2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 9
Teams Ranked 22nd to 12th
Despite a win over the weekend, Atlanta continued its slide down our rankings.
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Atlanta Falcons | -1.57 | 4-3 | 21.70% | 13 | 25 | -5 |
| 21 | New York Giants | -1.32 | 1-6 | 0.60% | 20 | 15 | -1 |
| 20 | Chicago Bears | -1.09 | 3-5 | 4.30% | 26 | 5 | +2 |
| 19 | Detroit Lions | -0.34 | 3-4 | 14.10% | 24 | 6 | 0 |
| 18 | Baltimore Ravens | 0.69 | 4-4 | 34.80% | 25 | 4 | +6 |
| 17 | Dallas Cowboys | 0.88 | 4-3 | 28.90% | 4 | 28 | -1 |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers | 1.75 | 5-3 | 55.00% | 22 | 3 | +2 |
| 15 | New England Patriots | 1.89 | 6-2 | 90.50% | 1 | 31 | -5 |
| 14 | Buffalo Bills | 1.94 | 5-2 | 75.90% | 18 | 10 | +1 |
| 13 | Los Angeles Chargers | 1.94 | 3-5 | 12.70% | 11 | 19 | +1 |
The lowly Jets managed more offensive NEP than the Falcons on Sunday, but thanks to special teams, Atlanta was able to manage a 25-20 victory. For the season as a whole, the Falcons have struggled on defense, ranking 25th in NEP.
Atlanta's defense is actually tied for ninth in yards allowed per play (5.0), but this is misleading. Atlanta has been good at denying big plays, but they have still allowed offenses to move the ball consistently, allowing a below-average 44.3% Success Rate.
Offensively, Atlanta has not been good enough to pick up the slack. Last season’s top unit by NEP is now 11th in Adjusted Offensive NEP per play. Matt Ryan is still 4th in net yards per attempt and 8th in completion percentage, but he is tied for 19th in touchdown rate and 20th in interception rate. The latter numbers tend to be inconsistent in small samples, so some regression towards the mean should be expected. Given how poor the Falcons defense has played, however, it may not be enough.
Baltimore moved in the opposite direction for the week after demolishing the Dolphins, 40-0, on Thursday night. The Ravens' offense is still poor, ranking 25th in NEP, but their defense is 4th in NEP allowed per play. Baltimore is fourth in the league in turnovers forced per drive, and they are also only allowing 4.8 yards per play and a 38.9% Success Rate.
