2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 15
Teams 22nd to 13th
The aforementioned weak AFC means Tennessee is still a good bet to make the playoffs, but performances like Sunday’s make it hard to have much confidence in the Titans making any noise.
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Tennessee Titans | -3.73 | 8-5 | 77.3% | 20 | 21 | -4 |
| 21 | Dallas Cowboys | -2.85 | 7-6 | 4.6% | 12 | 30 | +3 |
| 20 | Arizona Cardinals | -2.69 | 6-7 | 0.0% | 28 | 9 | +2 |
| 19 | Denver Broncos | -1.99 | 4-9 | 0.0% | 32 | 3 | +2 |
| 18 | Chicago Bears | -1.61 | 4-9 | 0.0% | 24 | 6 | +1 |
| 17 | Houston Texans | -1.5 | 4-9 | 0.0% | 16 | 19 | -2 |
| 16 | Detroit Lions | -1.49 | 7-6 | 8.7% | 19 | 17 | +1 |
| 15 | Kansas City Chiefs | -0.18 | 7-6 | 54.6% | 8 | 27 | +1 |
| 14 | Green Bay Packers | 0.22 | 7-6 | 11.8% | 11 | 22 | 0 |
| 13 | Washington Redskins | 0.83 | 5-8 | 0.0% | 18 | 11 | -1 |
Tennessee was held to 3.6 yards per play in a 12-7 loss in Arizona that dropped the Titans out of first place in the AFC South. It was another lackluster performance from an offense that has failed to build off a promising campaign in 2016.
The Titans were tied for ninth in yards per play and 13th in opponent-adjusted NEP per play last season, partly on the strength of a passing game that was tied for 11th in both NEP per dropback and net yards per dropback. This season, the passing game has taken a step back, as Tennessee is just 29th in NEP per dropback. This is partly due to interceptions and touchdowns, as the Titans rank second from the bottom in terms of both interception (4.0%) and touchdown rate (3.2%).
Their struggles go deeper though, as they are also tied for 20th in raw net yards per dropback, which seems to stem from a decline in big plays through the air.
Marcus Mariota only completed 61.2% of his passes last season, which was well below the league average and is completing 62.2% of them this year. Last season, he did a lot more with his successful throws, ranking fourth in the league in yards per completion (12.4). This season, he is averaging just 11.5, which is tied for 16th.
