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:
MVP: Steph Curry, Golden State. If he stays healthy, here's betting the huge boost in shots will equal a huge boost in stats. Don't sleep on LeBron, though.
Defensive player of the year: Kawhi Leonard, L.A. Clippers.
Rookie of the year: Ja Morant, Memphis.
Sixth man of the year: Lou Williams, Clippers. (Shouldn't they rename this award after Lou by now? Side note: Did you know that Lou has scored 20 points per - or more - in each of the last two years? Side note on the side note: Lou and Jamal Crawford are going to be heck on wheels in their church league for like the next 20-plus years.)
Coach of the year: Erik Spoelstra, Miami. More times than not the "coach" of the year is just the guy who does more with less or exceeds preseason expectations the most. Spoelstra is in line to do some of both with the Heat adding an Alpha player in Jimmy Butler.
Conference Finals: Lakers over Clippers; 76ers over Celtics.
Champs: Lakers over 76ers, and Dr. J must be a central figure in the series.
World Series starts tonight
Wow, lots happening, right?
And the central question is clear: How does either team get to more than four runs or so?
If one team gets to the other's bullpen more quickly and more consistently, then that's the biggest key I see.
Know this: For the first time ever, five of the top 10 pitchers in terms of strikeouts are in a World Series.
And now know this: At their current career pace, you are looking at four Hall of Famers and maybe five if Stephen Strasburg can stay healthy.
Chew on that.
Now, let's just hope that the 2-1 games still don't take 3 hours and 35 minutes.
This and that
- The top-ranked recruit in Auburn's top-10 recruiting class recommitted. Linebacker Trenton Simpson from Charlotte announced his decision to re-open his recruiting Monday night.
- A St. Louis high school has cancelled its football season. A star running back who was suspended for the season opener after getting ejected in last year's state championship game played in that game with a different jersey and different name. The coach and the player lied about the player participating. The team was 7-0 before the school leadership canceled the rest of the season and fired every coach on the team. Wow.
- Mike Leach wants football veils to protect a coach's words in a country filled with lip readers. I want Mike to never change.
- TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer wisely delivers the message that we can all support. It's time for Dan Quinn to go.
- They are auctioning off a monster car collection that includes a '78 Trans Am that Burt Reynolds owned. Yes, it looks like the ride he drove in Smokey and the Bandit.
Today's question
True or false. It's Tuesday.
True or false, you'd take L.A. (Lakers and Clippers) against the field to win the NBA title.
True or false, the Falcons should embrace the tank.
True or false, Astros in six. (If false, whatcha got?)
As for today, it's Oct. 22.
Pretty Boy Floyd died on this day.
Rushmore of best criminal nicknames. Go.