2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 3
Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | New York Giants | -0.6 | 0-2 | 11.20% | 27 | 16 | -2 |
| 21 | Tennessee Titans | -0.5 | 1-1 | 45.80% | 5 | 19 | +5 |
| 20 | Jacksonville Jaguars | -0.35 | 1-1 | 46.90% | 16 | 6 | -8 |
| 19 | Detroit Lions | 0.28 | 2-0 | 54.00% | 25 | 3 | +3 |
| 18 | Arizona Cardinals | 0.49 | 1-1 | 43.00% | 28 | 12 | -4 |
| 17 | Dallas Cowboys | 0.78 | 1-1 | 36.10% | 26 | 23 | -15 |
| 16 | Los Angeles Chargers | 0.92 | 0-2 | 11.10% | 8 | 20 | +3 |
| 15 | Minnesota Vikings | 1.01 | 1-1 | 41.30% | 12 | 27 | -10 |
| 14 | Washington Redskins | 1.07 | 1-1 | 36.20% | 17 | 14 | +7 |
| 13 | Seattle Seahawks | 1.42 | 1-1 | 60.00% | 23 | 15 | +5 |
After a convincing win to open the season, the Cowboys were humbled by Denver, falling 42-17 in the mile-high air. The Broncos’ stout defense held Dallas to 4.1 yards per play, clamping down on both the run (Ezekiel Elliott ran for eight yards on nine carries) and the pass (Dak Prescott averaged just 4.4 yards per drop back).
At the other end of the field, Dallas was torn apart by C.J. Anderson (118 yards on 25 carries, 3.07 NEP) and allowed Trevor Siemian to have a solid day -- the second year signal caller accounted for 6.9 Passing NEP on 34 drop backs, good for a 0.20 average (last season, the league average was about 0.11).
In Jacksonville, we got some confirmation about something we suspected in the offseason: the Jaguars’ defense will need to be close to perfect to overcome Blake Bortles. In Week 1, the Jags gained 4.7 yards per play while allowing 2.9. On Sunday, they conceded 6.1 yards per play to the Titans, while Bortles was held to 5.9 yards per dropback and threw a pair of interceptions. Oops.
Given the quality of the competition -- Jacksonville tied for third in yards allowed per play last season -- it was an impressive showing for the Tennessee offense. Marcus Mariota averaged 7.5 yards and 0.16 Passing NEP per drop back, while Derrick Henry ran for 92 yards (and 8.64 Rushing NEP) on 14 carries. This was not a matter of one long rush inflating his average, either. Even if we take away his longest carry of 17 yards, Henry still averaged 5.8 yards per attempts on his other rushes.
Through two games, the Titans offense ranks fifth in NEP per play. Its defense ranks 19th and was a big weakness last season, but don’t be surprised if Tennessee continues to climb up these rankings in the coming weeks.
