Week 10 Rankings
| Team | Offensive Starters | Defensive Starters | Total Starters | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
49ers6-2
|
$45,876,477 | $48,434,56 | $94,310,983 | One of the most evenly balanced teams on the field, the same goes for their financial breakdown. |
| 2 |
Falcons8-0
|
$53,055,597 | $33,909,125 | $86,964,722 | A highly invested in offense is paying the franchise back with 8 straight wins. The Falcons hold the most expensive offense in the NFL right now - by $7 million. |
| 3 |
Bears7-1
|
$42,807,593 | $43,330,404 | $86,137,997 | Much like the Niners, balance on the field and in the checkbook equal wins. |
| 4 |
Lions4-4
|
$43,187,853 | $42,769,082 | $85,956,935 | The underrated Lions have a similar makeup to their divison rivals, and sit only half a game out of the playoffs. |
| 5 |
Chiefs1-7
|
$41,239,857 | $44,082,775 | $85,322,632 | The 1-7 record stings even more when seeing just how much KC is paying it's team to take the field ech week. |
| 6 |
Broncos5-3
|
$40,526,661 | $44,741,224 | $85,267,885 | Peyton and inexpensive talent still translates into wins. They'll have the AFC West locked up soon enough. |
| 7 |
Giants6-3
|
$37,393,333 | $47,103,859 | $84,497,192 | Have the Giants let too many veterans get away in lei of big contracts? The offensive cost is shockingly low, and the lack of playmakers has come into play in recent week. |
| 8 |
Texans7-1
|
$46,485,175 | $34,293,281 | $80,778,456 | On the contrary to the Giants, the Texans let their big money defensive players walk, relying on talented youth. They locked up their offensive core in Schaub, Foster, and Johnson, boasting the 2nd most costly offense to date. |
| 9 |
Ravens6-2
|
$35,541,814 | $42,978,601 | $78,520,415 | With an aging defense, and an expiring Flacco contract, this may be Baltimore's last chance to "win with value". They'll most certainly be players in 2013 Free Agency. |
| 10 |
Vikings5-4
|
$30,362,633 | $44,761,299 | $75,123,932 | The 23rd lowest cost for an offense has come back down to earth in recent play. Only Pittsburgh has more wins with a cheaper offense in 2012. |
| 11 |
Eagles3-5
|
$32,751,980 | $40,812,180 | $73,564,160 | 45% of the cost of the weekly offense goes toward Vick. The Eagles may be one loss away from losing the season, and with that may come a serious overhaul in staff, roster, and cap-spending strategy. |
| 12 |
Cowboys3-5
|
$36,586,855 | $36,575,179 | $73,162,034 | No other team has a closer margin between offensive and defensive spending. A team that spends this cautiously is probably asking for a middle of the road outcome - and that's exactly how experts see Dallas. |
| 13 |
Steelers5-3
|
$29.133906 | $43.814368 | $72.948274 | The WILDLY underrated, and potentially very scary Steelers head into week 10 with 27th ranked offensive cap cost, a steal based on their performance to date. The defense is aging, and will need rookie contracts to balance out an extension for weapons like Mike Wallace |
| 14 |
Dolphins4-4
|
$38.972044 | $33.710873 | $72.682917 | The Dolphins made a push toward the offensive front in 2012, understanding their defense was becoming established. Weapons such as Reggie Bush, Brian Hartline, and rookie Tannehill aren't breaking the bank - but are producing. |
| 15 |
Saints3-5
|
$36.281284 | $35.561635 | $71.842919 | The Saints issues start and end with a lack of investment to their defense. Call it a rough offseason, blame Drew Brees for the length of his contract deliberations, but New Orleans has work to do to regain an elite roster. |
| 16 |
Chargers4-4
|
$40.300458 | $30.222392 | $70.522850 | The Chargers hold a top 10 offensive cap, and a bottom 10 defensive cap. Pricey offseason free agent signings haven't improved their play, and a young defense needs time to mature. |
| 17 |
Rams3-5
|
$36.421662 | $34.074777 | $70.496439 | The Rams had the unfortunate luck of drafting Sam Bradford a year before the Rookie Cap System went into place. Half-way through a $78 million contract, the team is horribly limited in how it can build for the immediate future. |
| 18 |
Jets3-5
|
$26.658201 | $42.575350 | $69.233551 | Injuries have decimated the Jets starting lineup dropping their financial numbers to shockingly low per NY sports standards. That being said, the current regime may not survive the offseason, and a contractual fire sale may be in order. |
