The scoreboard is where games are officially won and lost, but they are largely decided by the team that wins the battles of yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards lost, first downs, and turnovers. For this reason, I created the following formula called the ?Trench Counter? to look at which team truly controls the game: (2x Yards per pass) + (2x Yards per carry) + (.5 First downs) - (Penalty yards/10) - (2.5 Turnovers) - (Opposing Team's Trench Counter) Click here for more information on the Trench Counter For the 2008 season, our weekly team rankings will be based solely off of this formula. The sample size is small, so if this were a subjective rankings, I would have the Cowboys higher and the 49ers/Falcons much lower, but I like the remainder of the top-12. As each week goes by, I guarantee this purely objective ranking system will prove increasingly true. 1. Philadelphia Eagles: 10.4 How can a 2-2 team be number one on this list? There are a few reasons: a. They had a +25.7 Trench Counter in Week 1 against the Rams, which padded their total b. They were +4.8 against the Cowboys and +9.7 against the Bears, both of which were losses. Perhaps with the McNabb/Westbrook 4th quarter fumble and a overhead shot to see Correll Buckhalter actually cross the goal-line and they would be 4-0. c. They have gained 119 more yards per game than their opponents, which is second in the NFL. 2. New York Giants: 8.8 First in yards differential per game are the undefeated New York Football Giants. 3. Tennessee Titans: 7.7 Albert Haynesworth had six tackles and two sacks against the Vikings on Sunday as he continues to be the biggest impact maker on defense in the NFL. The Titans have won seven consecutive regular season games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.7 Willie Parker rushed for 138 yards in Week 1, 105 in Week 2 and then just 20 in Week 3 as he was injured. So much of the Steelers? success is predicated on running the ball and I?m not sure Ben Roethlisberger will be able to take much more punishment if they can?t put together a makeshift running game with all of their injuries. 5. Baltimore Ravens: 6.4 A 65.9 passer rating for Joe Flacco and injuries to their backs or not, the Ravens will be able to stay in ballgames because that defense is truly back, averaging fewer yards allowed than any other team in the NFL. 6. San Francisco 49ers: 6.2 Teams six and 11 on this list have two common denominators- they beat up on the Lions and therefore are ranked too high in this objective statistical system. 7. Washington Redskins: 5.7 Washington is a modest +27 in yards per game (12th overall), but are tied with the lead in turnover differential with +6. 8. San Diego Chargers: 5.4 In the postgame media scrum, LaDainian Tomlinson said his toe is feeling a lot better but the look in his eye doesn?t make me believe he truly meant it. His 5.3 yards per carry against Oakland is also misleading- taking away his flukish end of game 41-yard TD and his average for the day drops to 3.4. 9. Denver Broncos: 4.8 Kicker Matt Pratter of the Broncos is the current leader in points, kicking nine field goals and 14 extra points. 10. Buffalo Bills: 4.7 The Bills have surprisingly relied much more on the pass than they have on the run. 11. Atlanta Falcons: 4.5 The Falcons are the only team in the NFC that averages more yards per game on the ground than in the air, which is of course a great way of alleviating pressure from rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. 12. Dallas Cowboys: 3.8 The Cowboys are 4th in the NFL in average yards per game differential with +102, but are -4 in turnovers, which is second worst. 13. Minnesota Vikings: 3.0 I might be keying in on it too much, but I believe the Vikings really need to continue to find Adrian Peterson as a receiver so he can free into space with greater ease. He did have four catches for 21 yards against the Titans, which represented an improvement over the Carolina game. 14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2.3 Warrick Dunn has 86 yards from scrimmage in their 30-21 win over Green Bay while Earnest Graham rushed 20 times for 111 yards (5.6 per carry), making the Cadillac be long forgotten. 15. Arizona Cardinals: 1.2 The Cardinals have given up 12 sacks, which is tied for fourth worst in the NFL. Without better protection, there is no way Kurt Warner lasts the season, which will mean another college try for Matt Leinart. 16. Carolina Panthers: 0.8 Steve Smith is tied for 10th in receiving yards per game with 83. I like how he gave Ken Lucas his TD ball and he might be my favorite receiver to watch still, but a sucker punch is still a sucker punch. 17. New York Jets: 0.1 I was thinking the same thing as everyone else on Sunday, Brett Favre has never thrown for six touchdowns before? 18. Miami Dolphins: -0.1 After all the excitement of Ronnie Brown and the Arkansas-style offense, it?s been a long two weeks to see what they?ll do next against the Chargers. 19. Chicago Bears: -1.2 With a -9.7 against the Eagles, the Bears have the most lopsided Trench Counter against them despite the win for the season. 20. Seattle Seahawks: -1.4 Are we going to see the Matt Hasselbeck of Week 3 or Weeks 1 and 2 when Seattle visits New Jersey on Sunday? A lot probably depends on how well Julius Jones runs again. 21. New Orleans Saints: -2.6 This ranking seems a little low for the Saints given how they are 2-2 and narrowly (could have) won their two losses, but have been plagued by inconsistency week to week and even quarter to quarter. 22. Green Bay Packers: -3.9 The Packers are not the 10th worst team in the NFL, but they are the 7th worst team through four weeks in yard differential per game (-42). 23. Jacksonville Jaguars: -4.2 David Garrard looked much like he did against the Steelers in last year?s playoffs on Sunday against the Texans. He gets to face Pittsburgh again this week, this time at home. 24. Houston Texans: -4.4 The Texans have a soft stretch of their schedule following this week?s game against the Colts where they should be able to get a few W?s and move up on this list. 25. New England Patriots: -5.2 Cornerback Ellis Hobbs has returned 10 kicks for 360 yards, giving him the best average in the game. 26. Kansas City Chiefs: -5.3 Seeing Larry Johnson averaging better than 100 yards per game against is good for the NFL and hopefully it lasts. 27. Indianapolis Colts: -5.3 Fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL? Joseph Addai and the Indianapolis Colts, who are averaging just 64. 28. Oakland Raiders: -7.5 Similar to the Falcons and Ryan, the Raiders have averaged more rushing yards per game than passing yards, but that is likely to change now that Lane Kiffin has been fired. 29. Cleveland Browns: -8.5 Braylon Edwards has no more than three receptions in each of his first four games; he had eight receptions in 2007 on four separate occasions. 30. Cincinnati Bengals: -8.9 Desperation has a new name and it is Cedric Benson. 31. Detroit Lions: -13.8 The Lions are second worst on this list and also in yard differential per game (-141). 32. St. Louis Rams: -15.0 The Rams are 11-for-49 on third down opportunities, which gives them the worst percentage in football. Fortunately punter Donnie Jones is averaging an NFL-best 52.7 yards (silver linings, silver linings). - Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM