2017 NFL Power Rankings – Teams 9th-16th, The “Upper Middle Class” of the NFL

2017 NFL Power Rankings – Teams 9th-16th, The “Upper Middle Class” of the NFL: Today we have posted below our 3rd edition of our 2017 NFL Power Rankings as we head into the upcoming season. Below are the 9 teams we label the “Upper Middle Class” of the NFL as these are teams that have a lot going on for themselves, will win more than they lose and are on the verge of getting to the next level. These teams have legitimate NFL Playoff hopes this season and, with a little luck, can make a run at the Super Bowl this season if things break their way. You may be surprised to see the Dallas Cowboys on this list as they are considered by many to be one of the Super Bowl favorites this season. However, we look for “America’s Team” to take a little step back in the regular season this year as they lost a lot on defense and quarterback Dak Prescott could be in for some growing pains in his 2nd year in the NFL. Be sure and check out NSAwins.com all football season for the nation’s best NFL picks against the spread and weekly LIVE NFL betting odds including odds to win Super Bowl LII.

2017 NFL Power Rankings – Teams 9th-16th, The “Upper Middle Class” of the NFL

9. Dallas Cowboys(+1200 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Dallas Cowboys were a big surprise last season going 13-3 and earning the #1 overall seed in the NFC Playoffs. The Cowboys hit the jackpot in the 2016 NFL Draft as they found their quarterback and running back of the future in Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. Having said all that, we look for the Cowboys to take a step back this season as Prescott will not be able to surprise anyone with a full season of game tape on him and the Cowboys lost a lot in free agency. The Cowboys are certainly still more than talented enough to get back to the NFC Playoffs and potentially still win the NFC East but we see them going 10-6 and earning a NFC Wild Card. The Cowboys offense should be one of the top units in the NFL again this season after finishing 5th in total offense last season but we think the defense will take a small step back from last year’s unit that ranked 14th overall in the NFL.

10. Tennessee Titans(+4000 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Tennessee Titans made a helluva jump last season improving by 6 games to 9-7 after finishing 3-13 in 2015 and 2-14 in 2014. The Titans are definitely on the come up and if quarterback Marcus Mariotta can come back from his late season ending injury(broken right fibula) and regain his form than the Titans can make some serious noise in the AFC this season. The pieces are falling in place nicely for head coach Mike Mularkey as the Titans offense is on it’s way to being one of the most explosive in the NFL after finishing 11th overall in total offense and 14th in scoring last season at 23.8 points per game. The Titans general manager Jon Robinson gave Mularkey and Mariotta more pieces to work with as he used 3 of his first 4 picks in the NFL Draft on offensive weapons including first round pick Corey Davis, a big time wide receiver talent out of Western Michigan. The defense also got some help but primarily in free agency as the additions of veteran cornerback Logan Ryan from New England, defensive tackle Sylvester Williams from Denver and strong safety Johnathan Crypien from Jacksonville all appear to be starters in 2017.

11. Houston Texans(+2200 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Houston Texans have won the AFC South Division the last two season despite finishing just 9-7 in both seasons. The Texans haven’t been able to get to the next level primarily because they have had to endure mediocre quarterback play since they became an expansion franchise to be honest. The Texans failed experiment of signing Brock Osweiler has been rectified with the excellent draft pick of Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Watson is definitely the future at the quarterback position in Houston even if Tom Savage begins the season as the starter. Watson is too talented to sit for long and we firmly expect him to be the starter by December and in the playoffs if the Texans get there for the 3rd season in a row. The Texans defense should be one of the NFL’s best again with the retun of J.J. Watt but the loss of cornerback A.J. Bouye to Jacksonville and potentially Vince Wilfork to retirement will be tough losses to overcome.