| 19 |
Buccaneers4-4
|
$38.643158 | $29.947642 | $68.590800 | Tampa Bay epitomizes the notion of "filling holes by way of the draft". This homegrown lineup, mixed in with savvy offseason signings is a great value for a division that has lowered itself around them. |
| 20 |
Redskins3-6
|
$31.690669 | $34.054763 | $65.745432 | The offensive line is hurt, the top receiver is hurt, the top tight end is hurt, 3 of the major defenisve starters are hurt. When healthy, the Redskins are a top 10 starting cap ranked team. They're making the best of the roster they have. |
| 21 |
Packers6-3
|
$36.053712 | $29.672260 | $65.725972 | This "small market" team is as impressive as ever. Their solution? Quality Quantities at reduced prices. Nelson, Jones, Cobb, and Driver cost Green Bay less than $10M in 2012. So does Rodgers. Their highest paid position is at linebacker, where they've been certain to pay their young talent. This is a dream model as far as long-term, elite franchises go. |
| 22 |
Bengals3-5
|
$29.296308 | $35.859200 | $65.155508 | The Bengals refuse to pay for elite offense, and continue to patch together has-been veterans on defense. The result is an inbalanced, inconsistent product. |
| 23 |
Bills3-5
|
$24.566061 | $39.820166 | $64.386227 | The BIlls put maximum offseason dollars into improving the defense, and adequate effort in securing their offensive core. But it's much of the same in the win column for Buffalo, who can't seem to get the most out of even the most elite talent. |
| 24 |
Seahawks5-4
|
$40.561055 | $23.683911 | $64.244966 | The 7th most costly offense isn't exactly running up the scoreboard, but their efficiency has them contending. Only the Titans spend less on a starting defensive lineup right now. |
| 25 |
Panthers2-6
|
$30.268676 | $32.383384 | $62.652060 | Carolina has an awful lot invested in three starting running backs, and an underperforming pass rush. While their four starting receivers, and entire secondary currently cost then under $7M respectively. |
| 26 |
Cardinals4-5
|
$27.524315 | $34.937547 | $62.461862 | With Kolb out of the lineup, 62% of the offensive costs go to the receiving core - most notably Fitzgerald. The Cardinals have done well to secure a great defense at a reasonable price (16th ranked). |
| 27 |
Patriots5-3
|
$30.650392 | $29.624232 | $60.274624 | It's hard not to marvel at the Patriots franchise, who continue to succeed at a high level by interchanging the players around their main core. New England spends big on both offensive and defensive lines, and in the linebacking core - keeping the other positions at a fairly reasonable cost for the level they perform. |
| 28 |
Titans3-6
|
$38.111569 | $21.700288 | $59.811857 | The Titans have dedicated the least amount of money to their defense in 2012, and it's showing. Their current defensive front comes in under $10M, less than Chris Johnson's 2012 cap hit alone. |
| 29 |
Browns2-7
|
$30.929416 | $26.310766 | $57.240182 | This young offense just isn't there yet as far as on-field production is concerned. The reality though is that Holgrem established a pretty balanced financial plan prior to defensive injuries (and suspension) set in this season. Another good draft might project the Browns to the next level. |
| 30 |
Jaguars1-7
|
$29.529532 | $26.255240 | $55.784772 | The poor get poorer. At least the miserable 1-7 performance isn't costing the franchise much. With MJD out of the lineup the numbers drop sharply. Marcedes Lewis is the highest paid offensive started right now. Enough said? |
| 31 |
Raiders3-5
|
$19.505907 | $25.106975 | $44.612882 | The Raiders have given away draft picks like they're VCRs in the past few years. But the return result is actually a solid product on the field. Offensive injuries have depleted the weapons around Carson Palmer nearly all season, as the #2 lowest offensive cost indicates. But when they're clicking, this is a team on the rise. |
| 32 |
Colts5-3
|
$13,476,022 | $28,284,837 | $41,760,859 | The lowest current starting cap has a 5-3 record. Luck holds the highest offensive cap hit in 2012 at $4.5M. 67% of the starting defensive cap goes to Dwight Freeny. This is a dream season for owner Jim Irsay and the whole Colts' franchise. |
.jpeg)
