Tag: USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings

New York Jets DT Quinnen Williams may increase sack total in 2024

If the New York Jets are able establish scoring leads, DT Quinnen Williams may have more chances to let loose in the pass rush in 2024.

New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams totaled just 5.5 sacks last season. However, a dynamic change in the Jets’ offensive play style may lead to an increase in sack opportunities for Williams in 2024.

The Jets ranked No. 7 in the NFL with 48 sacks last season and Williams wasn’t even the reckoned force leading the team in such category. Defensive end Bryce Huff and linebacker Jermaine Johnson were the catalyst behind the Jets’ pass rush. Williams, often faced with a double team, has however been pivotal setting picks in defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s blitz scheme.

Moreover, with a third-down conversion rate of 25%, the Jets offense practically left its defense out on a limb last season. With an inability to sustain offensive drives, Williams’ and the Jets’ defense spent more time defending the run as last year, as opponents sought to salt games away and dictate time of possession.

Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will be intentional about fixing offensive woes and this may yield an increase in points per game for the Jets. Thus, ff the Jets are able to sustain scoring leads this season, this may force opponents into more passing situations, giving Williams a chance to let loose in the pass rush.

Jets move up two spots in latest USA Today power rankings

The Jets were bumped up two spots in Nate Davis’ latest power rankings after their dominant win over the Houston Texans in Week 14.

The Jets pulled off a big upset over the Houston Texans in Week 14 and did so in dominant fashion, scoring a 30-6 win as the defense stuffed Houston’s offense — before and after injuries started taking a toll on the Texans. As a result, the Jets got a positive bump in Nate Davis’ latest power rankings for USA Today.

New York is still near the bottom of the power rankings, but they did at least move two spots away from the bottom after snapping a five-game losing streak. The Jets entered the week at No. 28; they now sit at No. 26.

26. New York Jets (28): Despite the myriad challenges at quarterback during both of his NFL seasons, WR Garrett Wilson projects to finish with 1,115 receiving yards – 12 more than he had in his 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

The Jets can really make a move up the rankings if they pull the upset of the No. 6 Miami Dolphins Sunday. New York is seeking revenge from their 34-13 loss to the Dolphins on Black Friday, the game that included the Fail Mary right before halftime. Miami stayed at No. 6 even after blowing a 14-point lead with less than three minutes left against the Titans Monday.

As for the rest of the AFC East, the Bills move up one spot to No. 8 after their big win at Kansas City while the Patriots sit tight at No. 31 after their win Thursday in Pittsburgh. San Francisco, Dallas, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Kansas City remain the top five with the only movement being the Cowboys jumping ahead of the Ravens and Eagles.

Where are the Commanders in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings?

The Commanders drop two spots after a Week 2 loss to the Lions.

Where are the Washington Commanders in the new USA TODAY Sports NFL power rankings?

After last week’s season-opening win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Commanders moved up to No. 19. Despite an impressive start to the season, the jury was clearly still out on Washington.

In Week 2, fell behind 22-0 to the Detroit Lions at halftime before falling 36-27.

So how far did the Commanders fall?

21. Commanders (19): Solid start for QB Carson Wentz, who leads the NFC in passing yards (650) and TDs (7).

What more can you say?

While Wentz has gotten off to a fast start, the leaguewide perception of him remains unchanged. Wentz is a lot like Washington as a team; regardless of how well the team plays, no one fully buys in.

There are reasons to believe the Commanders’ offense will be a team strength all season. It’s the defense, however, that will continue to bring Washington down.

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Dolphins are being underrated in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Is this disrespectful?

The Miami Dolphins have added a number of players that they expect to contribute in 2022 while making sure to retain their top free agents in Mike Gesicki and Emmanuel Ogbah.

Heading into this offseason with the most cap space of any team in the NFL, the Dolphins were expected to be extremely active, and that’s exactly what they’ve done to try and keep up with a conference that keeps getting better each day.

Nate Davis of USA Today Sports seems to believe that these changes are not enough to move them out of the bottom five teams in the AFC and the bottom half of the NFL. In fact, in his latest power rankings, he has the Dolphins at No. 21, moving up just one spot from just after the Super Bowl.

21. Dolphins (22): Eventful offseason with Hill and LT Terron Armstead, among several others, coming aboard. But Tua Tagovailoa better take a big step in 2022 because Miami has two first-round picks at the ready for a 2023 draft that should have better quarterback options.

The Dolphins are only ahead of the Houston Texans, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC. It could be argued that Miami should move up at least a few spots.

The New England Patriots finished just one game above the Dolphins last season and have gotten worse while Miami has improved. However, Davis still has the Patriots at No. 10 in this power ranking.

Other teams that are ahead of the Dolphins that are extremely questionable are the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints.

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Washington drops 2 spots in latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington falls two spots in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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The Washington Football Team dropped its fourth consecutive game of the season Sunday with a 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field. It was an admirable performance from a Washington team that remains shorthanded.

Unfortunately for the WFT, they fell to 6-10, and the loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention.

Now, Washington faces the last-place New York Giants in a rematch from Week 2. Washington is a touchdown favorite over the Giants in a game that means nothing outside of draft positioning.

So, after its latest loss, where did Washington land in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings?

Washington drops two positions to No. 23 entering Week 18. Here’s what Nate Davis had to say about the WFT.

25. Washington (23): As if you don’t know there was a lot of work ahead of this team, it then becomes widely apparent that their erector set stadium is also falling apart.

It seems everyone has a FedEx Field joke these days. Davis is referring to the guardrail collapsing and several fans nearly landing on Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts as he made his way into the locker room.

