Tag: NFL Rankings

Where the Bucs rank statistically after Week 11

Here’s where the Bucs measure up to the rest of the league after their game against San Francisco.

Despite a 13-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t really move the needle for better or for worse on Sunday.

The Bucs dropped their Week 11 game 27-14, but it was nothing we hadn’t really seen before from the team. The pass defense remains awful, the run game cannot get going and the team’s red zone defense remains bizarrely strong despite everything else going on with the unit. The Bucs will have a good chance to tilt these numbers a bit more in their favor when they face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12.

Here is where the Bucs stack up statistically, according to Team Rankings:

Chiefs defense ranks sixth in NFL in this key metric, according to PFF

The #Chiefs’ defense ranks sixth in the NFL in one key metric, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense has played some stellar football through eight weeks of their 2023 campaign, even if their loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday was a serious disappointment for the team’s fans.

According to Pro Football Focus, the unit has only allowed a touchdown on 13 of 83 drives to start the season, which is good for the sixth-best mark in the NFL.

While their stellar play has largely been overshadowed by the underwhelming performance of Kansas City’s offense on the other side of the ball, statistics like this are key indicators that the defense is holding up its end of the bargain on gameday.

Fans should expect some fluctuation in this percentage over the course of the coming weeks as the Chiefs head into the most difficult portion of their schedule, especially as injuries to Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr. have decimated the depth of their linebacking corps.

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Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 6

Looking at the major metrics, here is where the Chargers stand after Week 6.

The Chargers are now 2-3 after losing to the Cowboys on Monday night.

Now that Week 6 is in the rearview, we now know how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL. Looking at the major metrics, here is where L.A. stands.

Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 4

Looking at the major metrics, here is where the Chargers stand after Week 4.

The Chargers are now .500 after defeating the Raiders on Sunday, 24-17.

Now that Week 4 is in the rearview, we now know how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL. Looking at the major metrics, here is where L.A. stands.

Rams’ roster ranked worst in NFL by ESPN heading into 2023 season

ESPN ranked the Rams’ roster as the worst in the NFL for the 2023 season, largely because of the shaky defense

Wins and losses are determined by more than just the talent on a team’s roster, but that obviously plays a big part in it. That’s not a great sign for the Rams this year because according to ESPN, they have the worst roster in the NFL.

ESPN’s Mike Clay went position by position and ranked every team accordingly, weighing each position based on importance; quarterback is clearly more valuable than running back. In the overall rankings, no team finished lower than the Rams. Not even the Arizona Cardinals, who are widely viewed as the worst team in the NFL for 2023.

Here’s where the Rams ranked at each position:

  • QB: 15
  • RB: 29
  • WR: 25
  • TE: 21
  • OL: 30
  • Interior DL: 11
  • EDGE: 32
  • Off-ball LB: 32
  • CB: 32
  • Safety: 29

It’s clear that the defense is what’s weighing the Rams down in these rankings, finishing third-worst or lower at four of the five spots on that side of the ball. The only exception was the interior D-line, which ranked 11th thanks to Aaron Donald.

There’s no question the Rams are lacking talent at edge rusher, but ranking them last at off-ball linebacker despite having Ernest Jones feels overly critical. The same goes for the cornerback group with Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon emerging as two solid starters.

And putting the wide receivers 25th? Cooper Kupp will be healthy for Week 1 and should return to the form he showed in 2021 and the first half of 2022. Van Jefferson is a capable No. 2, too.

The Rams are unquestionably a bottom-third team in terms of talent, but saying they’re the worst roster in the NFL doesn’t seem accurate.

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Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 4

Taking a look at where the Chargers rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL heading into Week 5. 

Through the first four games of the 2022 regular season, the Chargers sit with a 2-2 record.

While it may seem that they’re not meeting offseason expectations, Los Angeles dealt with significant injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.

With the cards that the Bolts have been dealt, let’s look at where they rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL heading into Week 5.

NFL executives rank the Rams as the No. 1 team in the NFC

NFL executives see the Rams as the best team in the NFC, with the Packers, Bucs and 49ers close behind

There’s no question the NFC got weaker this year, losing stars such as Russell Wilson, Davante Adams and Matt Ryan to the AFC. The Los Angeles Rams lost key players of their own, including Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller, but they still look like the favorites to win the NFC and represent the conference in the Super Bowl again.

