Ranking my Cape Town Trips

I'm nearing the completion of my 8th trip to Cape Town. It was the most visited International City (excluding family spots like Mumbai & Bangalore, and London which is influenced by going for work a bunch) when I came here for the 5th time, but now it has a pretty wide lead. Unlike basically all my prior trips, I didn't/have not done a day-by-day diary of the trip. Not sure why, but thinking about it, writing about quite a few same restaurants, sites, bars, etc., would be a bit boring for all involved. Granted, there were some new things. Instead, I decided to take this trip to think a bit more holistically - so I have two pieces planned. First is this one that ranks all eight of my trips. The second will give some thoughts of how the city has changed over these 12 years - mostly for the better, but some ways for the worse (or at least changed in a sad way). 

There's no formulaic approach to this ranking. It's mostly just looking back at how fun, notable and meaningful each trip was. All eight were good, by the way, but there are definitely differences here.

8.) 2016 (January, 3 days)

Lodging: Hostel (The Sunflower Spot)

Notable Firsts: Kirstenbosch, Signal Hill

The main issue with this one was it was too short. It was squeezed onto the end of a trip to India for Christmas, and I spent 1.5 days in Johannesburg first. I really wanted to visit again after my first trip, bt really didn't plan all that much. I stayed in a hostel (admittedly, a better one than the one I stayed at in 2013), and really didn't venture out too much. I honestly have no specific memory of this trip in terms of doing things for the first time other than (1) first time visiting Kirstenbosch, probably the biggest "gap" from my first trip, (2) visiting Camps Bay for dinner one night (which was excellent) and (3) going to Signal Hill for the first time. Other than these two things, a pretty forgettable trip, which makes it more ironic I wanted to so quickly return.

7.) 2024 (February, 5 days)

Lodging: AirBNB on Vesperdene

Notable Firsts: Salon, La Colombe

This is the only trip where I ever thought to myself "maybe I come here too much". Now, it was still a great trip, but there were a few things that drag it down. First, one day had a decent amount of rain, which is probably the only day in all my trips to Cape Town where this was the case. I was able to escape it indoors for a good amount, but still that was a damper. Secondly, this was a time where I was still trying to hold onto some old things - like a last trip to The Waiting Room, which it along with a lot of Long Street, went way down in the six years (I say this because get ready to hear a lot about it in the 2018 version). The only "new" things I can point to are probably meals at Salon, which was amazing, and La Colombe, which was excellent but also way too far away for it to really be worth it. Maybe the only other notable positive was rediscovering Mitchell's - a bit by mistake as it was the only place open when I reached the Waterfront around 10:30 on Sunday - that being such a quiet day I've now just decided to switch days in my trip and avoid being here for Sunday nights. Also, more so than prior trips, I was impacted by load shedding - mostly when I had to walk up to the 5th floor when returning to my AirBNB at 3am. Look, I've done a lot of complaining, but it was still a great trip (and the end of a great overall trip that included Turkey), and more than anything I think I learned a lot from this trip in terms of changing it going forward, which led to a better one in 2025.

6.) 2025 (October, 4.5 days)

Lodging: AirBNB on Vesperdene Road
Notable Firsts: Fyn, Talking to Strangers, Fable

It's funny that in theory my 2nd least favorite and 3rd least favorite are teh last two trips. I will say, there is a big gap between my #7 and this trip here, and also there are all specific reasons why each one ahead of it ranked above. But in terms of just playing the hits, I don't think I've had a better trip. That extra 6 months in between visits (after spending basically three straight President's Day Weekends here from 2022-2024) made me miss it so much. The weather was incredible (save for ironically the day I went up Table Mountain, which had its normal rolling clouds stuff going on). The hikes were brilliant. I forgot how good the foliage is in Spring, with a stunning visit to Kirstenbosch. Also, leaving Sunday Night instead of Monday night was probably a good trade. I tried some new places - from Fyn as a brilliant tasting menu spot, to more importantly expanding more into the getting more built-up Waterkant/Downtown area, with cocktail bars like Talking to Strangers and Fable. We've seen that transformation - of things moving away from Long Street and the Waterfront (Cause Effect plays into this - still great but no longer the only option for great cocktails) and to this new area that if anything makes Cape Town more full. What I learned on this trip is October is arguably the best time to visit (even if four of the five trips above it are in February), and Cape Town may always hold onto its charms despite growing in stature every time.

5.) 2013  (February, 4.5 days)

Lodging: Hostel (Altona Lodge)

Notable Firsts: Everything I did (main ones being Cape of Good Hope, Stellenbosch, Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront)

The first trip ranks lower than I would've predicted. Two aspects are important in that fact - firstly, I've just had a lot of amazing trips to Cape Town. Secondly, so little of this trip resembles anything of trips thereafter. I stayed in a hostel. I stayed mostly in The Waterfront area, aside one night venturing to Long Street. There were no clubs, no cocktails - granted, a lot of Milk & Honey beers at Mitchell's. It was by far the most "touristy" trip of any I've done, but this is not a negative. I can still remember that day doing the Cape of Good Hope tour, and even what is still my only trip to Stellenbosch (which is stupid on my part). It was my first trip up Table Mountain. Of course, this trip to Cape Town came as the first stop on my Round the World trip, which changed me as a person, and I think the fact that Cape Town was an incredible first dish on that trip is a big reason for it.

This was by far the most limited trip food-wise, but weirdly still memorable. At the top of those memories is City Grill, an African BBQ/Steak place taht still holds its busy place in the Waterfront - where I went back to back nights, to where they gave me a free bottle of wine the second night. That sauce for the Crocodile dish is still seared in my brain. As were Fork and breakfasts at Vevo Telo and what not. It was also the most docile trip - I think I got drunk, in the technical sense, maybe once (of course, overdid it to where I drank tap water in my hostel room to sober up... which got me sick...). I look back at photos of this trump and just smile - it was a simpler time, simpler for me and the city. I've seen the city grow up in a way, and in a way that aligned with how I did. As a first trip, it set a good standard that I'm happy to say has been topped half the time.

4.) 2020  (February, 4.5 days)

Lodging: AirBNB on Dock Road

Notable Firsts: Belly of the Beast, Reset, Cause Effect

There's a great irony in this trip in that it was a great reset into how I operate in Cape Town. There might not be a more "important" trip in that sense, but it is also the one that I left my phone in an uber going to Kirstenbosch, so I have very few photographic memories of the trip. But, a quick list of things I did for the first time that would become recurring trends thereafter: first time I visited where Cause Effect was open, cementing its place from Mitchell's as my go-to Waterfront haunt. This was also Cause Effect at its most popular, inventive, and acclaimed. It was the first time I did a tasting menu (excluding Janse & Co), going to Belly of the Beast. It was the start of the move away from Long Street - The Waiting Room still decent at this point, but Fiction closed and the rest becoming too R&B. But in it I discovered Reset, which was an amazing EDM club that was before its time (in location, as has been reborn as a way worse velvet-rope place and there are now bars all around it). Reset was truly amazing. I'm also not really considering the flight to and fro as part of this, but it was the first time I ever took Polaris, and the first time after United starter their direct EWR-CPT flight.

There's also an important "last" in this trip - as it was the last time I went to The Dubliner, such a key part of early trips. It was Sunday Night, looking for a place to go out late (a common challenge on Sundays) but around midnight, at The Dub, there was a guy with a guitar taking requests and playing great Rock music. There was a group of German tourists already there that I got started talking to, and we ended up having an amazing night. It was the capper to the trip, and of course it was a month before the World would go quiet for a while. Already at this point in Feb there were signs around people should not go if they were sick and what-not. It definitely felt like taking a trip while the Titanic was sinking. Honestly, had I not lost my phone and had more physical memories of the trip, it may rank higher. I should say, the losing my phone detriment is just the fact of losing pictures. The actual losing of the phone is my fault alone and not any fault of Cape Town.

3.) 2023 (February, 5.5 days)

Lodging: AirBNB on Vesperdene Road

Notable Firsts: The towns on the Cape of Good Hope tour, Gold

I will say, this is the trip I took with my parents, and getting them to visit Cape Town, and seemingly love it as much as I do, matters a good deal. If this trip was alone, it probably ranks below 2020, and maybe below 2013. I still have a giant smile on my face when I see pictures of this trip of my Mom and Dad experiencing the Waterfront for the first time (on their Anniversary, no less), Table Mountain, Penguins and so much more. It was the longest trip arguably, and probably the most packed. It was, in ways, a perfect blend of 2013 (tourism focused) and 2020 (food, nightlife, vibes focused) - as I did a Cape of Good Hope tour, which was better this time as it was private and included stops at some adorable towns. It was also just the third time I did Table Mountain, which I promised myself that day I would never miss on a trip again. I also blended in hikes when my parents were off doing touristy stuff I didn't want to redo (e.g. Stellenbosch), but also included the most extensive visit to Kirstenbosch yet. The 2020 elements were the nights at Cause Effect, House of Machines, Modular and more - and some incredible meals.

I don';t know if there was a trip I ate better on (other than arguably 2025). We went to Pier that first night (parent's anniversary), but also took them to Belly of the Beast, Pot Luck Club, and more. The only sad part was this was after the V&A Food Market closed (and before it reopened as a fairly soulless TimeOut Market). Another notable part of this trip was staying on Vesperdene Road for the first time, which is a perfect location and is basically my go-to for any future trip to Cape Town. It is 15 minutes to teh Waterfront, two minutes to Woolworths (for sundries), and has some great AirBNBs/apartments. As noted above, other than some new parts of a tour that repeated 80% of the first Cape Horn tour, and a restaurant which is more about culture than teh food necessarily (Gold), I didn't really do anything new on this trip. But, at the end of the day, though, sharing a place you love like Cape Town, with people you love, it gets some extra points. In that vein, I can virtually guarantee that if I am lucky enough to get married one day, the first time i visit Cape Town with my wife, it will likely rank this high if not higher. 

2.) 2018  (October, 5.5 days)

Lodging: Protea Hotel in Green Point

Notable Firsts: Long Street (The Waiting Room, Fiction), Modular, The Pot Luck Club, Miller's Thumb, Janse & Co, The Pipe Track, The Contour Path

As that lengthy list of firsts makes it clear, this was a damn eventful trip. And it doesn't even include the first of it being the first I would be with someone, as my friend joined me for the trip. This was a seminal trip to Cape Town in many ways. The first is it was where I first did hikes on the larger rock formation that is Table Mountain - from The Pipe Track (which might be my favorite trail in the world), to the Contour Path (with me learning it is a free way to see Kirstenbosch), to even Maclear's Beacon on top of Table Mountain, this trip was a hiker's paradise. It was also the first time that I didn't stay in a hostel, and while I haven't stayed in a hotel since (all AirBNBs), that itself was a huge upgrade. But most importantly, and why this ranks so highly, is this is the first time I really "lived" in Cape Town.

Other than the trip to come, no trip had better vibes than this one. Cape Town nightlife is great, and while it has changed a bit over the years in location, this was peak Long Street. You had the R&B bars you still ahve today, but you also had the center of the city's EDM/Techno/Rap scene. I can still remember those nights ping-pong-ing back and forth between The Waiting Room and Fiction - the former being "hipper", the latter being at the time the city's main EDM house. Best were both were 2nd floors on Long Street with outdoor balcony areas. Sipping on a drink, with the music thumping on the other side of the doors, looking down at Long Street below - that was an amazing moment. The food also changed on this one - probably from my first trip to Janse & Co (RIP) which had a great "pick 7 of 15 dishes" version of a tasting menu, that I still miss to this day. Cape Town was starting to grow as a city, just as I was as a person, but this caught both things at their inflection point - I wanted the lowbrow fun of The Dubliner and Mitchell's and Miller's Thumb, with the highbrow aspects of The Pot Luck Club, Janse & Co, and in 2018, all of it was readily available. If not for one Covid-related aspect of the #1 trip, this is about as good as it would get.

1.) 2022  (February, 4.5 days)

Lodging: AirBNB at the Docklands

Notable Firsts: Modular (in reality), Pier, Between Us, World of Bids

I'm not going to lie, a large part of this ranking is the fact that it came right as Covid ended. In fact, I was concerned the trip wouldn't happen, as the infamous Omicron variant started in South Africa the prior October. But by February it had washed through both South Africa and the US, and this trip was meaningful in a "the world is open again" way as much as it being an amazing trip. I returned to a changed Cape Town - Long Street less important, Reset dead, Modular alive, but the same foundational elements were still super strong, if anything, it was the start of its rebirth, with it becoming more and more modernized (read: Western) - my other piece details the mostly positive results of that shift, but it is unmistakable - from the buildout of the CBD, to more clean, corporate elements of The Waterfront - seemingly Cape Town became more "mature" post Covid.

As I mentioned earlier, my flights aren't really a part of this consideration, but one moment is - my view as the plane's landing took us across the Bay, with a perfect, truly "birds eye" view of Cape Town in all its glory - it was the brilliant end to a great flight in Polaris, and the start of a new era of travel really. The trip itself also had some notable elements - with my first time trying a super fancy (for Cape Town) tasting menu in Pier, which was awesome. It also included my first (and so far only) trip to the Bird Park that sits halfway from Cape Town to Camps Bay. It is a lovely place that I ought to return to. Mixing in with all of this was some great nights at Cause Effect (still super busy, before the cocktail spots in center city started expanding), great music at Modular, and more than anything just some sensational vibes. The world was coming out of a two-year malaise (admittedly, I did do a Europe trip with friends in fall of 2021, but that was still a time of mask mandates, and curfews). There was no better place to get out of such a malaise than Cape Town. The trip was so good it basically made me think that I need to go every year.

The Changing of the Cape

I first arrived in Cape Town on February 25th, 2013, the first full day of my 108-day Round the World trip odyssey. Twelve years later, I've made it back for an eighth visit, and it really hit me this time that I've seen this city grow and change a lot in twelve years. Luckily for me, mostly in ways that appeal to me (I similarly have grown and changed in twelve years), but really there is a lot about Cape Town that would be foreign to even the person I was on my third trip in 2018. Some of these thoughts started to crystallize really on my visit last year (2024), but fully came into focus today. Let's call it a combination of gentrification, globalization, corporatization and modernization, that I ultimately believe has made this city even better.

Now, Cape Town was a top international tourist destination even in 2013 - I remember at the time my Uncle was telling me I would love it as he so enjoyed it on his trip out here which was probably even a decade prior to that. Cape Town in 2013 had Table Mountain, and the Wineries and the Waterfront. But this was a long time ago in terms of how we see a place - before Eater, Reddit, oodles of online travel blogs, etc. I still used DK and googling. Uber was not really there, and Cape Town's miserable cab system made it tough to see the city. The Cape Town of 2013 was basically a place to visit some amazing sights, and either mill around The Waterfront or Long Street, with nothing in between.

Twelve years later, The Waterfront is still idyllic (though changing a lot as well), but Long Street has lost its place of prominence, and the stretch of the city between the two (more or less) now usurping it. The net result has been something of making Cape Town equally a great city for, let's call it, "vibes" from food, drink, music, partying, and just hanging around. And really, this transformation has happened in two phases.

The first was let's call it the expansion. I'm not lying when I say that on my first trip, and probably even the second one in 2016, I basically confined myself to The Waterfront or Long Street and nothing in between. Especially in 2016, when Uber was available, it really was just these areas after say 6pm. Now, I don't know how much of the danger was perceived vs. real, but it was basically the advice of even locals to just follow those simple rules. 

By 2018, you saw things starting to change, as the roads around Long Street started to open new restaurants, bars, etc., particularly uptown (e.g. towards Table Mountain) where you had a second hotspot area develop near Kloof Nek Road. By 2022, it started spreading downwards into the Central area. If anything, by now these areas both up and down from the main Long Street area are safer, more well developed, and as busy at night. Long Street is still packed, but much more R&B / hip-hop focus (which I'll get to later), but these other areas have grown up. Case in point - in 2020, I walked from The Waiting Room in Long Street down to Reset, a club on Loop - this was say a 10-minute walk, abuot 15 blocks, the last half of it with downwards from the main Long Street area. It was a nervous walk. I never felt in danger, but for sure felt an eerily silence and air of unease. By 2022, this was nearly gone, by 2023 - I kind of stopped needing to go to Long Street anyway.

This in all is a net positive - these are areas of the city that now house trendy bars, restaurants, clubs. These are blocks that are in the heart of the city, that should have been full of life. The biggest thing that Cape Town has done to make this happen is station a bunch of security personnel in bright green vests that patrol those streets at night. This isn't necessarily to kick homeless away or something, but put a stop to muggings and burglary - just their presence has made whole blocks of Cape Town become waht they should be.

