Week 15 NFL Power Rankings: One key stat for each team
By Will Lomas
30. Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Key stat: Joe Burrow is worth nearly 2 TDs per game.
It is hard to quantify the impact of a quarterback, but if you look at the games that Joe Burrow played before his injury, the Bengals were averaging 22.6 points per game. In the games after the injury, they have put up a paltry 10.3 points per game.
If you needed a reason to respect Burrow even more than you already did, that 12.3 ppg differential is a great way of keeping optimism and understanding just how much he means to this team.
29. Detroit Lions (+0)
Key stat: D’Andre Swift is slowly becoming consistent.
This isn’t going to blow you away, but D’Andre is starting to prove why he was highly thought of coming into the NFL. In his first three games, he managed just one touchdown, but since then he has six scores in his last seven games including back-to-back games with touchdowns.
Things aren’t great in Detroit and it is going to get worse before it gets better, but if you are going to spend a 2nd round pick on a running back you want to know by the end of the year whether he is going to be someone you can build around or if you made a big mistake.