 

Washington drops in latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington drops in the new USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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One week ago, the Washington Football Team was riding high, winners of four in a row and in possession of the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff race. Unfortunately, mounting injuries, multiple defenders on the COVID-19 list and the Dallas Cowboys all happened.

Washington fell behind the Cowboys, 24-0, at halftime in Week 14. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke looked like a different player than in the previous four weeks, completing just two passes in the first half.

However, Washington turned things around in the second half, thanks to a terrific effort from the defense, which held the Cowboys to a field goal in the final 30 minutes. And, the only reason Dallas scored three points was Antonio Gibson’s fumble.

For Washington, it was too little too late, as Dallas held on for a 27-20 victory.

How did the loss impact Washington in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings?

After climbing to No. 15 last week, Washington dropped back to No. 19 for Week 15. Here’s what Nate Davis had to say about the WFT:

19. Washington (15): The defensive line that’s supposed to be this team’s foundation is suddenly almost unrecognizable with Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Chase Young on injured reserve.

For anyone who watched Sunday’s game, it was clear Dallas’ defense won this game up front. Washington’s defense also played a terrific game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a punchless offense for 30 minutes.

Washington has a chance to get back on track Sunday, but that will be easier said than done against the Eagles. Not only is Washington battling a large number of injuries, but it currently has 10 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Win over lowly Texans propels Jets up a spot

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 12 in the books?

The Jets snapped their three-game losing streak in Week 12, traveling to Houston and defeating the Texans by a final score of 21-14.

New York’s win over the Texans might have hurt its draft position, but it improved its standing in the latest set of USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings. The Jets moved up one spot from 30th to 29th, which is where the Jaguars ranked before losing their 13th straight road game. Gang Green will have a chance to make it two in a row and move up again with a win over the Eagles on Sunday.

Every other team in the AFC East also improved its place in the rankings with a win over the weekend. The Dolphins extended their winning streak to four and moved up in the rankings from 26th to 22nd. The Bills helped themselves with a win over the Saints, which moved them up from 12th to 11th. The Patriots are now in the top five, jumping from sixth to fourth with a road win over the Titans.

Joining New England in the top five are the Packers, Buccaneers, Cardinals and Chiefs. Green Bay jumped into the top spot after defeating the sputtering Rams at home, while the Buccaneers stood pat at No. 2. The Cardinals dropped from first to third and the Chiefs fell from fourth to fifth.

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Washington makes jump in latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington makes a jump in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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Don’t look now, but the Washington Football Team would be in the playoffs if the season ended this week. Yes, the season doesn’t end this week, but it’s remarkable considering Washington (5-6) has three straight victories and jumped into the NFC’s seventh and final playoff spot after Week 12.

Washington defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-15 on Monday Night Football, and despite the close score, dominated the game.

So, where is Washington in the latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings?

With its latest victory, Washington moves up four spots to No. 19. Here’s what Nate Davis had to say about the WFT after another win:

19. Washington (23): Monday night’s escape act from Seattle vaulted the WFT from 12th in the NFC to seventh, i.e. the final wild-card spot. Those who opined this was a wasted season – me – are perusing crow options on the menu.

Washington is winning games with efficient quarterback play, a strong running game, and a stout defense. It’s the defense everyone expected ahead of the 2021 season, even with Chase Young and Montez Sweat both out with injuries.

Washington is on the road in Week 13 at Las Vegas. The Raiders moved up to No. 16 in the latest power rankings after defeating the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

Washington continues to fall in latest USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington tumbles to its lowest spot of the season in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

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The Washington Football Team lost their fourth consecutive game on Sunday to the Denver Broncos to drop to 2-6 on the season. Washington’s three previous losses were to the Saints, Chiefs and Packers. Losing to the Broncos in an extremely winnable game tells you exactly what type of team Washington is in 2021.

After last week’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, Washington actually moved up one spot in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings. After the loss to the Broncos, a team that came into Week 8 with a four-game losing streak, Washington tumbled down to No. 26 in the latest power rankings, courtesy of Nate Davis.

26. Washington (24): A hugely disappointing defense has gotten incrementally better … just in time to coincide with the offense’s inability to score. What The Football?

Davis is right. The defense is taking baby steps toward improvement. That’s a good sign. But it doesn’t feel significant enough to believe Washington has any chance of turning its season around.

The offensive problems center around quarterback Taylor Heinicke. He struggles in the red zone. He needs more help, and he could be getting that help soon in the form of tight end Logan Thomas and wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

Of course with Samuel, Washington fans probably have skepticism about him returning and making an impact — and rightfully so.

 

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets climb multiple spots after upsetting Bengals

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 8 in the books?

The Jets nearly hit rock bottom in the USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings after their 41-point loss to the Patriots in Week 7 and entered their matchup with the red-hot Bengals ranked 31st out of 32 teams.

New York sure didn’t play like the second-worst team in football against Cincinnati. Mike White’s heroics in his first career start propelled the Jets to a stunning 34-31 upset in which White eclipsed the 400-yard mark through the air and threw for three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Tyler Kroft in the fourth quarter.

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The latest edition of USA TODAY’s power rankings gives the Jets some deserved respect, as they check in at 28th in a three-spot jump from last week. New York has climbed out of the AFC East basement in the standings and the rankings, as the Dolphins are now 30th after losing to the Bills, who are inching closer to the top five at sixth. The Patriots were the big winners of the weekend, jumping from 21st all the way up to ninth after beating the Chargers on the road.

The Rams, Packers, Cardinals, Buccaneers and Cowboys round out the top five of the rankings. Los Angeles climbs back into the top spot after Arizona lost to Green Bay on Thursday night.

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