This has had some knock-on impacts that are a bit sad. I already covered Long Street losing its position as the nightlife hotspot for vacationers, but there's been more oblique ones. For instance, for years I'd hailed Cause Effect as a leading cocktail bar, and it is. But it is also placed so strangely in the casual tourist haven that is the V&A Waterfront. It never made sense a true gourmet style cocktail bar would be there. Well, now they have cocktail bars in those blocks below Long Street (Talking to Strangers - a new personal favorite) and the people that want craft cocktails go to those areas because they are closer to everything else late night. This has definitely resulted in an emptier Cause Effect, to the point I worry for its future (or maybe it should just relocate...). But at least it's not losing out because cocktail bars don't work in Cape Town, it's losing out because it isn't the only option anymore.

The same can be said of fine dining, most pointedly at the "just below tasting menu" level, where these beautiful, artful, trendy dining spots are all over those blocks. Before, they used to mainly be lunch only or you had to get door to door uber service. Those days are long gone. All of these changes to Cape Town are for the better. And before people may say it is due to overtourism (and certainly that is a part of it), what has been fascinating to watch over the 12 years is when I go out to these places, mainly the bars and clubs, every time it is more and more locals, and more and more diverse.

On the diversity point, it is inescapable that South Africa is a predominantly black country, as is Cape Town similarly as a city, and the black population on average is poorer. That is still true and due to decades of racism, will be true for many years to come, but absolutely I have seen an increase in black locals at these bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. And more than that, taking over certain areas with more African, rap, hip-hop, etc. No where is this more true than in Long Street, which is as busy as before, but just in a way that caters to locals - which is great for them, even if my days traipsing down Long Street will probably never come back.

But with all this change, expansion and growth has come the second phase of change, which is a bit more sad - and this I'll call the over corporatization of Cape Town. The best example is around The Waterfront, which always was the most tourist-friendly, built up, "Western" part of Cape Town. But that's gone into hyperdrive, mostly through corporate/commercial interests. The best example is probably that in 2013 through I think my 2020 trip (if maybe 2022?), right at the start of the Waterfront area, near Mitchell's, sat a giant ferris wheel. It then got moved to a less trafficked part of The Waterfront, in its place is now a fairly souless looking building that houses Nike, Wedgewood, and a fancy restaurant. 

The best example is probably also in The Waterfront, where an old abandoned warehouse first became the V&A Food Market, which was a place of frequent visits, quick lunches, etc., on my 2018, 2020 and 2022 trips. It was a lovely space with local vendors selling all types of food both as quick meals, but also grocery (a lovely biltong stand was my favorite) and even a store selling local gins, cheeses, etc. It was awesome. Well, imagine my dismay on my 2023 trip with my parents when I took them to it to get a lunch to realize it was closed and in process of being turned into a Timeout Market (which was open by my 2024 trip). It's largely the same, but a bit souless, less unique, and is nowhere near as busy as what the prior V&A Food Market was. Now, this isn't a broad criticism on the concept of Timeout Markets, the OG one is Lisbon is excellent, but here was a large tourism brand taking over a beloved local thing and making it a bit less interesting.

In smaller ways this has happened in other parts of the city. Reset, which was a fantastic EDM club, closed during Covid - the area lay dormat for a few years, but was reopened as a club called Halo, which is right out of Western club velvet rope & table service style, rather than the brilliant underground place it used to be. None of these are all that problematic, because it was a bit natural that as more money was put into the city, that it woudl start getting a bit corporate, but I do hope that there is a maximum point.

In the end, Cape Town remains a gem of a city, remains my favorite city to visit in the world, and the changes in that time period cater more towards making it firm its place there. Even if I can belie the loss of the V&A Food Market, or more upmarket brands and stores, if that is the smaller price while gaining more restaurants, more bars, more blocks to roam around in and more areas where you can walk at night and not be fearful, is an amazing development.

NFL 2025: Week 6 Power Rankings & The Rest

32.) New York Jets  =  0-5  (112-157)

If the season continues the way it seems, and say the next one does, and the Jets are in need of another reset with a new head coach - please don't go with the great motivational defensive tactician again. I hate seeing Robert Saleh go there and fail, and so far Aaron Glenn doing so as well. That said, this season has been the opposite to those Saleh ones - the offense has been generally good (when Fields has played) but the defense has been awful.

31.) Las Vegas Raiders  =  1-4  (83-139)

Hey - maybe combining a coach whose best asset (his defense) went out of style nearly a decade ago, an offensive coordinator who showed limited ability to adapt to the NFL, and a QB who apart from two seasons has been generally erratic, wasn't going to equal success? I will say, as much as that was snark, Geno being this bad has definitely been surprising. Something has to change. Also, their general shittiness is a great defense for Brady to use on how his analyst role is not helping the team.

30.) Tennessee Titans  =  1-4  (73-141)

The Titans did win a game, sure, but also needed a combination of a the old fumble at the one yard line on a walk-in touchdown and an even more insane play with the interception turned fumble touchdown, and a few other Cardinals mistakes to win that game. For a good 50 minutes, they were having another fairly embarrassing performance. Nice they got a win, but at this level I don't think they'll have many more.

29.) Cleveland Browns  =  1-4  (73-123)

Weird inversion of most of their other games this year. The Dillon Gabriel offense was markedly better than the Flacco one was. They have way more actual flow than Flacco just heaving up prayers in between Judkins runs. Then the defense has arguably its worst game of the season, letting a Carson Wentz offense seem comfortable, and blowing a late lead. In the end, I don't know which things are sustainable, or just a weird "Europe" induced fog.

28.) Cincinnati Bengals  =  2-3  (85-156)

Will be interesting if the second half offense that looked somewhat competent was jsut a factor of it basically being garbage time, or a real sign that Browning found some rhythm. The worst part though is the interceptions - Browning just throws way too many poor passes, which wasn't an issue he had in his stretch of games in 2023. Defense had a decent game for a bit before the Lions OL/Run game just took over.

27.) New York Giants  =  1-4  (87-127)

Jackson Dart if anything is more fun than Russell Wilson. He still hasn't figured out the speed of the NFL, and reverts to running way too much, but these are problems you expect him to improve on - though I do worry if the reverts to running will always be there given that's how he played often in college as well. The DL has to live up to its billing more consistently than it has.

26.) New Orleans Saints  =  1-4  (92-135)

Saints got their first win - yes it was against a similarly bad team, but they won and controlled a game. That part is even more important to me. Rattler and the offense looked composed, in rhythm, and on schedule. The defense when healthy was already a decent unit. Aside from the massacre against Seattle, the Saints really have been just a plain below average team.

24.) Miami Dolphins  =  1-4  (107-145)

I think losing Tyreek makes the Dolphins better, or at least more variable. It's made Mike McDaniel actually have to try - we saw the best Waller game and best Waddle game. We did not, however, see the best Tua game which is a problem. Don't know really what more we have to see there. He's not the long term answer. He's paid too much for them to cut bait though, I have to think.

25.) Carolina Panthers  =  2-3  (102-119)

So the Panthers basically are either one of the worst teams in years for stretches, or they look magically competent, if not dominant. They've alternated that twice so far, this time long enough to get a win (against an admittedly poor Miami team). Not sure where that running game came from today, with Rico Dawdle having 200 yards, but Bryce Young still looks lost too much for me to see any real long term potential here.

23.) Baltimore Ravens  =  1-4  (141-177)

The nightmare of a season continues. I really hope Lamar is not out for any more than 1-2 additional weeks. If Lamar was out and the defense was healthy, a Cooper Rush led offense would still be competitive. But it's crazy how many important defensive players are out as well. The Ravens basically just quit in that game, and the Rams next week could be more of the same unless Lamar is back. 1-4 isn't impossible to come back from. To be honest, in the 2025 AFC, 1-5 may not be either but I do worry if this becomes a multi-week thing.

22.) Chicago Bears  =  2-2  (101-117)

Interested to see where the Bears season goes after their bye. Two straight good Caleb performances. Two straight games with decent OL play. Two games where Rome Odunze had showed the promise we all saw in college. We have to hope they keep up that momentum off of the bye. A MNF game against a good Commanders team (the top two picks from last year dueling) should give them the right motivation. I still just want to see Caleb be a bit more patient.

21.) Dallas Cowboys  =  2-2-1  (151-154)

Dak is having an insane year. The offense is playing about as well as any in the NFL. The defense is not good. Their biggest issue will probably be how competitive the NFC is. I don't think a 9-7-1 is going to get you the #7 seed this season. The Cowboys offense is a special unit though. Really they are the 2024 Bengals of the 2025 season.

20.) Atlanta Falcons  =  2-2  (76-86)

One of the bigger questions about the NFL season at this moment is if the Falcons 30-0 loss to Carolina is a meaningless super outlier, or a sign that this is a weak team that can dress up nicely every now and then. Their generally competent play the rest of the season makes me very nervously think it is the former - that the 30-0 will just be the single biggest outlier game of the season.

