2021 Power Rankings: Week 14 - a podcast by LOC Films

Hello, hello! Welcome to the final week of the regular season! We’ve finally made it and, thanks to the expanded playoffs and rule changes, never have we had so many teams still with a chance of doing just that – making it. With current seeds 4-8 all on the same record, and seed 9 also still very much in contention, this year has proven a record low for forking, I guess no one is mathematically out, but we might need to see a 200-club entry for some of them to make it. Not sure we could handle even more excitement with the chaos that is bound to ensue! Anyway, back to the final league-wide Rankings of the season, enjoy!

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Firstly, we have the teams that have spent the last few weeks very much along for the ride.

12. U R Gould (3-10) No Change

So, Week 13 was the whimper that should have secured the No. 1 overall draft pick. But, thanks to good old RNG, tanking is a fruitless endeavour in the LOC. Playing Mac Jones, in a night when he attempted just 3 (three!) passes, more or less sums up their season, unfortunately. On the upside, TNF heroics from a finally healthy Dalvin Cook has nearly matched their Week 13 output. I feel like the importance of draft day will have been reiterated for LOC14.

11. Burdettinators (5-8) No Change

Well, that is quite the feather in their cap. In a season where more or less nothing went right for them, they toppled the team that had only lost once previously. Goes without saying that it of course counts for nothing, but nice to be able to say they did it at least.

10. Tom’s Tyrants (5-8) No Change

The best of the rest, for whatever solace that brings. Hint; none. Finally hitting their stride in this far too late portion of the season, we’re seeing glimpses of what could have been. An admirable attempt at spoiling it for another team in Week 13 as well.

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Right, into the quagmire that is the playoff race. Good luck. I’ve thrown in some playoff chance percentages, just for fun. Disclaimer; the grand total of maths that went into the percentages was making sure they added up to 300% for the three spots available, nothing else, deal with it.

9. FTMAL (6-7) No Change

Despite what I can only assume is the most points ever scored by the TE position for any one team in any week of any season, they were a long way off the pace last week, as they have looked for most of the second half of the season. They’re behind on points, and they’ve got a tough matchup to finish the season. Playoff chance: 20%

7.5. Buccing The Trend (6-7) Down 0.5& Gridiron Gang (6-7) Down 1.5

Right, stay with me here, I’m trying something new. Basically, I’m fed up of writing what more or less amounts to the same blurb twice for these guys, they have been near inseparable for the past several weeks. They both tallied decent scores last week, but were far from competitive in their respective matchups. After 13 weeks of competition, a mere 11 points splits them and now, fittingly, they face each other in Week 14 in what could well be a ‘winner is in’ situation. It is most definitely a ‘loser is out’ scenario, though. I literally can’t split them anymore. 

Well, maybe, just about. The Wilson and Jones plays from BTT seem risky, but Kamara should go off. GG are more solid, but Michel, Hopkins and Jacobs could all have matchups go against them. Taysom Hill, the ultimate TD vulture is my X-Factor. Never thought it would come down to that. Playoff chances: GG 43%, BTT 42%

6. Bear Necessities (6-7) Down 2

It was a good week, but it wasn’t good enough. If anyone was going to separate themselves, I thought it would be Coach Stubbs Sr, but they missed their chance. Their points for leaves them in a good spot, they are very much a win and in candidate, with a potential lose and in as well. But, I don’t think I was alone in believing Mattison was going to provide them more RB1 games than he did, an early return from Cook could make the TNF performance a critical moment in this playoff race. Playoff chance: 50%

5. Patistan (5-8) Up 3

Right, last week I said they did themselves no favours, this time around everything went right. With all of the 6-6 teams fluffing their lines, Napolitans (more on them soon) managed to sneak into the playoff seeds, leaving points for as a near 1-horse race, a situation I predicted a few weeks prior. Also helping, a league-leading score on the week, impressively compiled without any abnormally high individual scores and losing several key cogs to byes – they look dangerous again. Playoff chance: 70%

4. Napolitans (6-7) Up 1

The only team that still has two realistic routes into the playoffs, they are one last good week away from completing a remarkable turnaround. Getting Kittle back in full swing is ideal timing, but they also lost Moore just as he was proving to be a useful contributor. An ill-timed bye week for Taylor, to say the least, at the most critical point of the season so far. Playoff chance: 75%

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And breathe again, we’ve gotten through the storms and into clear water.

3. IKSAN (8-5) No Change

It’s been coming for a little while, but they have secured their spot with a consistent run of scoring and wins. The variety of options they have made for themselves when picking the roster each week is what has gotten them to this place. I would imagine Coach Sherwood would have no qualms with being placed in his own little tier here, the important thing is that they have risen from that convoluted mess beneath them.

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They’ve been in their own tier for the rest of the season, seems silly to take it away from them now.

2. Forge Flyers (11-2) No Change

Remarkably, a loss. I would imagine no one saw that coming. Still the number 1 seed and favourite to do the double on the regular season crown, I think their sights have been set on the post season for quite a while now. It was still a decent score even on a losing week with Rodgers on a bye.

1. The Dream Team (11-2) No Change

Also looking for a second chance at the rule named after him, Coach Nathwani holds onto my top spot. They’ve held onto Williams for the entire season, and he looks to have come good at just the right time, matchups and opportunity could make him the key guy for the playoff run.

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And there we have it, I have done all that I can. No doubt, my sage words have helped each and every one of you through this tumultuous season. And, for that reason, I feel that it is only fitting that I too can claim to be a part of the glorious post season. Yeah, we’ll go with that. See you all there! Well, not all of you, that would kind of defeat the purpose. How about – see the good/lucky few there!?

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