To the poll
OK, the NFL is a collection of riddles, wrapped in fortune cookies, enveloped in enigmas, surrounded by shrouds of secrecy.
We think the Packers are the best offense in the history of the league one week - and we can statically prove that since through four games the Pack averaged almost 4 points per possession, which would be the best averaged ever by more than a little - and then they are neutered by the Bucs the next.
NFL football. It's Fan-TAS-tic, and Fan-TAS-tically confusing.
How nutty? Well, the Dallas Cowboys got worked on Monday night football by the Cardinals - yes, the Cardinals - and the Cowboys, at 2-4 with a scoring differential of minus-45, are in first place in their division. Heck, this may be the first power poll we've ever done that did not have the Pats, and the aforementioned Packers went from 1 to unranked after a Sunday meltdown in Tampa Bay, which also is unranked.
Go figure.
If you watched this week only, Aaron Rodgers stinks. Ezekiel Elliott stinks. Kenyan Drake (another Alabama dude doing work in the NFL) is Walter Payton. And Ryan Tannehill is an MVP.
Actually, that last one is not a one week thing. That's right, Ryan Tannehill MVP candidate. Since taking the supplanting Marcus Mariota, Tannehill is 12-3 as Titans QB1.
His numbers are boss, too: 70.2 completion percentage, 4,110 yards, 35 TDs, a 116 QB rating and five fourth quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives. Ryan Tannehill everybody.
With that, let's slide down the poll, shall we. I think we shall.
Powerful
1 Pittsburgh. Yes, the 5-0 Steelers are numero uno for a couple of reasons. One, Big Ben is back. Two, the array of offensive options around him are impressive, considering who has stepped forward no matter who has been sidelined. (Chase Claypool, Bennie Snell, who's next?) And most importantly, they have the most dynamic defense in the NFL that generates pressure and forces mistakes.
2 Seattle. The Seahawks have the best QB1-RB1-WR1-WR2 collection in the league with Russell Wilson, Chris Carson, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. That's a quality quartet that makes the Seahawks dangerous against any defense.
3 Tennessee. This may be high, and it leads a heavy dose of heavy duty AFC teams - and yes, the fact that the Bucs are not among the top five seems faulty, but there you go - but knowing who you are and what you do well is a definite strength of these Titans. And let's be very clear about this: No one really wants to tackle Derrick Henry with a head of steam.
4 Baltimore. The Ravens plus-75 scoring differential leads the NFL, and that includes Sunday's wild 30-28 win over the Eagles. The Ravens led that game 24-6 in the fourth quarter before Philadelphia's hectic comeback.
5 Kansas City. Ho hum, here they are and there they go. Will be interesting to see what happens when Le'Veon Bell joins the running back room. Will he be an asset? Will he be a distraction? A good or bad influence on Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the super-charged rookie from LSU who went for 160-plus last night?
Powerless
28 Cincinnati. The Bengals are bad, but unlike just about every other team on this part of the list, you have to believe there is hope inside the football building, considering that Joe Burrow looks the part.
29 Houston. There are going to be stories told about how bad Bill O'Brien was as a general manager, considering the Texans not only are 1-4, but their first- and second-round picks belong to the Dolphins.
30 Jacksonville. Will the Jags rue the season-opening iron sulfide that was a 27-20 win over the Colts, considering the race for the No. 1 pick and the chance to take Trevor Lawrence? Getting housed by Matt Patricia in anything other than beard-growing is simply inexplicable.
31 The entire NFC East. That's right, other than the Jets, the entire NFC is the worst thing in the NFL. We mentioned the Cowboys, who have a division-leading two wins - one over division foe New York Giants and one over the Falcons in the on-side kick debacle last month - but check these numbers: 5-18-1 overall with a scoring margin of a combined minus-184. Outside of playing each other, Dallas, Philly, New York and Washington are 2-14-1.
32 New York Jets. If you are looking for a sneaky candidate to pull a Tannehill-esque career overhaul, how about Sam Darnold, who is toiling, like Tannehill under the googly-eyed tutelage of Adam Gase on the worst roster in the league. So when the Jets get No. 1 overall and ruin Trevor Lawrence, someone is going to be quite pleased with the next chapters in Darnold's career.