In a poll of executives around the league, they seem to agree. The Athletic asked five NFL executives to rank the teams in the NFC. The Rams received four first-place votes, with only one executive picking them as the second-best team in the conference.

Their average vote ranking was 1.2, the best in the NFC – and ahead of the Packers, Buccaneers and 49ers.

“Their offense is going to score — it’s obvious they have playmakers,” an exec said. “Injuries on defense might be the thing that could derail them, but when you look at their older guys — Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd and now Bobby Wagner — those guys never miss games.”

The Packers were the only other team to receive a first-place vote, also getting three second-place votes and one for third place. Their roster looks far less impressive with Davante Adams gone, however, which is a major concern.

The Bucs had a vote as low as No. 8 in the NFC, which seems like an overreaction to injuries and Tom Brady’s situation. The 49ers had four fourth-place votes and one for third place. Elsewhere in the NFC, the Cardinals were voted the seventh-best team, and the Seahawks ranked 15th in the conference.

Eagles’ Darius Slay was snubbed in an ESPN ranking of the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks for 2022

Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowler Darius Slay was snubbed in an ESPN ranking of the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks for 2022

The NFL is a high-powered passing league and to be successful as an NFL franchise, you need one or two dynamic cornerbacks on defense to balance things out.

With training camps around the league starting to begin over the next few weeks, ESPN has polled coaches, players, and executives to rank the best players at critical positions.

Philadelphia had no players make the top-10 list at edge rusher, defensive tackle, and now cornerback after Darius Slay was left off the list, landing on the honorable mentions list.

Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles: Slay is a nine-year vet who made his fourth Pro Bowl in 2021, and, like White, he was a fixture in the rankings the past two years. But he has 15 pass deflections since joining Philadelphia two years ago. “His ability has held up pretty well. I don’t feel like he’s lost a major step [at age 31],” an AFC scout said. “Love Slay. I would take others ahead of him due to ball production.”

Jalen Ramsey landed at No. 1 on the list, followed by Marshon Lattimore (Saints), Jaire Alexander (Packers), Xavien Howard (Dolphins), and J.C. Jackson (Dolphins.)

Slay’s omission was based on his lack of ball production, and even after logging two interceptions for touchdowns last season, Trevon Diggs took the boom or bust approach, and other cover guys have caused the Eagles cornerback to slide down the rankings.

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NFL power rankings: Who lands at No. 1 after the 2022 draft?

Now that the dust has settled from the 2022 NFL draft, how do all 32 teams stack up heading into next season?

The 2022 NFL draft gave all 32 teams a chance to reload their rosters in the hope of pursuing the Super Bowl in the upcoming season, but which teams actually put themselves at the top of the heap?

The Los Angeles Rams took home the Lombardi Trophy last season, but didn’t have a single pick among the top 100 selections in this year’s draft, due to previous trades that helped them win the title.

Will that leave the top spot up for grabs heading into the 2022 season?

Here are the latest NFL power rankings following this year’s draft, courtesy of Peter King at NBC Sports:

Rams come in at No. 3 on ESPN’s FPI rankings for 2022

ESPN used its Football Power Index to rank every team in the NFL and the Rams came in near the top

Repeating as Super Bowl champions is difficult to do, but the Los Angeles Rams have a decent shot to do exactly that in 2022. They have the third-best odds to win it all next season, behind only the Bills and Buccaneers – two teams they’ll face during the regular season.

When it comes to ESPN’s Football Power Index, only two teams rank higher than the Rams: the Bills and Packers.

Seth Walder of ESPN shared the latest FPI rankings, which is based on how much better (or worse) a team is predicted to be than an average team in terms of points. The Rams are expected to be 7.7 points better than an average team on a neutral field, slightly ahead of the Chiefs, Bucs and Cowboys.

That’s an indication of how highly ESPN’s model views the Rams. And when it comes to Super Bowl chances, the Bills have a 7% chance to win it all, followed by the Rams – who also have a 7% chance; decimal places likely separated the two.

What’s working in the Rams’ favor is a weaker NFC, which should make it easier for them to at least get back to the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Matt Ryan, Khalil Mack and Chandler Jones are among the top players that left the NFC for the AFC, strengthening the opposing conference – particularly the AFC West.

That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for the Rams to win the NFC again, but ESPN’s predictive model likes their odds.