Troy Aikman’s NFL Rankings Have Surprising Team At No. 1

While the Denver Broncos are 2-0 to start the 2021 season, very few would rank them amongst the best teams in the league.

But, according to the Aikman Efficiency Ratings, Troy Aikman’s proprietary metric for ranking teams in overall offense and defense, the Broncos are No. 1 on the list through Week 2.

Denver’s offensive AER rankings are average, but their top-ranked defensive ratings give them the overall No. 1 spot.

Claiming wins over the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Broncos have a 2-0 record with a combined margin of victory of 24 points. If you go by yards per game and total points allowed, the Broncos (251.5 yards, 26 points) rank No. 3 in the league behind the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills.

A likely reason for the Broncos’ inflated AER is their strength of competition so far. Both the Giants and Jaguars have yet to notch a win on the year. Meanwhile, the 2-0 Las Vegas Raiders, who have faced far more difficult competition, are ranked all the way down at No. 20 in Aikman’s ratings.

Luckily for the Broncos, their rating isn’t expected to drop much at all after this weekend’s matchup with yet another winless opponent.

The Aikman Efficiency Ratings’ No. 1 team will welcome the 0-2 New York Jets for their home-opener on Sunday afternoon.

The post Troy Aikman’s NFL Rankings Have Surprising Team At No. 1 appeared first on The Spun.