2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2
Teams Ranked 12th to 1st
| Rank | Team | nERD | Rec | Playoff Odds | Off. NEP Rank | Def. NEP Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | New York Jets | 2.24 | 1-0 | 39.0% | 8 | 2 | +10 |
| 11 | Washington Redskins | 2.77 | 1-0 | 37.6% | 4 | 6 | +8 |
| 10 | Carolina Panthers | 2.97 | 1-0 | 55.6% | 17 | 9 | 0 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3.99 | 0-0-1 | 57.8% | 29 | 7 | -4 |
| 8 | New Orleans Saints | 4.01 | 0-1 | 36.8% | 3 | 32 | -5 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Chargers | 4.57 | 0-1 | 56.5% | 2 | 27 | +1 |
| 6 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 4.75 | 1-0 | 72.2% | 20 | 8 | +1 |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | 6.52 | 1-0 | 47.4% | 7 | 1 | +8 |
| 4 | New England Patriots | 6.68 | 1-0 | 83.9% | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams | 6.79 | 1-0 | 73.4% | 5 | 11 | +3 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 7.57 | 1-0 | 76.3% | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 7.95 | 1-0 | 79.6% | 10 | 12 | 0 |
Maybe the biggest surprise of the week was the Jets ' 48-17 throttling of the Lions on the road on Monday Night Football. The blowout featured the debut of rookie Sam Darnold, and despite throwing a pick-six on his first pass, the first-rounder had a very strong night.
He completed 16-of-21 passes for 198 yards, with 2 touchdowns and a pair of sacks. Only four quarterbacks averaged more NEP per dropback than Darnold's 0.39, while his 60.9% Success Rate trailed only Brees and Fitzpatrick.
The final scoreline probably flattered the Jets, who benefited from a plus-three turnover margin and a pair of non-offensive touchdowns (a pick-six of their own and a punt return). At the same time, the result itself was not a fluke by any stretch, as the Jets out-gained Detroit by 0.8 yards per play (5.9 to 5.1).
The game was totally out of hand by the fourth quarter, but through the first three periods, the Jets had a healthy +3.2% Success Rate margin (Detroit incidentally finished the game +3.2%, but this was solely due to garbage time).