19.) Los Angeles Chargers  =  3-2  (98-98)

Man, they need Joe Alt back quickly. The Commanders just ate the OL alive in that game. Herbert was not his best self anyway, but he was chased off his spot or forced to throw super quick way too often. Also I think they need to diversify the offense a bit too much - a late-career Keenan Allen shouldn't be this important to a 2025 offense, especially when they have a bunch of other options.

18.) Pittsburgh Steelers  =  3-1  (96-98)

The AFC is becoming a waste-land (particularly the AFC North) and here we have Pittsburgh doing what they've basically done since 2021, which is keep treading above .500 even if they do it ugly. 3-1 with a negative point differential and one of the wins being an absolute robbery (of the Pats) is perfect Tomlin nonsense. But their best game was their last, and they saw their entire division lose on their bye week.

17.) Arizona Cardinals  =  2-3  (103-96)

I don't know what to say. The Cardinals play with their food - they escaped twice in Week1 and Week 2 winning close in games they led comfortably, but it finally bit them in one of the most absurd losses you will ever see. The down-to-down performance of this team is still strong, but man they can't close games. That's not good enough in the NFC. Underlying numbers will still grade this team out reasonably well, but they're slipping behind in what will be a really competitive division/conference.

16.) Minnesota Vikings  =  3-2  (123-97)

That Wentz performance probably takes away any hastiness the Vikings may have been feeling to rush McCarthy back. I watched none of that game except for highlights, but it shows what we know: the Vikings have enough front-line talent to win 10-11 games with Wentz / rookie-McCarthy level play. The question we all need to be asking is should they have kept Darnold, who has been the player he was from Weeks 1-16 so far.

15.) Washington Commanders  =  3-2  (134-101)

The fact that the Commanders won a road game convincingly on a day that Jayden was maybe a B- at best is a really great sign. Now, as I mentioned in the Chargers section, I wouldn't say this performance by the Commanders defense is going to happen every week, but they went out in teh offseason and got in reinforcements on the DL and so far they're paying off (especially washed Von Miller). Get McLaurin back and healthy and baby we got a stew going.

14.) Houston Texans  =  2-3  (108-61)

Look - I know the Titans and the Lamer-less Ravens are not good competition, but winning two games by a combined 70-10 should still mean something. Also meaningful was the defense being good before that as well. The OL is still rough, and Stroud is still gun-shy at times, but his accuracy has been way better these past few weeks. This could be the beginning of turning things around here. They're still two games behind the Colts, but the wild card race in the AFC is shaping up to be fairly fallow. 

13.) New England Patriots  =  3-2  (125-101)

Impressive win for New England, and especially Drake Maye who is really coming together. This is two great weeks for them - blasting a team they should beat easily (Carolina) and now stealing a game where their opponent made a bunch of mistakes, but many of them of the "forced" variety. Will be interesting to see how long this level of Stefon Diggs last (vs. that being just a revenge game), and what happens if someone finally realizes to not let Maye escape right as often. I've never seen someone more consistently better at throwing on the run to the right but seemingly incapable of doing so to his left.

12.) Los Angeles Rams  =  3-2  (123-107)

Rough loss, primarily a rough, rough 4th down call in OT. That game should never have been all that close given who the 49ers were without, and the Rams offense generally playing well. The Rams much ballyhooed DL didn't really show up in that one. They've been too high variance this season, and need more down to down, drive to drive consistency, especially since the Rams CBs are a bit rough. This is still a very good team, but one that needs a few more high impact plays on defense to reach their max potential

11.) Denver Broncos  =  3-2  (117-84)

Gutsy win, gutsy offensive performance after what was a rough first 40 minutes. It's weird that you leave that game without feeling that any of the units played all that well, given how slow Nix and the offense was for three quarters, and how even Surtain got beat a few times. But they never felt overwhelmed even when down 17-3 and that win was well earned throughout. This is a team with a really high ceiling. Don't know how consistently they will get there though.

10.) Kansas City Chiefs = 2-3 (125-107)

Really tough loss to a good team on the road. But that's twice we've written that about the Chiefs, The offense looked very good fort a third straight week, but the defense is back to getting too little pressure. The schedule doesn't get any easier also with the Lions next. The Chiefs may just end up sneaking into the playoffs, but they still to me will be scary, assuming a healthy, motivated Rashee Rice comes back.

9.) San Francisco 49ers  =  4-1  (106-98)

I don't know how they do it. This team should be way worse. Even put aside all the injuries on offense, but coming into the year, the defense was a huge question mark. But honestly, as impressive a job Shanahan has done working with scraps, I'm equally impressed by what Saleh has done with teh same. And if anything, that is more important - as we expect Purdy to come back, adn Kittle, and eventually even Aiyuk, but the defense is the guys they have and they're playing super competently, which is all you need them to be.

8.) Green Bay Packers  =  2-1-1  (104-84)

Let's hope the Packers took their bye to take a deep breath, forget all the plaudits that clearly went a bit to their heads after the first two games, and hopefully the defense is healthier and remembers how to play pass defense. The Packers probably should have lost that Cowboys game, so they really need to have taken that two week break to figure out how to end drives and not have so many coverage mistakes when they can't get home.

7.) Jacksonville Jaguars  =  4-1  (127-100)

Even in a win, even being 4-1, you still think they should be more. Lawrence still makes too many weird decisions and mistakes (the fumble, the sack on the final drive when he should've thrown it away). The receivers still will randomly fall down. But the defense is very, very good - even in a game where Tavon Walker didn't play. The run game is consistent. They're 4-1, with decent underlying numbers, and a collapse away from being 5-0, and still could get better. But I can't just assume that consistency does come for them.

6.) Philadelphia Eagles  =  4-1  (125-109)

Tough loss, and more than that a bit of a trend with this being the second straight week they let a big lead turn into a close game. First time they were able to make the key plays (the end zone pick), but here they couldn't. On the positive, Hurts and the passing offense once again looked good. I do worry about how quiet Barkley has been. You have to think he'll break out soon, but with RBs you just never know. In the end, a loss to an AFC team isn't that big of a deal, but for a team that wasn't playing as good as its record anyway, this could be a wake-up call.

5.) Seattle Seahawks  =  3-2  (146-101)

Great game that was, and a tough loss. To be fair, Darnold escaped a pick on the 99-yard TD drive (the one where the Bucs read the quick screen) and had a miracle TD of his own, but that was an unfortunate way for the game to end. The offense though just has so many options right now, especially with Horton having progressed so well. 

4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  =  4-1  (135-132)

It's so hard to talk about the Bucs. A +3 point differential for a 4-1 record is pretty poor and could be a sign of worse things to come. But wins over the Seahawks in Seattle, the Texans in Houston, are good wins - even if close. The Jets game they were far better down to down than the final score would indicate. But looking forward, Evans could be back soon, Godwin is still ramping up, the defense may get healthier. This team is a bit lucky to be 4-1, but that record is closer to their true talent than the point differential may seem. Oh, and Ekbuga looks like a rookie OBJ-type of special.

3.) Buffalo Bills  =  4-1  (153-113)

Well, that was those "it all went wrong" games, aside from getting the fumble on Stevenson. The rest was pretty disastrous - awful penalties, three turnovers. The Bills can't do that - at least until the defense gets better down to down, as their margin against decent teams is not that big. Hopefully this gets them to wake up. At their best - the drives to make it 13-10 or 17-20 were dominant, but in between the penalties have to stop. Also might be worth getting Allen into rhythm earlier. The talent is still there that we may look back and see this like some of their more puzzling losses in even their great seasons, but that needs to be a wake up call of a game.

2.) Indianapolis Colts  =  4-1  (163-89)

After the Bills loss there was a lot of "Oh, this is one of those seasons without a great team" tweets going on. But to be honest, I think these top two qualify, at least in terms of performance through five games. The Colts have played five games - going 1-1 in their coin flip games (probably should've lost the one they won, and won the one they lost). But more importantly, they've gone 3-0 against the bad teams and blew each one of those out. Combine both together, and the high floor talent level on this team, and you have the makings of something special. Yes, there is a potential glass slipper that could crack under Daniel Jones's feet, but for now, this is a dominant team.

1.) Detroit Lions  =  4-1  (174-112)

As are the Lions. The loss here is more questionable - a game they were completely outplayed by the Packers, but weird stuff happens in Week 1, and a poor loss in Green Bay if it were in Week 7 probably gets ignored more. Right now, this is a machine. The DL is fully back. Sheppard has stepped in perfectly as the DC. The offense played with its food a bit, but at its core is a dominant unit with teh new OL guys getting better each week. They're close to feeling like a machine again. Next week against the Chiefs in Arrowhead will be a treat.

