NFL power poll
OK, here’s the extent of what I know about the NFL. (Or what I think I know, which in and of itself begs the question if we actually know anything, no?)
– Fact: The Patriots are good. Really good.
– Fact: Aaron Rodgers is good. Really good.
– Fact: The Dolphins are bad. Really bad.
And amazingly, as historically bad as these Dolphins look to be, the divide between the Patriots and everyone else is greater than the gap between last and next to last.
Powerful
1. New England (7-0). OK, try some of this historic greatness on for the Pats defense. New England has two 30-plus road shutouts through seven games. The only other team in NFL history to do that over an entire season was the 1942 Bears. New England’s plus-175 scoring margin is the most through seven games since 1920, when the Buffalo All-Americans were a smidge better. Yeah. They’re good.
2. San Francisco (6-0). Print your playoff tickets and book your Super trips, Johnny Niners Fans. Four times in the Super Bowl Era have an AFC team and an NFC reached 6-0 or better in the same season. All four of those seasons ended with those two teams meeting in the Super Bowl.
3. Green Bay (6-1). No DaVante Adams, no problem. Aaron Rodgers is now the betting favorite in Vegas to be the NFL MVP.
4. New Orleans (6-1). Death, taxes and Teddy Bridgewater covering as an underdog. Question for the group: Of the collection of QBs who may be available, has anyone made themselves more coin than Teddy Ballgame?
5. Baltimore (5-2). In the levels of the NFL success, the Pats are a clear one. The three NFC division leaders with a combined two losses look the part. From there, it feels like there are about seven two-loss teams that are kind of interchangeable. This week, we’ll give that nod to the Ravens, who a) went to Seattle and won in impressive fashion, and b) have the biggest game-changing runner in the league in quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Powerless
28. New York Jets (1-5). Wow, Sam Darnold looked great last week and looked lost Monday night. Yes, the Patriots have won 20 straight against QBs in their first or second seasons, but the questions around Darnold far outweigh the answers, no?
29. Falcons (1-6). Let the firesale begin. The Falcons dealt receiver Mohammed Sanu to the Patriots for a second-round 2020 pick. Deal makes a lot of sense for each side. Now, if the Falcons can just find a taker for DeVonte Freeman and Vic Beasley.
30. Washington (1-6). Every passing week without Dwayne Haskins on the field is a wasted week in Washington. But hey, if there’s one place where waste is commonplace, it’s D.C., right? (Thank you. Be kind to your wait staff and try the veal.)
31. Cincinnati (0-7). Last year my fantasy team stunk because Leonard Fournette disappointed as my first-round pick. If you took Joe Mixon in round one of your draft, well, I’m sorry.
32. Miami (0-6). The Dolphins ran their first play with a lead in the second quarter last Sunday. It’s week seven, people.
NBA starts
The marathon that is the NBA starts tonight.
In truth, this may be the most intriguing season in quite a while.
Since LeBron joined the Heat, there has been a prohibitive favorite or a surefire Finals team entering each season of the last decade.
There are no true super teams, but there are a slew of dynamic duos.
In the West, look at the potential All-NBA/potential Hall of Fame duos on almost every roster:
Lakers – LeBron and The Unibrow;
Clippers – Kawhi and Paul George;
Houston – Harden and Westbrook;
Warriors – Steph and Klay (when he returns);
And there are more. Across the West and across the league.
Seriously, half the league can convince themselves that they are a good break or a breakout season from being in their conference finals.
Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, Jazz and Blazers are the class of the West in whatever order you want to juggle them.
In the East, the 76ers look light. The Bucks have Giannis. The Celtics are incredibly young and athletic. The Heat are better.
And if Kevin Durant comes back for the playoffs, no one in East wants any of KD and Kyrie and the Nets next spring. Good times.
Not that any of it really matters until the playoffs, but the marathon to get there will be more intriguing this year than it has been in a long time.
OK, here are my picks: