From the "Talks too much" studios, in the words of Otis Day, "It feels so good to be back at the Dexter Lake Club. We'd like to do a tune entitled 'Shama Lama Ding Dong.' So hit it."
(Wait till Otis sees us. He loves us.)
5 clear things
If last week was overreaction Tuesday in the NFL, this week we'll examine five things that are clear. Yes, they have only played two weeks, but that's more than 12 percent of the season. And two weeks can determine trends, maybe not habits, but certainly tendencies to notice
1. The Colts and the Eagles are not who we thought they are. Each team was a trendy Super Bowl pick and each is 0-2. There are nine winless teams - Colts, Eagles, Ravens, Texans, Giants, Lions, Bears, Saints and Seahawks. History tells us that of all the teams that started 0-2 in the current playoff model of the NFL, less than 12 percent make the playoffs. That's right at 1-out-of-8.5 teams ever to start 0-2, have rebounded to make the playoffs. (Only three of the 49 Super Bowl champs started 0-2 - the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, and they started 0-2 because Emmitt Smith was a holdout; the 2001 New England Patriots; and the 2007 New York Giants.) Of the current group that is 0-2, we think the Seahawks have the best roster and have eerie similarities to the '93 Cowboys with the holdout of Kam Chancellor. Of that group, though, we still think the Colts have the best hope of making the playoffs because that division is so easy. A similar argument can be made for the Eagles - and to a lesser degree the Giants - since the Redskins are not going to do anything and the Cowboys are about to lean on Brandon Weeden for two months.
FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015 file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) scrambles during an NFL preseason football game against the Washington Redskins in Cleveland. Manziel will start Cleveland's home opener Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015 against Tennessee — and fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota — because Josh McCown remains out with a concussion sustained when he was hit while trying to dive into the end zone on the opening drive last week in New York. (AP Photo/David Richard, File) 2. Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston are exactly who we thought they would be. Each is talented and can make plays and offer hope for franchises that had little in the last couple of years. But each is a rookie quarterback and with those growing pains comes the mistakes of youth and emotional swings of unpredictable success. Mariota has the bets efficiency rating after two games of any QB in league history and Winston just led the Bucs into New Orleans for a win.
3. The Steelers have the best offense in the league. Yes, the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots have scored more points, but here are the Steelers offensive rankings:
Total offense - first with 458.5 yards per game (New England is second at 434 per game);
Passing offense - second at 349.5 per game (New England is first at 366 per game);
Rushing offense - 18th at 109 per game (Washington is first at 171.5 per game);
Scoring - third at 32.0 points per game (Arizona at 39.5 and New England at 34 are the top two).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston calls out a play during drills in an NFL rookie minicamp in Tampa, Fla., Friday, May 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Impressive right? Now know that the Steelers get the best running back in football back from a suspension this week when Le'Veon Bell returns, plus they are halfway to the return of starting wide out Martavious Bryant, who was suspended for the first four games.
Those numbers above are even more impressive considering they were posted without your starting tailback and your No. 2 wide receiver and best deep threat.
4. We said Rex Ryan would be coach of the year before the season. We are not deviating from that, but after after two games Dan Quinn has certainly transformed the look and the attitude of the Atlanta Falcons, who have rallied in the second half of each win to start 2-0.
5. J.J. Watt is a monster and drawing comparisons to the best ever. In fact, that link says the two fastest NFL players to 60 sacks are J.J. Watt (did it in 67 games) and Reggie White (47 games), and we know this if you are on a defensive list with Reggie, that's a good thing.
What's clear to you?
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UTC football
OK, maybe we overlooked the Mocs on our original list of who won and who lost the weekend on Monday.
That's a fair beef.
But (and this is not an excuse even though it started with the international excuse key word), shouldn't the fact that the casual UTC follower expected the Mocs win at Samford a statement of the program's progression?
UTC head football coach Russ Huesman shouts to players after a Mars Hill touchdown during the Mocs' football game against the Lions at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. UTC won 44-34.Think of it this way: UTC is Alabama of SoCon football. Yes, part of that is that this is not your dad's SoCon. But part of it is that UTC's the baddest dude in the room and it's only head-turning news when the baddest dude goes down.
Look at Alabama. The storyline from Saturday was Alabama lost or Ole Miss shocker. That's a massive compliment to your program and your status when any loss - even to ranked foes or those picked as the second-best team in the conference - comes as a surprise.