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games

Byes: Minnesota Vikings (3-2), Houston Texans (2-3)

15.) Tennessee Titans (1-4)  @  Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)  (4:05 - FOX)

14.) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)  @  Miami Dolphins (1-4)  (1:00 - CBS)
13.) Denver Broncos (3-2)  @  New York Jets (0-5)  (9:30 - NFLN)
12.) Cleveland Browns (1-4)  @  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)  (1:00 - CBS)

11.) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)  @  New York Giants (1-4)  (TNF - Prime)
10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)  @  Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)  (4:25 - CBS)
9.) New England Patriots (3-2)  @  New Orleans Saints (2-3)  (1:00 - CBS)

8.) Los Angeles Rams (3-2)  @  Baltimore Ravens (1-4)  (1:00 - FOX)
7.) Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1)  @  Carolina Panthers (2-3)  (1:00 - FOX)

6.) Buffalo Bills (4-1)  @  Atlanta Falcons (2-2)  (MNF - ESPN)
5.) Arizona Cardinals (2-3)  @  Indianapolis Colts (4-1)  (1:00 - FOX)
4.) Chicago Bears (2-2)  @  Washington Commanders (3-2)  (MNF - ABC)

3.) Seattle Seahawks (3-2)  @  Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)  (1:00 - FOX)
2.) San Francisco 49ers (4-1)  @  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)  (4:25 - FOX)
1.) Detroit Lions (4-1)  @  Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)  (SNF - NBC)

An Astro-less October

It's been nine years since we had an Astros-less October. 2016 came after their big breakout in 2015, surprising everyone by winning a Wild Card, beating the Yankees in the Wild Card game, and then coming seven outs away from beating eventual World Series Champs Kansas City in the ALDS. They slid back in 2016, but then ran off one of the better eight year stretches. That ended. I don't really care about the Astros part of this - yes it was a collapse the last two months, but the team was super injured, and hanging on fumes, and it took legendary runs from both the Mariners and Guardians to take away their once sure thing playoff spot. That all is fine. I want to talk more about the prospect, or as I write this the already begun to be lived existence, of watching an MLB Playoffs without the Astros in it.

And weirdly enough, the prospect excites the hell out of me. Obviously, I would love to have my team in it - those nights chewing through sets of fingernails, goosebumps coming and going = all of it is one of the most beautiful feelings in the World. But you know what? I love this sport, and love a lot of those things about October baseball whether my team is in it or not.

I relish the chance of watching this October with only hate (for Boston and the Dodgers) in my heart. Truly, any of the other 10 teams winning (or 7 teams, as I write this) winning is perfectly fine with me. What I want more than any particular team, is to love the drama, live the drama, imbibe the drama, without the wretching baggage of being a fan. 

There are few things better than a close, tense, baseball playoff game. Truly, in terms of sports playoffs, I would only put Overtime Hockey above it. Those 25 seconds between pitches, when it seems you can hear everyone in the crowd individually, when you can hear your heart beat, along with the pitcher's and batter's, when the calm, crisp air (assuming this is an outdoors game in the North) is basically filtering right through your TV screen. God damn, nothing is better. 

I realize this is a weird position to take, that October baseball is as good (if not better...) when your team isn't in it, but the thing is, I've had a decade of practice. For nine years, my team wasn't involved - 2006 to 2014. Generally they were definitely not going to be involved come June (if not April, in 2011-2013). If anything, my love of the sport grew in those nine years - certainly my understanding of it. I got to sit through, mouth agape, some of the most dramatic moments in the sports' history in that timeframe. From the various Royals walk-offs in 2014, to Travis Ishikawa, to everything that was the 2011 Cardinals-Rangers series, to big walkoff wins, to Halladay's no-hitter, to so much more. That was a great time to be a baseball fan, and a really great time to be one of a team that was never involved in any of them.

Baseball playoff games are tight, taut operatic plays taking place in front of you, all with their own styles, features and nuances - no two alike. When you have a favorite team actually involved in it, the drama pendulum swings too far to the other side - every game a realization of that GIF around "game starts... I'm dying inside... great, we won" - a feature of baseball not a bug, with its technically unlimited run time. Take your personal favorite team out of it, and the drama dial is turned just right. 

I write this watching the Yankees and Red Sox battle it out in Game 3 of the Wild Card run. The Yankees are leading 4-0 in the 7th inning, with a rookie starter somehow pitching into the 7th inning in the year of our Lord 2025. This is baseball (this all said, I can pretend to be detached, but to be honest, if the Red Sox were up 4-0 I wouldn't be writing any of this). The DS's start on Friday. We're getting to see October baseball in Wrigley, in Milwaukee, in Seattle, in Philadelphia. We're about to witness something great, as we do every Octber, but I'll get the witness it wihtout any risk of heartburn, hatred and the right degree of nervousness.

10 Best 2017-2022 Astros Memories/Moments

Look, maybe the Astros sweep this weekend, and Boston or Texas helps us, and we sneak into the playoffs as the last Wild Card, and go on a run, but all of that is unlikely. The 2025 Astros were never all that good - after losing Bregman and Tucker, and the replacements either being bad (Walker) or getting hurt (Paredes). Then Yordan got hurt, and came back and raked and got hurt again. The bullpen unsurprinsgly wore down. This might be the year the Astros don't make the playoffs. They may get there next year in 2026 if injury luck isn't as bad, but still, they are unlikely to get there this year because the Mariners went 16-1 in Septemeber.

 

It's at this moment you get mad at yourself for ending your "22 Thougths on the 2022 Astros" with talk of the dynasty to come. It isn't coming. It could've been there in 2023 - they arguably should've won the AL that year, and probably would have beaten the D'Backs. But by 2024, it was gone. In 2025, it is very gone. It is ironic this is 10 years after their rebirth in 2015. At this point, I do start to get nostalgic. It is a sig how old I am to watch one of my teams be god awful and build up after tanking, do it about successful as anyone ever, and then reach the tail end of their compettive run once again. So, as anyone faced with that hand of cards, I'll look to the past - here are my 15 favorite plays during the 2017-2022 Astros dynasty. I'm of course exclduing 2023, but I will say the Altuve HR in Game 5 would rank quite high, even if they went out and laid two abhorrent eggs in Game 6-7.

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15.) Carlos Beltran 2B (Game 4, 2017 ALDS)

Most of these will be in 2017 and 2022. No surprise there. A few will be in 2019 and 2021, the seasons that at least the Astros made the World Series before falling on themselves. Maybe a couple will be 2018 and 2020. But let's start with a forgetting one in 2017. At this point, the Astros hadn't won a playoff series. They won the first two games in Houston without much fuss, before losing Game 3. But here we saw ourselves up 4-3 - a blown loss away from a winner take all game. But Carlos Beltran hit a double to give an insurance run (that was needed - the Astros won 5-4). There are two weird memories here - first was I was following the game on MLB.tv, at work in California at the time. It probably was the last time I followed an Astros playoff game exclusively on the app. That "In Play (Runs)" never hit harder. And second, it was still just weird rooting for Beltran. If I included the 2004-05 playoffs in this, Beltran may figure a good amount, but he also just skipped town. Fuck him, but love him also.

14.) Yordan Alvarez HR (Game 1, 2022 ALDS)

Arguably it should be higher up. It was the first ever walk-off home run in the playoffs hit with the team trailing by more than one run. It takes a weird set of circumstances to even allow for such a hit, but here we had it, and Yordan delivered with something unholy. But I only have it this far down because (1) I didn't see it - busy at a work all hands meeting and (2) I think the Astros probably win the series anyway. Shame me, but I just think ALDS memories are not as meaningful as ALCS and WS ones. Case in point, I have zero moments from the ALDS in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 on this list. Of course, I do know who we beat in each one of those years, but it just isn't all that important. We're deep enough into the game that the ALDS win isn't the goal. All that said, Jesus setting history was something beautiful.

13.) Kyle Tucker HR (Game 6, 2021 ALCS)

Yes, the 2021 seasons ended sourly, with a fairly meek World Series loss to the Braves, but the one silver lining was beating the Red Sox (fuck Boston, as always) in the ALCS, payback for the 2018 series where the Red Sox beat the Astros despite being outhit in the series. The Astros won Game 6 in the end 5-0, shutting down Boston with a 2-hitter, started by Luis Garcia. It was mesmerizing, but it walso nerve wrackign entering the eighth inning with the Astros leading just 2-0. In that inning, Kyle Tucker, the last Top-10 pick the rebuilding Astros would ever have, the last of the mega-prospects, hit a tower, beautiful, majestic home run to make it 5-0. It calmed me down It got the Minute Maid Park all up in arms. It was a poetic moment. It was probably the moment that cemented the Astros as a King of the new AL - what better way than beating both the Yankees (2017, 2019 - 2022 to come) and Red Sox in the ALCS to do it.

