NFL power poll
OK, the league's No. 1 goal for its teams and its regular season is parity.
Balance across all divisions gives every franchise a fighting chance, at least in the wide-eyed optimism that is the preseason and into the first few weeks of September. But know this: If your team is 0-2 they have a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs since the league went to the two-wildcard system.
Twelve percent.
In this balance of power the numbers are pretty staggering considering there are eight 0-2 teams, 16 1-1 teams and eight 2-0 teams. That's a perfectly symmetrical bell curve that would even make your physics professor smile.
Among the eight winless teams facing the wrong side of statistical history are the panicked (the Bills fired their offensive coordinator after scoring 31 points last Thursday), the dreaded potential-filled (how many folks had the Jags starting fast), the unknown (do we really know what Andrew Luck is going to be) and the cursed (oh Cleveland, to watch the next decade of what could be after two short weeks of Carson Wentz could be really painfully).
Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller (15) runs past Chicago Bears free safety Adrian Amos (38) to score a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) The Elite
1. New England (2-0). No Brady, no Gronk and now no Garoppolo, and still it feels like no problem for the Patriots, who will now turn to Jacoby Brissett after Jimmy Garoppolo hurt his shoulder last week. So, just to be fair, the Patriots are toying with the idea of Julian Edelman being their back-up QB. Now they are welcoming a surging Houston team to Foxboro, and it is just the third time since 2006 that the Patriots are a home underdog. For what it's worth, in the 15 years of the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots have been a home 'dog 12 times, and Belichick's teams are 9-3 against the spread.
2. Pittsburgh (2-0). The most-complete offense in the league has helped the Steelers to an impressive start that features a plus-30 point differential. Now know this: The Steelers get the best running back in the league back in about eight days. Good luck with that defenses.
3. Denver (2-0). Here's betting that GM John Elways could be pulling the trigger at quarterback for a Broncos bunch that has been dynamite on defense. How good? Denver is second in sacks (eight) and has scored two touchdowns on defense against a couple of pretty good quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Andrew Luck.
4. Houston (2-0). The Texans look to be the class of the always forgettable AFC South because, in small part, they have better-than-realized options on offense with newcomers Lamar Miller, Will Fuller and Brock Osweiler. The Texans look to be the class of the always forgettable AFC South because, in large part, because of defense that swarms and leads the league with nine sacks in two games.
5. Carolina (1-1). Yes, the NFL by all measures is the league in which you are defined by your record. And yes, there are four other teams with a 2-0 mark that are ahead of the Panthers in percentages. But would you rather be the Panthers with that defense and Cam Newton and a real weapon on the perimeter in Kelvin Benjamin, or the 2-0 Vikings, Eagles or Giants in the NFC or the Ravens in the ever-tough AFC? Exactly.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) runs against Chicago Bears outside linebacker Sam Acho (49) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) The opposite of elite
28. Washington (0-2). Know this, Kirk Cousins, the Washington quarterback who looked like a potential franchise guy through most of last season but is playing on a one-year deal this year, has more invested in what happens on the field than he does. A good year, and Cousins' agent can ask for a four-year, $80 million deal. A bad year, and it will be anyone's guess. A bagel-and-2 start with Cousins throwing for a ton of yards (more than 346 per game) with one score and three picks certainly is trending toward the bad.
29. Jacksonville (0-2). Man, the Jags were a trendy pick two weeks ago, right? Now, after going to San Diego and getting housed - the Jags were down 35-0 before a couple of cosmetic TDs - the questions must be asked about what's going on. In truth, t's fair to ask whether Blake Bortles is the man, and it's more than fair to point out that coach Gus Bradley is the guy to lead this bunch to the next step.
30. Chicago (0-2). There are bad rosters across the league, and amazingly the Bears' may be the worst. Now, after quarterback Jay Cutler removed himself from Monday night's loss to Philadelphia, the rebuilding project can begin in earnest. Seriously, the it would behoove the Bears to lose every game and be in position to draft Deshaun Watson. There was 'Suck for Luck' in Indy and 'Winless for Winston' in the pursuit for potential franchise quarterbacks. Let's start the 'Defeats for Deshaun' campaign in Chicago. Maybe get some hats that say, "Make Da Bears Great Again' or something.
31. Buffalo (0-2). The dysfunction of the Bills is beyond a roster that has some intriguing pieces. Nope, this is a team that is already passing the blame stick in the coaches' room and that leads to a quick downward spiral with disastrous results. How bad? Here's betting that Rex Ryan is the first NFL coach fired this year.
32. Cleveland (0-2). Oh, the Browns, and their perpetual stinkitude. Only the Browns can find a way to lose momentum and ultimately the game after taking a 20-0 lead and then have the Ravens block the PAT and return it for two points. Only the Browns will start a fifth different quarterback in five consecutive games this week. Only the Browns man there are so many ways to finish that sentence and none of them are really good.
Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) passes for the Vols's first touchdown. The Ohio University Bobcats visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in a non-conference NCAA football game on Saturday September 17, 2016. Lists about Tennessee-Florida
We talked last week about doing some lists, 5-in-10s by the 5-at-10, on Tuesdays during college football season. Let's hyper focus these lists on a monster matchup for the folks around here when the Gators come to Knoxville.
Tennessee football in one word (We asked folks on Press Row on Monday and on Twitter and got some great responses. Enjoy.)
1. Overhyped. This one seems clear..
2. Tennessee. Meaning they are doing Tennessee things.
3. Mehhhhh. Not sure it's a word, but it certainly fits.
4. Troubling. This feels accurate from the middle perspective.
5. Undefeated. This is the one from optimistic Johnny Vols Fan.
6. Disgusting. That may be a little harsh.
7. Frustrating. That feels more like it.
8. Resilient. Another positive spin, that deserves consideration.
9. Uninspired. Not sure about the players, but certainly the coaches.
10. Survival. This is the end game, because all goals still there.
Yes, that was a top-10. Sue us. Or don't. What's your one word to describe Tennessee to this point? OK, now for stake of this one. Is there any doubt that this is the biggest game of the Butch Jones' tenure? If you say no, well, we're opening to listening but here's a top five list of why this Butch's biggest moment.
1. It's Florida. If UT can't beat this UF team, when will it?
2. It's a much-needed step in the East. Win this one and UGA is the East title game.
3. The fans are starving. Slow start aside, it's been 11 years, Butch.
4. The fans are wondering. Read the above list; UT fans are restless.
5. It's still Florida. Read No. 1 again.
With that in mind, we'll certainly keep one top-five list every week.
Top five pressure points
1-through-5. Gus Malzahn, Auburn (and we'll take 50 words since he took all five spots). The expectations of this season were not as skyrocketing as last year, but a 1-3 September - with all of them in Jordan-Hare - will turn hot seat whispers in screams. We like Gus and respect him. LSU on Saturday, however, is a must-win.
Tim Tebow signs autographs for fans at the New York Mets' complex, Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback got to the complex early Monday, and started his first workout as part of their instructional league team. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Jersey-gate
We love sports. We love sports fans. They go hand-in-hand in spirit and emotion.
With that spirit comes a devotion, a frustration, an anxiety and an eagerness that is indescribable to non-sports fans and universally identifiable among the larger fraternity of sports fans regardless of the individual chapters we all follow.
Misery loves company, and that company is cloaked in the uniformity that comes with a specific jersey. Granted, we firmly believe that any male old enough to drive should only wear a jersey handed to them by someone they call coach.
With that, here are three interesting jersey stories that caught our attention.
First, the superstitious. In his normal excellence, TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer tells us about the lengthy frustration in Knoxville and that the Vols are donning smokey gray unis this weekend against Florida.
Then there is the story that Washington fans are upset that Wizards point guard John Wall showed up Sunday at the Redskins-Cowboys game in a Dallas jersey. To that, we say be quiet. Fandom is birthed and/or cultivated, rather than relocated because of your job.
Finally, news came Monday that the Mets were selling a No. 15 'Tebow' jersey on their website. Union agreements and protocol was waived because of Tebow's contract, and it put a whole lot more sense into the Mets offering Tebow $100,000 signing bonus in their deal.
For what it's worth, for Monday's sales, the Tebow 15 was the best seller on MLB.com and Fanatics, according to this story, ranking ahead of David Ortiz and Kris Bryant.
This and that
- How hard is it to make your living hunting NFL 'entertainment' against the experts in Vegas. For the season, the favorites are 14-15-2 against the spread and going over the total is 17-14-1. That's balance friends.
- Speaking of Carson Wentz, Elias sports tells us that he is the first rookie ever to start his first two games, win both of them and not throw an interception. That's pretty cool.
- More discussion about the freedom of speech on college campuses turns to LSU. The LSU students for Trump are bringing a speaker in and there are protests. It will be interesting to watch how the administration handles this.
- Here is some rare footage of Nick Saban playing high school quarterback. Cool.
Today's question
What's your word to describe Tennessee through three games?
Other than that, knock yourself out on any of the above. And let's flip this the other way:
Ask us any true or false question today, and we'll check back in at 1 p.m. Deal? Deal. (And to answer a great question from Monday, yes, Stewwie, it feels like over/unders are more accurate but that may be because we pick them way less frequently. Also, if Hillary is trying to sit on her lead, wouldn't that be John Chavis running her campaign?)
Whatcha got?