12. Minnesota Vikings(+3300 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Minnesota Vikings had a disappointing 8-8 season last year after going 11-5 the year prior. The Vikings appear to be ready to compete for the NFC North Division title again and make a serious run at a NFC Playoff bid this season. We loved what the Vikings did to replace running back Adrian Peterson as they signed free agent Latavius Murray from Oakland and made what we feel will be one of the best draft picks in the entire 2017 NFL Draft in taking running back Dalvin Cook out of Florida State in the 2nd round. Murray and Cook should give Minnesota a fantastic running game and the offense should be greatly imoroved from last year’s awful 28th ranked unit in the NFL. On the other side of the ball the Vikings had a terrific defense last season with the 3rd best unit in the NFL and should have a top 5 unit again this season. The Viking are stout defensively and should keep the Vikings in almost all of their games. They are that good.

13. Denver Broncos(+2200 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Denver Broncos had a down year last season going just 9-7 after winning the Super Bowl in 2015 but we feel they will bounce back nicely in 2017 and get back to the AFC Playoffs. The Broncos defense is still arguably the best defense in the NFL and will be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators to game plan for again this season. The Broncos finished 4th in total defense last season and 4th in scoring defense. Offensively the Broncos were a nightmare last season finishing 27th in the NFL in total offense and 22nd in scoring. However, the Broncos should be improved this season with an extra year of experience under the belts of projected starting quarterback Trevor Siemian and backup Paxton Lynch. The Broncos passing game should be improved and the offensive line should be a big reason why as it should be improved greatly. The Broncos brought in free agents Menelik Watson and Ron Leary from Oakland and Dallas to help bolster the line plus used their first round pick in the NFL Draft on tackle Garett Bolles.

14. Philadelphia Eagles(+5000 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Philadelphia Eagles went 7-9 last season but found a quarterback to build around long-term as Carson Wentz proved he has the talent and toughness to be a big time signal caller in the near future. The Eagles are definitely headed in the right direction and a surprise run at a NFC Playoff bid this season is not out of the question. The Eagles bolstered their offense by signing wide receivers Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith as well as running back LeGarrette Blount in free agency. They also improved their defense with free agent signings in defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and defensive end Chris Long while using their top three NFL Draft picks on defensive players. The Eagles had a tremendous offseason improving their overall talent and should finish over .500 this season barring any unforeseen serious injuries.

15. Arizona Cardinals(+3300 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Arizona Cardinals had a subpar 7-9 season last year after having big expectations after reaching the NFC Championship Game the year prior. Head coach Bruce Arians thinks he has the roster to bounce back and win double digits again this season and it’s hard for us to disagree. Arizona finished 9th in total offense last season but found a stud at running back in David Johnson who is one of the NFL’s biggest game breakers. Johnson rushed for 1239 yards and 16 touchdowns in addition to catching 80 balls for 879 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Johnson does it all and should be the reason why Arizona’s offense will put up points with the best of them this season despite an aging quarterback in Carson Palmer and top wide out in Larry Fitgerald. The Cardinals also possess a strong defense that rated 2nd in total defense last season and should be amongst the NFL’s top units again in 2017.

16. Cincinnati Bengals(+5000 odds to win 2018 Super Bowl at Bovada) – The Cincinnati Bengals streak of 5 straight NFL Playoffs appearances was snapped last season as they finished just 6-10. The Bengals had won 10 or more games in each season from 2012 to 2015 but were never able to carry over their regular season success into the postseason where they failed to win a game. That lack of success had to take it’s toll at some point mentally and it appears last season that was a big factor in Cincinnati’s decline. The Bengals still possess some top talent on both sides of the ball and finished a respectable 13th overall in total offense and 17th in total defense last season. The Bengals offense should be good enough to finish over .500 this season as wide receiver A.J. Green is one of the best in the league and 2nd round draft pick Joe Mixon finally gives the Bengals an explosive running back talent that could take the offense to the next level. The Bengals also used their 1st round pick in the draft on wide receiver John Ross out of Washington who gives the Bengals elite speed who could take the top off of defenses. The Bengals appear poised to get back to the NFL Playoffs this season and could even win the AFC North if the rookies don’t hit a wall and contribute at a high level all season.

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