12.) Michael Brantley 2B (Game 3, 2021 ALCS)

I talked about the 2021 ALCS earlier. It ended up being relatively smooth, but the Red Sox did win Game 1 and Game 3, and led 2-1 entering the 8th in Game 4. The Astros tied it, and then took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 9th. The bases were loaded, the world was still humming, and then Michael Brantley, Mr "Professional Hitter" himself, laced a double to clear the bases, making it 6-2. The Astros would win game 4 easily, and we talked about Game 5 previously. At the moment before Brantley's hit, the horrific 2018 ALCS collapse was still fresh in our minds. That series, the Astros out-hit the Red Sox, but couldn't string together hits to save their lives. In this one, there was a chance the same could happen. The Astros bullpen was still up and down. A 3-2 lead into the 9th was precarious. Brantley made it all moot, and shut up that Boston crowd. The Astros jumped to a 7-0 lead in Game 5, so really after that Brantley hit, the Boston crowd coudln't cheer for much at all.

11.) Final Out (Game 4, 2022 WS)

Look, I know the Astros cheated in 2017. There are still 2017 moments to come because obviously I didn't know it at the time, and I remain someone who believes both (a) the level it helped them was overstated and (b) other teams were doing something similar. But whatever, by 2022, the 2017 win was a bit sour. So yeah, it was damn nice to just win one after that. I've long held that I would love all All Time great players to win at least one ring, and that I want my favorite teams if they're in some sort of dynastic run to win two. Well, here was my two. The game was still relatively close at this point, but once that ball was lofted towards Kyle Tucker, I was in a state of elation. It was the real crowning, if anything, of this Astros run. Doubly so if this group never gets back.

10.) Carlos Correa HR (Game 5, 2020 ALCS)

Ok, spoiler alert, this is the only one on this list from a year they didn't make the World Series. None from 2018 because the ALCS was harrowing, and the ALDS was one of the great blowouts of all time. It went from zero tension to zero fun. In 2020, the Astros were not good - all players had awful years or were injured. They only made the playoffs because of an expanded playoff field and MLBs weird way of ranking. They went down 0-3 in teh ALCS, but won Game 4 and then Correa hit a walk-off in Game 5. All the games were played in San Diego, but for a second, it felt like Houston. For a second, in October of 2020, when the world was still very much shit, everything seemed right. I even remember where I watched this game - on the futon in the "playroom" in my parents house. They would win Game 6, before losing meekly in Game 7. The weird paradox of this team

9.) Jose Altuve & Carlos Correa HRs  (Game 2, 2017 WS)

Game 2 and Game 5 of the 2017 WS will be well represented on this list, but let's start out with one of the signature moments of "yeah, we're fucking good" in taht series, when Altuve and Correa went back to back, to very similar parts of Dodgers Stadium to silence that crowd. Yes, ironically the Astros would blow that lead and still win the game, but at that moment, to me it was the MVP (Altuve) and the superstar MVP-to-be (Correa) going abck to back. It was symbolic more than anything. They could've easily still lost the series, and it would still rank highly. To do it to shut up Dodger Stadium was just a plus. Correa never got to those MVP heights (though we'll see him again in this ranking) but I don't know if there was a moment he was at more of a peak in belovedness than after that HR. It was the moment that the Astros announced they would not go quietly into that night, and if anything could very well outhit the Dodgers.

8.) Alex Bregman 1B (Game 5, 2017 WS)

7.) Chas McCormick's Catch  (Game 5, 2022 WS)

Game 5s in our two wins are just incredible games. Obviously, the 2017 version will live in history as one of the craziest, greatest baseball games ever played, but the 2022 vintage was pretty special. The Astros were clinging to a 3-2 lead, after escaping numerous jams when Verlander was in teh game, to getting an amazing pluck at 1st by Trey Mancini in the 8th. It was 3-2, and JT Realmuto hit a deep dive. I was in a bar with coworkers, probably one of three (out of 40) actually watchign this game, and saw McCormick drift back and back and jump and somehow catch it. He really shouldn;t have - it was an audacious catch taht shut up Citzens Bank Park. It put the Astros one out away from a 3-2 lead. It was the end, basically, to one of the more tightly played, dramatic games I've ever seen - at least in terms of low scoring ones.

6.) Carlos Correa HR (Game 2, 2019 ALCS)

The 2019 ALCS was a weird one, where the Astros won two games by the skin of their teeth (this one and Game 6, where a moment is yet to come) and the other two by embarrassing New York in New Yoro. Well, before this moment - the series was very much in flux. The Yankees won Game 1 easily in Houston - embarrassing the Astros really. The led for some of a tight Game 2. I was in SFO Airport, needing to board my redeye back to New York after a weekend watching a Count the Dings live show where I talked shit to way too many Yankee fans. There was a moment where I wasn't sure the game would end before I had to board my 10pm PST flight, but sitting there at Uncork'd in SFO, I watched on TV Correa hit one of the most dominant, boss-like HRs to win it - oppo with power and it being a no-doubter. Correa tapped his wrist - indicating this was his time. Carlos is a strange figure for Astros fans, clearly a hero, but someone who also never quite lived up to the maximum expectations, but it was moments like these that will always live for all of us.

5.) Brian McCann 2B  (Game 7, 2017 ALCS)

The 2017 ALCS was a slog. The Astros were way better than the Yankees that year, but the Yankees kept chipping away. The Yankees were at their most Yankee-ish when they came back from 4-0 down after 6 innings in Game 4. They won all three in Yankee stadium. The Astros won Game 6 fairly easily, but Game 7 was still very close until late, when Brian McCann, a rental taht summer to instill some maturity into a bunch of kids, came up huge with a double that scored two and made it 4-0. It was the unlikeliest of heroes against a heretofore dominant Tommy Kahnle. It was a beautiful hit into the corner of Minute Maid's right field. It gave my cousin Andy and I, watching this at a bar in Nashville, a sigh of relief and honestly the beginning of a celebration that wouldn't stop for hours. The Astros were going to the World Series (Lance McCullers bevy of curveballs were a fait accompli) - the rebuild was done.

4.) Marwin Gonzalez HR  (Game 2, 2017 WS)

It's funny that this HR made it 3-3 and the game ended 7-6 with five more home runs hit after this one (including two that I already covered) but this moment was still the most amazing one. Up until this point, the Astros lost 3-1 in Game 1 against Kershaw (who was brilliant) and were two outs away from losing 3-2 in Game 2. But against Kenley Jansen in a year of unkillable brilliance, it seemed over. Especially since Jansen was facing the 7-8-9 hitters. The Dodgers were like 75-1 or something up after eight innings. But switch-hitting super-utility man Marwin Gonzalez got a hold of a cutter, the breeze was blowing the right way that day (see the eight home runs) and it was tied. The Astros had life. The Astros were dead before this. Every moment of their run towards the 2017 World Series started that night with a weird choked-up-on-the-bat swing by a utility man against a monster closer.

3.) George Springer HR (Game 7, 2017 WS)

The 2017 World Series was an all timer, but Game 7 was a dud. In the best way, and the moment it became one was when George Springer, on his second at bat, hit a swooping bomb out to right center and made it 5-0. I was pretty sure at that moment that it was over. It was - the Dodgers threatened maybe once or twice more and got a run, but it was smooth sailing those last seven innings. It was 5-0, Springer had his fifth straight game with a homer, and it was all celebrations in Astro land (my house). To me, it also meant a lot that it was Springer. He was the first big draft pick that became a great prospect and then player. He hit such majestic home runs at times. He did go hot and cold, but few have ever been as hot as him in the 2017 World Series, and the second he connected, we knew we were Champs.

2.) Jose Altuve HR  (Game 6, 2019 ALCS)

Series clinching walk off home runs are more rare than you think. Them happening in a LCS or World Series even more so. There have been just three this century (the 00s) and my team did one of those (Magglio Ordonez in 2006 and Travis Ishikawa in 2014 the others), so yeah it's really high up even if the subsequent World Series was a giant disappointment. The Altuve home run also came the half inning after the Astros blew the game ni the top of the 9th when the Yankees hit a game tying home run off of Roberto Osuna (you know, the guy the Astros traded for after his DA allegations came out - yeah, I'm pretty happy we fired Jeff Luhnow and Co. into the sun). At that point I found it pretty likely they were going to lose that game and we would need a game 7, but then Altuve took the hammer to Aroldis Chapman, teeing off on a not-even-all-that-bad changeup, just murdering it to the deepest part of the park. The Joe Buck call was epic as well - I can still hear that "Altuve.... sends the Astros to the World Series" ringing in my head. That was also the last pure moment we ahd in the run, as of course the World Series would end roughly and then the sign stealing stuff would come out days later. We ended it on a high note.

