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NFL power poll
The elite are distancing themselves, friends.
Kansas City remains unbeaten.
Detroit looks like the class of the NFC, even without arguably the game’s top defensive player and best pass rusher.
Baltimore is proving that an array of weapons can be punishing for every foe.
Let’s stay with the Ravens for a second since a) for the first time since Ray Lewis was on South Beach playing for Da U, Baltimore’s defense is its weak link, b) Lamar Jackson looked amazing last night and c) Baltimore may have the three best players at arguably the three most important scoring spots on the field — QB1, RB1 and kicker.
Do not underestimate that last one. Justin Tucker is 100% first-ballot Hall of Fame as anyone not named Patrick Mahomes in the league today.
Which leads us to Lamar Jackson, who looked truly MVPish last night with five TD passes and more escapes than Frank Abagnale. Dude was slippery, and he was precise.
(Side question: With the 2028 Olympics unveiling flag football as a sport, should Lamar be the first pick at QB1? Do we really think a Serbian pass rusher is going to get within three yards of Lamar before he uncorks a dart down field to … Tyreek Hill or Xavier Worthy or some other 4.2 40 speedster? Which leads us to whether the NFL dudes will even play flag football in the Olympics, because as Lamar was making every Buccaneer this side of Captain Jack Sparrow grab air, trying to pull his flag would be like finding a major motion picture Glen Powell is not in or considered.)
But if those are the elite three, can anyone from the next tier challenge them? Let’s explore.
Let’s get to the poll.
1 Kansas City (6-0). OK, the Chiefs are unbeaten. They are going for a three-peat. They have an all-time Rushmore HC and a QB1 on a path to being on the QB1 Rushmore all-time. But they reign atop the power poll because of a defense that is creative, tenacious and relentless. Two quick questions: Has there ever been an NFL OC or DC who was never going to be a good HC but would be everyone’s pick for their coordinator more than KC DC Steve Spagnolo? Second, the Chiefs just waxed a 49ers crew in San Francisco and their future Hall of Fame QB is not playing even good football. He’s more pedestrian than Paddy, more meh than Mahomesian to the tune of six TD passes and eight picks. And repeat — the Chiefs are perfect. Yikes.
2 Detroit (5-1). These Lions get the nod over a slew of impressive 5-2 AFC teams simply because the Lions’ path to the Super Bowl does not include a trip through Kansas City. That said, true or false, no QB in the modern era has changed teams and improved as much as Jared Goff has since going from L.A. to the Motor City. And dude is slinging darts. Try these numbers for the last four games: 76-of-91 (83.5%) for 1,086 yards, nine TDs and one pick.
3 Baltimore (5-2). I know, it feels criminal having the Ravens this low after watching last night, but it’s still fair for the jury to be somewhat deliberating about Lamar until he gets to a Super Bowl, right?
4 Buffalo (5-2). If Lamar Jackson is not the MVP frontrunner, then it has to be Josh Allen, right?
5 Pittsburgh (5-2). Man, why do more teams not follow the Steelers’ way? Wanna guess how many head coaches Pittsburgh has employed in my 54-plus years on this planet? Same number of licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop. Three.
Powerless
28 New York, New York. The Giants and Jets are each 2-5. Not going to stop Greeny and the ESPN talking heads from going on and on about each franchise.
29 Tennessee (1-5). So Titans fans, which QB1 do you want Ran Carthon and Co. scouting in upcoming Saturdays? Wanna guess who Pro Football Focus has as the top-rated college QB heading into the 2025 draft? Yep, Jalen Milroe, who some Alabama fans want benched.
30 Cleveland (1-6). Everyone knows the back-up QB is always super popular among fans of struggling football teams. But man, that Browns fans were cheering when Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles over the weekend is a testament to the hate-hate scenario that has played out in Cleveland.
31 Carolina (1-6). The Panthers are the football version of the Bull Durham manager in the shower. “How’d they ever win one?” “It’s a miracle.”
32 New England (1-6). Yes, Drake Maye has had a promising first two games. Still, the Pats got pummeled by the Jags. Read that again.
Expensive October
So everywhere you look in these playoffs, the critical detail more times than not turns to money.
Greenbacks. Cheddar. Dinero.
You get the idea.
Here, after the lengthy NFL power poll, are a few quick money-related takeaways from the brilliant postseason that has left us with the Dodgers and Yankees meeting for the 12th time in the World Series.
