Tag: USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets no longer AFC East bottom dwellers

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 6 in the books?

The Jets won’t be the worst team in the AFC East for their rematch with the Patriots.

New York is no longer at the bottom of its division in USA TODAY’s latest NFL Power Rankings, moving up from 29th to 27th during its bye week. The Dolphins now claim the title of AFC East bottom dweller, as they tumbled from 27th to 29th after a last-second loss to the Jaguars in London.

It won’t be easy for the Jets to maintain their standing as the second-to-worst team in a bad division. Gang Green has not won in New England since the 2010 playoffs and has not beaten the Patriots since 2015. Bill Belichick’s team got the best of New York in Week 2, forcing Zach Wilson to throw four interceptions in an easy 25-6 win.

The Patriots enter Week 7 fresh off a gut-wrenching loss to the Cowboys and check in 23rd in the power rankings, making them the lone riser in the division after being slotted at No. 26 last week. The Bills sit at No. 8 following their own narrow defeat against the Titans on Monday night.

Rounding out the top five are the Cardinals, Rams, Buccaneers, Cowboys and Ravens. Baltimore is the lone newcomer to the upper echelon of the rankings after thoroughly defeating the red hot Chargers at home.

[listicle id=668630]

[listicle id=668602]

[listicle id=668549]

Washington continues to plummet in USA TODAY’s NFL power rankings

Washington falls three more spots after Week 6.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The Washington Football Team entered Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs expected to lose. After dropping a Week 5 game at home to the New Orleans Saints, Washington needed a miracle against the Chiefs to even its record at 3-3.

That miracle almost happened in the first half when Kansas City turned the ball over three times. However, Washington could only convert those turnovers into seven points and limped into halftime with a narrow 13-10 lead.

In the second half, the Chiefs caught fire, scoring 21 unanswered points and giving Washington its third loss in four games.

In the latest version of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings, Washington falls three more spots to No. 25. Here’s what Nate Davis said about Washington:

Rough start for defending NFC East champs and now this – they’ve only got four more home games in the season’s final 12 weeks.

Washington is in the middle of a brutal stretch that includes a trip to Green Bay this week and Denver in Week 8. After a week off, Washington hosts the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Washington is ranked one spot behind the Eagles, who are No. 24. The Giants are ranked No. 30.

 

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets stand pat despite loss in London

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 5 in the books?

The Jets climbed out of the basement in last week’s USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings with a win over the Titans, but they seemed destined to take a tumble back to the cellar — or at least close to it — after losing to the Falcons in Week 5.

As it turns out, New York’s trip to London was not as detrimental as it originally seemed from a power rankings perspective. The Jets are still 29th and ahead of the Lions, Giants and Jaguars after their 27-20 loss to Atlanta.

Zach Wilson and company once again started slowly before turning it on in the second half. The Jets trailed by just one score late in the fourth quarter, but the Falcons sealed the game with a Mike Davis rushing touchdown, handing Gang Green its fourth loss of the season ahead of its bye week.

New York is still the lowest-ranked AFC East team, but the Dolphins are giving them a run for their money. Miami dropped to 27th after getting blown out by the Buccaneers. The Patriots fell from 21st to 26th due to their lackluster performance in a win over the lowly Texans. The Bills were the lone riser in the division, jumping from sixth to fifth after dominating the Chiefs on the road.

The Cardinals, Rams, Buccaneers and Cowboys round out the top five along with Buffalo. Arizona squeaked past the 49ers to remain undefeated, the Rams defeated the Seahawks sans Russell Wilson for half the game on Thursday Night Football, and the Buccaneers and Cowboys cruised to wins.

[listicle id=668200]

[listicle id=668150]

[listicle id=668117]

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets climb out of the basement after beating Titans

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 4 in the books?

The Jets are no longer the worst team in the NFL after their thrilling Week 4 win over the Titans, according to USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings.

New York checks in at 29th in the rankings after knocking Tennessee off in overtime — a three-spot jump after finding itself in dead last week. Zach Wilson shined in the second half to help lead the Jets to their first win of the season, while Jeff Ulbrich’s defense stood just tall enough to force a long Randy Bullock field goal attempt that was ultimately pushed wide.