1.) Yordan Alvarez HR  (Game 6, 2022 World Series)

Memories of 2019 were still in all of our minds, when the Astros returned back to Minute Maid up 3-2, put tons of runners on in both games, but lost both and lost the World Series. The script was seemingly repeating itself, with the Astros threatening a lot in Game 6, but still down in 1-0 in the sixth, when up stepped Alvarez with runners on teh corners. After his incredible home run in Game 1 of the ALDS and subsequent one in Game 2, he had gone quiet. He was having a rough go, for him. But then he got pissed off I guess because they brought in a lefty. Alvarez somehow hits lefties exactly as well as he hits righties, but Phillies manager Rob Thompson didn't get that memo. Jose Alvarado hung a fastball at 99mph and Alvarez hit it about 120mph to dead center. It was gone the second it left the bat. It was the purest swing, purest outome. It would've been a no-doubter had Tal's Hill still been a thing. It went to seats that never get a chance to get a home run ball. It was also the moment we won the World Series - the last nine outs a fait accompli for the most dominant postseason bullpen (by performance) of all time. Yordan Alvarez was our monster and I truly don't think there has ever been a purer hit home run of such importance, the capstone on the two titles and cementing this Astros run as something that will always be complete.

My Love Affair with the The American West

I first ventured West in 1995 - meaning West of the Mississippi. It was a family trip to the Pacific Northwest (and even into Canada!). A love affair with the Rockies and Pacific Northwest started at that time, though as we'll get to it took a long, long time to blossom.

Now, I should say I'm not 100% sure that was my first trip West of the Mississippi. It probably was, but anyway it was definitely the first time I remember going across this beautiful country we call the United States of America.

For years, this "love" let's call it lay dormant, until one abject disaster spawned a trip to Portland in 2017. See, I was supposed to go to Cape Town, for what would've been at that point a third time. But after driving up to JFK, even parking my car in Long Term parking, I was told by the check-in counter that I couldn't board the flight because I had only one blank page in my passport. Of course, a South Africa stamp is quite small, as I showed them given the two other pairs of entry and exit stamps for South Africa I had. Anyway, crestfallen (in tears, really), I drove back and then quickly decided where I could go in the Continental US instead, and after some milling about, I chose Portland.

It ended up being a win-win. I loved that trip to Portland in 2017 - the wilderness, the scenery, the coolness of being so far away in a tucked away corner of our country (oddly, I really don;t have this romanticism for California - which I was travelling to at that point every week for work). I replaced what would've been a pretty short, cramped trip to Cape Town with a more elongated one the following year which I added Egypt to, a trip that remains one of my favorites of all time. Actually, it was a win-win-win - the third win being that because of the trip to South Africa being cancelled, I was home for Game 6 and Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, getting to watch the Astros win (at the time, a pure memory indeed). Anyway, the biggest win of those was rediscovering the beauty of this country when you escape the urban maw of the Northeast, and the plaid pleasantness of the Midwest.

That trip to Portland in 2017 begat more explorations in 2018, with trips to Vancouver in June and Salt Lake City in July. It was really that Salt Lake City trip that unlocked it all - such a brilliant city with amazing scenery and wilderness adn trails just less than an hour away. People can laugh and joke about the mormon stuff and how "boring" it must be, but it isn't - it is an incredible place I loved in 2018, and have equally loved on subsequent visits in 2023 and 2025. That said, the reason I ventured out that direction is 2018 was the one year in my time in consulting that I didn't really have to fly for work (I'm excluding the Covid years of say 2020-2022 when work travel ground to a halt). I wanted to keep United Platinum, and back then miles flown actually mattered, so the few weekends I decided to venture out, I wanted to go far.

But that convoluted reason for venturing out west led to even a greater appreciation of its coolness and more and more trips thereafter. In 2019, it was Calgary (which somehow, I haven't made it back to). In 2021, it was the duel trips to Phoenix and Denver - which should already be a good indication of how deep this was, as those were my first times on a plane after Covid. In 2022, ti was Minneapolis, which may be my favorite of all the cities proper (though I was disappointed in how little mountains / hills / treks there are nearby, which is more a disappointment in myself for not realizing this) and another trip to Phoenix, which I did again in 2023 (I really like Phoenix.... in December). In 2024, I did the trio of Denver, Salt Lake City and Phoenix - made easier by me going to Utah for work twice a month. 

And now in 2025, I've maybe outdone myself - basically any weekend trip has been at least Mountain Time Zone, with Phoenix in April (right on the cusp of it becoming too hot), Salt Lake City in June, Minneapolis in July (btw, I realize Minneapolis isn't that far "west" but it is technically West of the Mississippi in the most literal sense) and now Portland in September, completing the circle.

Anyway, enough random rambling, I probably should talk about why I like this part of the country so much. It's for myriad reasons, but mainly because I think it offers in abundance so many of the things that I've come to look for and enjoy in a place. First of all, the incredible natural beauty. It is one of the more accurate truisms of American exceptionalism that we have some of the most incredible natural beauty of any country in the World, and while there aren't National Parks right next to these places (other than Rocky Mountain near Denver), there are so many incredible trials, hikes, and jaw-dropping views. 

From the Cottonwood Canyons in Utah, which to me are better in their green and luscious glory in Summer than they are in winter when they become some of the most expensive ski resorts in the country (my favorite hike in that area is basically literally hiking up Brighton), to even the secondary parks around Denver - the Rocky Mountains and its offshoots are incredible. Equally so are the endless evergreens of the Pacific Northwest - peaking with teh Columbia River Gorge, with its evergreen cliffs and hills on either side of the large Columbia River, creating what may be one of the most beautiful highways in teh World. Hell, even Phoenix gets in on the act - as the hikes with giant saguaro catcuses are nearly as regal as the evergreens.

Then there's their love of beer - in every one of those cities, and yes I'm including Salt Lake City in that. From some of my favorite beer bars, including maybe my single favorite in The Theodore in Phoenix, to amazing craft options all over Denver and Portland, to Minneapolis which is maybe the king. The idea of lazing an hour or two at a craft brewery is basically perfected in this part of the world. There's also their love of EDM music, which fine is probably a thing everywhere in the year of our Lord 2025, but I've found few places better than The Black Box in Dwnver, or Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis - and I write this before I'll try The Den in Portland tonight and 45 East tomorrow night.

The food shouldn't be laughed at either. Phoenix is its own animal with its Mexican food that in my view can easily rival that of California or Texas in brilliance - my single favorite burrito place in the United States is there in Taco Boys - so good I'll have that as my 2am snack rather than gyros. But aside of Pheonix, you get these places that are so good at using local ingredients inclduing game meats, juniper, berries and so much more. I know America gets shit on for not having a true cuisine and that is because we have dozens, and Mountain cooking and Northwest cooking are both excellent.

But more than anything, I think it is the vibes and the people. There's a laidbackness that I can get behind, and not in a "let's make that our entire thing" like a California - there's an earnestness in these parts of the country. There's an enjoyment of life, of the place around you, of the people around you. I've been a New Yorker my whole life so I can get by with the cuththroat and sharpness of that way, but my heart lies with people in this part of the country. I truly don't know if I've ever felt more welcomed, more at home, in this country in other places.

I think it is the remoteness that does it, that creates a sense of community and realism. There aren't as many transplants, despite all of these cities being large hubs. You have to go hundreds of miles from any of them to reach the next major city so they've basically created their own little worlds in their own claves. And they're always happy to welcome more people to their space. And by the way, I'm writing all of this as a minority - and while Phoenix and to some degree Denver are quite multi-cultural already, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and (surprisingly) Portland are not, but still I've never felt odd.

In fact, I feel very content with the oddness of their own people. This will be one of the trickier things to write, but in a New York, or any Coastal city really (and even to some degree a Chicago) there is a certain level of "coolness" that I will never feel comfortable mingling with - be it wealth (New York, LA) or frattiness (Chicago). Maybe this isn't true, but I've never felt any of that in the cities I'm talking about. It's like to venture to this part of the country by default means you've left your pretensions at the door. I wrote a few years ago about how I felt Lima was one of the cities with the amount of pretense. Well, all of these cities are on that list as well, at least the US version.

