE: 1st
Cleveland Browns
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 2nd
OFFENSE: 2nd
DEFENSE: 6th
Los Angeles Rams
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 3rd
OFFENSE: 7th
DEFENSE: 2nd
Baltimore Ravens
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 4th
OFFENSE: 4th
DEFENSE: *9th (Tied w/Jets)
Kansas City Chiefs
TOTAL TEAM RANK: *5th (Tied w/49ers)
OFFENSE: 5th
DEFENSE: 17th
San Francisco 49ers
TOTAL TEAM RANK: *5th (Tied w/Chiefs)
OFFENSE: 11th
DEFENSE: 8th
New Orleans Saints
TOTAL TEAM RANK: *6th (Tied w/Packers, Steelers)
OFFENSE: 16th
DEFENSE: 5th
Green Bay Packers
TOTAL TEAM RANK: *6th (Tied w/Saints, Steelers)
OFFENSE: 8th
DEFENSE: *13th (Tied w/Colts)
Pittsburgh Steelers
TOTAL TEAM RANK: *6th (Tied w/Packers, Saints)
OFFENSE: 26th
DEFENSE: 3rd
Dallas Cowboys
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 7th
OFFENSE: 3rd
DEFENSE: 23rd
Denver Broncos
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 8th
OFFENSE: 21st
DEFENSE: 7th
Buffalo Bills
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 9th (Tied w/Colts)
OFFENSE: 9th
DEFENSE: 16th
Indianapolis Colts
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 9th (Tied w/Bills)
OFFENSE: 12th
DEFENSE: *13th (Tied w/Packers)
Washington Football Team
TOTAL TEAM RANK: 10th
OFFENSE: 25th
DEFENSE: 4th