> The cries of foul about the Dodgers and Yankees — two of the top three or four payrolls in the game — are revisionist and reactionary. Only twice in the 2000s has the team with the highest payroll won the championship — ’09 Yankees, 2018 Red Sox — so this is more outlier than outrage.
So the salary cap conversation is laughable. Now a salary floor — considering the Rays made more than $300 million in 2023 and spent $100 million in payroll in ’24 (an investment of less than a third back into the payroll) — could assuredly be worth exploring.
> Moreover, how can the naysayers have it both ways when the Yankees are a punchline when they don’t make the World Series because they spend $300 million and can’t win, but when they do win, the set-up is unfair?
> And here’s one more item: All the talk about the Yankees spending three times as much as the Guardians on players to win the ALCS conveniently avoids the simple fact that the Guardians are owned by the Dolan family, which is worth almost $5 billion, which ranks in the top-five of wealthiest MLB owners.
> Juan Soto — a free agent-to-be who bet on himself like Aaron Judge — is about to make a whole lot of coin.
> Finally, on the other end of the money, we are watching MLB starting pitchers become the NFL running backs of the modern MLB.
Look at the growing number of “bullpen games” and even the way that some pricey starters — the Dodgers spent $300 million on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and he has not pitched into the sixth inning since June — are getting yanked makes it pretty clear the path, especially in the postseason.
There are bona fide aces. Guys like Tarik Skubal and a handful of others.
Then there are simply starters, as in guys who start the game and try to get as many outs as possible before turning it over to a litany of long-haired relievers who almost all throw 97+.
Somewhere Max Fried weeps.
Business of basketball
So the players of the WNBA — a day after the end to the best season the league has ever known — have opted out for more money.
Yikes. A terrible look for a league that for decades was propped up by the NBA and operated in the red in many seasons.
Now, with one year of Caitlin Clark and increased interest, the WNBA players are preparing for a work stoppage.
Whatever.
But to be fair, when the NBA announces a slew of extensions — like the Hawks giving Jalen Johnson five years and $150 million — questions about salary should be asked. Yes, that Jalen Johnson who has averaged a smidge more than 20 minutes per game and 9.1 points per game over his three-year career.
So the WNBA stops for the foreseeable future as the NBA starts its marathon.
Not sure there is a storyline that truly grips me heading into this NBA season.
I hope the James Gang gets on the floor, makes history, gets the photo and then the Lakers send Bronny to the G League.
I hope Luka wins a much-deserved MVP.
I think Victor Wembanyama is going to be a lights-out star. Is he ready to pick up the torch from the aging superstar faces of the league named Steph, LeBron and KD?
I believe we will all be sick of the Knicks by Christmas, if not sooner.
I have read that the “second apron” is the new level — about $18 million over the salary cap, which begs the question if a salary cap has a threshold $18 million north before penalties are incurred, is that even a salary cap? — that teams will structure their payrolls around.
The level of NBA parity is pretty staggering, and I ask this all the time: Is parity good for major athletics? If it’s T-Wolves-Bucks in the NBA Finals are you watching?
Thoughts?
This and that
› You know the rules. Here’s Paschall with the Big Orange elephant in the room, and that’s real playoff chatter for UT at this point.
› Man, if I had tickets for the Van Halen reunion tour and it got cancelled, I’d be Van Ticked. Side question: Can they even have a VH reunion tour without Eddie Van Halen? I vote no.
› The Bucs lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin last night. Also of note: Baker Mayfield does not stink as bad as he used to, you know?
› Uh, here’s the social media feed of a Texas TV station of a monster whale at SeaWorld going No. 2 and then splashing it into the crowd. Yikes.
Today’s questions
True or false, it’s Tuesday. Morning, Ernie.
True or false, the WNBA players should strike.
True or false, you will watch the majority of any NBA regular-season game.
True or false, you are bothered by the Dodgers’ and Yankees’ payrolls heading into the World Series.
True or false, KC > Baltimore.
True or false, you have already voted. I am going later this morning.
You know the routine: Answer some T or Fs, ask some T or Fs.
As for today, Oct. 22, let’s review:
Christopher Lloyd is 86 today. That’s a great career arc that has spanned since the mid-1970s with “Taxi.”
Jeff Goldblum is 72. “Independence Day” (the original), friend or foe?
Jimmie Foxx would have been 117 today. He was way better than you know.
Ichiro Suzuki is 51 today.
Rushmore of internationally born MLB all-timers. Go.