Gang Green is still the lowest-ranked AFC East team, but climbing out of the basement is a major step for a group that looked dead in the water against the Patriots and Broncos the previous two weeks.

The Dolphins took a five-spot tumble from 21st to 26th after dropping to 1-3 with a loss to the Colts, while New England moved up a spot from 22nd to 21st after nearly defeating Tom Brady in his return to Foxboro. The Bills moved up one spot from seventh to sixth following a thrashing of the Texans in Orchard Park.

Kliff Kingsbury’s Cardinals are the new top dog in the rankings after going on the road and handing the Rams their first loss of the season. Los Angeles is now a spot behind Arizona in the rankings, while the Buccaneers, Browns and Cowboys — a top-five newcomer after beating up on Sam Darnold and the previously undefeated Panthers — round out the league’s elite.

[listicle id=667498]

Packers climb again, now back in top 10 of USA TODAY NFL power rankings

The Packers, winners of three straight after a 0-1 start, are back in the top 10 of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

The Green Bay Packers are finally back in the top 10 of the USA TODAY NFL power rankings. Matt LaFleur’s team has won three straight games, including Sunday’s 27-17 win over the free-falling Pittsburgh Steelers, and now sits at No. 10 entering Week 5.

The Packers started the season at No. 4 but dropped significantly following a season-opening defeat to the Saints. Since then, the Packers rebounded with wins over the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Steelers in consecutive weeks, leading the climb back up the rankings.

The Steelers are now 1-3 and dropped to No. 22. The 49ers, after losing again Sunday, fell again to No. 19. And the winless Lions are No. 30.

Four NFC teams are in the top five of the rankings: The Arizona Cardinals (No. 1), Los Angeles Rams (No. 2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 3) and Dallas Cowboys (No. 5). But the Packers are currently the fifth-highest ranked NFC team.

The Vikings, at No. 17, are the next closest NFC North team to the Packers in the rankings.

The Packers play the upstart Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The AFC North-leading Bengals are the 14th ranked team.

Packers in USA TODAY power rankings

Week 1: No. 4
Week 2: No. 14
Week 3: No. 16
Week 4: No. 13
Week 5: No. 10

[listicle id=63819]

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets aren’t NFL’s worst winless team after Week 2

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 2 in the books?

The Jets looked like their usual incompetent selves in their Week 2 loss to the Patriots, as Zach Wilson tossed four interceptions in a 25-6 loss to New England.

Saleh’s team — or maybe just his offense — looked like arguably the worst in football after Sunday’s afternoon action. The latest batch of USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings does not see it that way, though, as the Jets are now 30th in the rankings after checking in at 28th following their Week 1 loss to the Panthers.

The only two teams ranked behind New York are the Falcons and Jaguars, respectively. Atlanta endured a beatdown at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers in Week 2, while Jacksonville endured rookie quarterback struggles of its own in a 23-13 loss to the Broncos — the Jets’ Week 3 opponent.

The Patriots moved up three spots from 20th to 17th after their first win of the season, while the Dolphins dropped seven spots from 12th to 19th after an embarrassing effort against the Bills in which Tua Tagovailoa left with an injury. Buffalo’s win over Miami facilitated a one-spot jump from 10th to ninth.

The Buccaneers, Rams, Chiefs, Browns and Cardinals rounded out the top five in the rankings. Arizona is the lone newcomer in the top five after its thrilling win over the Vikings and a 2-0 start to the season. Kansas City remains in the top five at third despite its loss to the Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

[listicle id=666503]

Washington wins and doesn’t move up in USA TODAY NFL power rankings

Washington stands pat in the USA TODAY Sports NFL power ranking after its first win.

The Washington Football Team picked up their first win of the season on Thursday with a 30-29 win over the New York Giants. However, despite the victory, Washington stays put in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

For the second consecutive week, Washington sits at No. 21 in the power rankings.

21. Washington (21): Breaking a five-game losing streak to the Giants means the WFT will be undefeated in NFC East play for the next 12 weeks, at which point they’ll conclude the regular season with five consecutive divisional matchups.

It’s difficult to argue if Washington should be higher. It lost to the Chargers in Week 1 after a disastrous defensive performance — which is supposed to be the team’s strength — and beat a winless New York team in Week 2.

We are going to learn a lot about Washington in Week 3. The WFT travels north to face the Buffalo Bills. If Washington can pull off a win in Buffalo, it will certainly move up the rankings next week.

Washington began the season at No. 19.

The Dallas Cowboys are the top-ranked NFC East team at No. 10.

 

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets drop a spot after Week 1 loss

Where do the Jets stand in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings with Week 1 in the books?

The Jets finished strong against the Panthers in Week 1, but their late surge was not enough to overcome an early 16-0 deficit.

New York showed some encouraging signs over the final quarter of play in its 19-14 loss in Carolina, but moral victories don’t move the needle in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings. The Jets dropped one spot from 27th to 28th after their narrow defeat, placing them ahead of just four other teams.

The Jets were not the only AFC East team to drop in the power rankings. In fact, each of New York’s division foes took a tumble in the pecking order — even the Dolphins after their 17-16 win over the Patriots. The Bills experienced the biggest drop after their surprising loss to the Steelers, going from fifth to 10th. Miami moved down from 11th to 12th, while New England went from 13th to 17th.

The Buccaneers, Chiefs, Rams, Browns and Saints rounded out the top five of the rankings. New Orleans moved up 13 spots after its throttling of the Packers to break into the top five, while the Rams went from just outside the top five at sixth to third. The Browns remained in the top five despite their loss to the Chiefs, dropping one spot from third to fourth.

[listicle id=666057]

Washington falls two spots in USA TODAY’s Week 2 power rankings

It was a disappointing Week 1 for Washington. But the Football Team only fell two spots in the Week 2 USA TODAY power rankings.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=none image=https://washingtonfootballwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Washington Football Team entering the 2021 season. The defending NFC East champions boasted one of the top defenses in the NFL and added veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the offseason to upgrade the game’s most important position.

In Sunday’s Week 1 loss to the Chargers, Washington lost Fitzpatrick for the next 6-8 weeks with a hip injury. And, that vaunted defense allowed Los Angeles to convert on 14 of 19 third-down attempts.

Ouch.

In the latest USA TODAY Sports power rankings, Washington drops two spots from No. 19 to No. 21.

Here’s what Nate Davis had to say about Washington.

21. Washington (19): QB Ryan Fitzpatrick set a record by making a Week 1 start for his sixth different club before sustaining a hip injury likely to cost him at least half the season. But it could be a silver lining for the WFT as it takes an extended look at Taylor Heinicke, who could have a long-term future here.

While the injury to Fitzpatrick is unfortunate on so many fronts, it does give Washington an extended chance to see if there is something to Taylor Heinicke. Heinicke can play, but is he better served in a backup role? We are going to find out.

Meanwhile, this week’s opponent, the New York Giants, are ranked No. 30 in the power rankings.

 

Packers tumble 10 spots in USA TODAY NFL power rankings following big Week 1 loss

After a 35-point loss to the Saints, the Packers dropped from No. 4 to No. 14 in the USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

Sunday’s 35-point loss to the New Orleans Saints has the Green Bay Packers tumbling down the most recent USA TODAY NFL power rankings.

After starting the season at No. 4, the Packers dropped 10 spots to No. 14 entering Week 2.

Matt LaFleur’s team was one of three – joining the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans – to drop at least 10 spots from Week 1 to Week 2. The Packers scored the fewest amount of points (three) and have the worst point differential (-35) in the NFL after one week.

The Saints rocketed up the rankings, rising 11 spots to No. 5 following the 38-3 win in Jacksonville on Sunday.

The NFC North’s struggles in Week 1 were reflected in the power rankings. The Packers remain the top team in the rankings, followed by the Minnesota Vikings (No. 24), Chicago Bears (No. 26) and Detroit Lions (No. 29).

The Packers play the Lions at home in Week 2.

Packers in USA TODAY power rankings

Week 1: No. 4
Week 2: No. 14

[listicle id=61833]