That said, and after speaking with Russ Huesman on Monday on Press Row on ESPN 105.1 FM (and simulcast right here from 3-6 p.m. at timesfreepress.com), we know two things (and believe a third) that should make every UTC fans comfortable.
The defense is supremely athletic and will get better every week. That hiccup against Mars Hill will be a constant reminder for the coaching staff about staying in the moment.
As long as Jacob Huesman is upright, the Mocs have a chance. Dude can really play.
And look for Alejandro Bennifield to get more and more chances at myriad of places and looks.
UT head coach Butch Jones huddles with his team while during a time out from playing Oklahoma during the first half of play Saturday. The Volunteers played the Sooner's at home on Sept.12, 2015, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.---
Tennessee-Florida
This is the biggest UT game since..?
Finish that sentence.
Now, let us go on an aside: We completely understand the reasoning behind the "brick-by-brick" and "win the next play" and whatever football fortune cookie line Butch Jones uses next.
Heck, TFP ace columnist Mark Wiedmer points out the consistency between coach and quarterback in an effort to stay on point and in the moment.
We get that, and we completely understand it. As Weeds perfectly writes, Jones prefers quotes made for the recycling bin rather than the bulletin board.
That said, if I were a Tennessee fan, the "same ol' song and dance" for this week would make me wonder if Butch really knows the stakes of this game.
Plus, have we gotten to a point of general political correctness that a football coach has to be as vanilla as an 18-wheeler of Blue Bell Ice Cream?
Butch is far from alone in using the "say nothing, regret nothing" approach. Heck, it's called coach speak for a reason. But there's no point between Jones and Bret Bielema?
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema leavs the field after a football game against South Carolina in Fayetteville, Ark., in this Oct. 12, 2013, file photo.And using "this is the biggest game because it's the next game" refrain every week makes it even more hollow year-round to use it this week. You become the coach that cries wolf in a lot of ways. (And yes, Bill Belichick has become famous for it, but when you win four Super Bowls, well, to the victor goes the spoils.)
This is the next best chance to beat a Florida team that has now stretched its winning streak to a decade. There are fourth-graders out there that have never known a UT win over the Gators, and it's not like the last few years have been the high-flyin' Florida of the 1990s or Urban's Ultra-awesome Gators.
If the last two Florida teams were the worst in a generation, this one is an unknown, and if you had to guess, the Gators, like the Vols are only going to trend upward from here.
So we'll ask it again.
This is the biggest UT game since..?
(And we'd imagine Butch to say with a straight face last week's game against Western Carolina.)
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This and that
- Congratulations to the Lookouts for rallying back and winning the Southern League title, the team's first since 1988. Great year.
- Wow, this former staffer lights up Scott Walker's ill-fated campaign for president.
- Somehow none of the Auburn Tigers were awarded any SEC player of the week honors. The outrage.
FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2015, file photo, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer speaks to reporters during the university's NCAA college football media day in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State is the first unanimous preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File) - And speaking of the age of political correctness, we'd expect before the year's out the sign barrage that is the Saturday morning college GameDay parade will be changed drastically. The family of Urban Meyer is hacked off about this sign, and there was a lot of women ticked about a sign that said "Ole Miss girls are easier than their out of conference schedule."
- Stat of the day: We are through two weeks with the new PAT rules, and there have been 15 two-point conversions compared to 11 at this point last year. Kicking conversion percentage is at 94.2 percent compared to 99.3 percent a year ago.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) - QB carousel. Drew Brees is hurt. RGIII and Kirk Cousins are not BFFs. Right now the Cowboys without Tony Romo would turn to a wildcat package with running backs Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden as their back-up QBs. And the Browns are going to go back to Josh McCown even after Johnny Football - aka John Manziel - got his first win of his career.
- This is an unbelievable story about a huge Roger Federer fan who spent 11 years in a coma only to awake right before the U.S. Open Final.
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Today's question
Feel free to riff on any of the above.
Rushmore: Joan Jett is 57 today. Rushmore of female rockers? Go.
True or false Tuesday:
True of false: This is the biggest game of the Butch Jones regime so far (and that's not because it's the next game).
True or false: If you were the Cleveland coach, you'd start John Football?
True or false: On Shaq's all-time starting five, of Magic, MJ, Dr. J, Karl Malone and Bill Russell, I could come up with at least two different starting 5s that are better? (We say true, by the way.)