Braves next world
The heartache is still there. I know, because my son has fallen hard for the Braves, and he's been downtrodden since finding out the Game 7 result. (Side note: If the Department of Childhood Services shows up and accuses me of bad parenting since my sports-loving son is now a Braves fan and an Auburn fan, well they are going to have a strong case. I have planted the seeds of lifelong disappointment I'm afraid.)
But the future is forever bright for these Braves, and a big part of that is the moves and positioning that Alex Anthopoulous has made.
The club has an elite core signed on team-friendly deals and several guys looking at a few arbitration years before becoming unrestricted free agents. With the pain still fresh, let's discuss the good, the bad and the ugly uncertainty moving forward for this club, which was one win shy of getting back to the World Series.
Good - The goals are clear now, it's title or nothing. Yes, that was the message Freddie Freeman preached before the season, but for a team that had not won a postseason series since 2001, progress was made and steps were achieved. Also good - very good in fact - is the offensive core of Acuña, Freeman, Albies and Austin Riley, as well as Swanson and Duvall (both arbitration eligible) and another year d'Arnaud. Also good, the rotation nucleus of the out firm of Fried, Soroka and Anderson. That's a lot to like.
Bad - The Dodgers are not going anywhere, gang. The Mets are assuredly going to get better with the second-richest owner in sports. Also, bad, everything went right this year, other than Mike Soroka's injury and it feels nearly impossible for the bullpen to be that good again without resigning the closer and some other key pieces.
Ugly uncertainty - Speaking of signings, well that's the rub, right Braves fans? AA has earned a large amount of trust and faith considering what he's assembled and how he's done it. But Mark Melancon is a free agent and he was great closing games. The rotation looks much better, but there is still not a name ace. And then there is the $100-million question that is Marcel Ozuna. If the Braves pony up - and that's a big if - does it create issues in the clubhouse if he becomes the highest paid guy on the team? If they do not re-up for Ozuna, who will finish in the top five in MVP voting and provided the protection for Freddie Freeman, who likely will be the NL MVP.
There are names out there - Trevor Bauer, George Springer, JT Realmuto, Marcus Stroman as well as a slew of power relievers - that all of baseball will be interested in, but will the notoriously tight Braves be among them?
We'll see.
Say what?
Have you ever heard anyone use the phrase "hot mic" and not expect someone to say something somewhat controversial?
Compared to the slur Thom Brennaman, this one is rather tame, but Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were discussing the fly-over before the Bucs-Packers game Sunday.
Here's the exchange about a military flyover with less than 20 percent of the stadium capacity in the stands:
Aikman: "That's a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover."
Buck: "That's your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work."
Aikman: "That stuff ain't happening with (a) Kamala-Biden ticket, I'll tell you that right now partner."
First, who had Aikman as a Democrat?
Second, notice the order of the Democratic ticket - and not to get too big picture on this puppy - but the very real concern that Biden is an electable figurehead for the extreme left is why a lot of us are looking at all the options come election day.
This and that
- The World Series starts tonight. Go Dodgers.
- Did anyone see that the former Astros GM is still denying a role in the Trash Can cheating mess? OK, let's pretend for just a second that he was not involved, but in some ways - not unlike the Rick Pitino denials - if the leader of the team is unaware of a scandal and systematic cheating like this, isn't not knowing almost as culpable for a leader as knowing and not doing anything to stop it?
- Did you see this story? The Masters will not have patrons next month. No, not that story, we all saw that story. This story that the Masters folks are opening the online shop to ticket holders. Cool, because as someone with a few Masters clothes, that's a cool gesture.
- You know the rules, here's Paschall on Pruitt and Saban believing the Vols are better. Here's his prose on the Georgia secondary wanting a second try against those Alabama wide outs.
Today's questions
True or false, it's a Tuesday after all.
True or false, you are starting to love these Monday night football doubleheaders.
True or false, the Braves should resign Marcel Ozuna, and true or false, the Braves will resign Marcel Ozuna.
True or false, with Dak hurt for the season, and the contract status and unknown, the Cowboys should tank for Trevor. (And that would be an amazing fit for the Clemson gunslinger, no?)
Answer some T or Fs, leave some T or Fs.
Speaking of the Masters, what's the Rushmore of logos in sports, because the Masters' logo is got to be there, no?