It';s also I think the reason I keep coming back (there is a very strong correlation between cities that I find have less pretension, and where I return to). Well, that and I just like getting my miles/money worth if I'm going to travel. I've been blessed to be born in this country (even if I'm against a lot of what it stands for at the moment in a macro sense) where you can fly four hours and be in the same country but feel like your on a different planet. Well, I want to explore that planet, the same way I guess Lewis & Clark did to some degree. There are a host of amazing places in that upper left quartile of our nation, and even after a solid eight years of coming here many times, I never get tired of it. Here's to eight more - my personal manifest destiny.

NFL 2025: Week 4 Power Rankings & The Rest

Before I start with the rankings, I just want to talk a bit about the magic that is the NFL, and more to it, the way it is scheduled and red zone and the like. None of this is exactly groundbreaking. RedZone has been a thing for nearly twenty years and has been amazing from Day 1. Yes, the few ads are annoying (and probably a harbinger of many ads in future), but red zone remains amazing, mostly because of days like yesterday.

That brief ten minutes where we had four blocked kicks that were all important, two of which run back for touchdowns, one of which resulted in teh Browns getting their shot to upset the unbeatable Packers, was just the perfection of RedZone. On paper heading into the week only one of those three dramatic games seemed to be good - but in the NFL not only do you never know when a game will be good (the Browns/Packers game a perfect example) but when you bundle 7/8/9/10 games in teh same window, in a sport this competitively balanced all things considered, you're just guaranteed to get 3-4 great games that all end around the same time. When they end in similarly amazing, once-in-a-year type ways, well, then you get what we got yesterday, where Scott Hanson led us brilliantly through an orgasm of football. The NFL never lets us down, neither does RedZone.

Ranking the 0-3 Teams

Tier I - The "2026 Is Only Three Months Away" Duo

6.) New Orleans Saints  (0-3  =  47-90)

5.) Tennessee Titans  (0-3  =  51-94)

There's always a few teams each year that no one expects to be good, that plays surprisingly frisky the first couple weeks but still loses, and then the losses become more of the routine and get worse and worse. The Saints and Titans both fit that for me. The Saints have a bright future in teh sense they've finally just let the cap madness wash all over them. For the Titans, still way too early to make any judgements on Cam Ward, but it may not be too early to make judgements on Brian Callahan the head coach, or at the very least the idea that just having Callahanii on your staff will give you a good OL.

Tier II - The "Least Coast" Trio

4.) New York Giants  (0-3  =  52-83)

3.) Miami Dolphins  (0-3  =  56-97)

2.) New York Jets  (0-3  =  69-93)

Well, I really hope the Russ era is over. It needs to be after that one. What are they gaining by playing him vs letting Dart get real game reps. The defense is still quite good, so if Dart is competent, they could win a few games. Granted, they have four 3-0 teams over their next six games, which is hilarious. My guess is they play Wilson next week against the Chargers, and then Dart gets the call against the Saints the week after. The Dolphins playing "close" shows at minimum they haven't quit, though I still feel like Tyreek Hill is a drive or two away from loud quitting. Tua just seems broken - he was finally able to throw on teh run, but that arm is just shot. I don't really know where this ends, but on talent alone I still think they're the second best team in that division. For the Jets, a close loss with Tyrod Taylor is again another sign that this team really loves to play for Aaron Glenn. The defense is still excellent. Their run game remains good. I hope Fields can come back soon to at least see if he's anything real in that offense. They're better than their record, but may just lose a lot of close games.

Tier III - The "It Wasn't Supposed to go This Way" Uno

1.) Houston Texans  (0-3  =  38-51)

Three games back in your division is rough, even if all three games were relatively close. That offense just seems so broken, and honestly at this point a lot of it is on Stroud. I get that the OL is a mess, but he's also just missing throws that he was hitting routinely in his rookie season. I liked their guts to fire Bobby Slowik, but I don't think it has gotten any better yet. The defense remains excellent however, and I have to think they'll score more than 20 points eventually. Giving up just 51 points in three games and being 0-3 is just insane.

Ranking the 1-2 Teams

10.) New England Patriots  (1-2  =  60-68)

Other than maybe a big leap from Drake Maye, I never really understood what the Patriots hype was about. I guess a lot of it was about Vrabel, but how many times are we going to pretend McDaniels is any good without Brady? This team also plays so stupid - the fumbles, the penalties, a lot of it. The point differential isn't bad, but their win is against an 0-3 team. They've had a generally easy start to the season schedule wise and look no better than any of their opponents so far. I still do think Drake Maye can take that step up, but the Pats will absolutely need it.

9.) Cleveland Browns  (1-2  =  46-68)

8.) Las Vegas Raiders  (1-2  =  53-74)

One great unit can win you a few games. The Browns defense is awesome. They just dominated the Packers OL, and it was a lot more than just Myles Garrett. Their secondary had its best game of the year as well. That defense can win 5 games. They can win more than that if they just give up on this Joe Flacco experiment. He's just useless at this point of his career. For the Raiders, it's the offense, which still can have some incredible Geno moments. The OL is awful though and that will hold them back, especially them not letting Jeanty get any clean running starts - one of the absurd stats of the season so far is that he has negative yards before contact - they're just not giving him a chance.

7.) Atlanta Falcons  (1-2  =  42-59)
6.) Carolina Panthers  (1-2  =  62-53)

In my heart and head, I think the Falcons are a better team than the Panthers, but I can't possibly rank the Falcons higher than Carolina after that embarrassment. What was that? The Falcons offense wasn't crazy in the first two games, but to get shutout by Carolina was hilariously bad. Penix's second interceptions was one of the worst throws I've seen a QB make this year. Hopefully they can just flash that game away. For the Panthers, I guess always good to get a win, but it's not like it really gave much answer to their biggest question: is Bryce Young any good? Yeah, a 16-24 for 121 yard game isn't going to do it for me.

5.) Dallas Cowboys  (1-2  =  74-92)

I have no idea why the Cowboys aren't pushing the ball more - so many short, short throws by Dak in that game. Dak is having a great season. Everyone else on the team has been short, especially now if Lamb is out for any period of time. The defense is a disaster, and it's more than just losing Parsons. I feel bad for Dak at this point.

3.) Chicago Bears  (1-2  =  76-93)
2.) Denver Broncos  (1-2  =  68-64)

The Bears have to be ecstatic about that game. Now, it would be better seeing Caleb doing it against a defense that has any track record this season (for how good Caleb was on Sunday, Russell Wilson was better against that same defense...). But Caleb's arm talent is still generational. The best stat from that game is him not getting sacked. More of that please - which is on Caleb too. For the Broncos, the defense is still really great, but Sean Payton needs to instill some rhythm in that offense. Nix looks regressed compared to his level at the end of last season. The supposedly great supporting cast isn't necessarily helping either. They easily could be 3-0, but not executing late in games is another testament to a bit too many limitations still put on Nix.

2.) Kansas City Chiefs  (1-2  =  60-56)

1.) Baltimore Ravens  (1-2  =  111-96)

Hey, what do you know - these two play each other this week! Which means shockingly one of them will be 1-3. So, what to make of the Chiefs. They still don't look good - but they also lost to two teams currently 3-0 by one score. Granted, the Chiefs were probably outplayed by more than the score in both games, particularly the Chargers game. Thornton seems like a decent option for Mahomes, but the rest of that offense is still pretty broken. The defense has quietly been much improved the last two games. For the Ravens, the OL is a problem - I've never seen Lamar hounded more than that (even if it seemed to be some good coverage making him hold onto the ball). The defense though is a bigger one. They turned it aroudn on that side of the ball as the season went on last year, but will need maybe a more significant improvement this time around.

Ranking the 2-1 Teams

10.) Cincinnati Bengals  (2-1  =  58-91)

9.) Pittsburgh Steelers  (2-1  =  72-77)

8.) Minnesota Vikings  (2-1  =  81-56)

For the most part, the 2-1 teams all seem better than teh 1-2 teams, but if we're going by current outlook, these three are the exceptions to me. The Bengals really have to hope that was a 1-game floor. Browning was decent in his 2023 return but this game just made him seem lost. Yes, the defensive TDs made it seem worse than it really was, but if Chase and Higgins don't go off, they're in trouble. The Steelers are 2-1 against a paper soft schedule, and Rodgers to me looks worse week by week. The defense finally showed some spark but if they weren't causing fumbles or sacks they were still porous. I still don't like the outlook even if they're above .500 still. For the Vikings, hard to know what to make of them - that was about as different two games back to back can be. Wentz looked OK, but they can't depend on Flores magic beans every week. Will be really interesting to see them against a real team... which their upcoming one against the Steelers may or may not be.

7.) Arizona Cardinals  (2-1  =  62-51)

6.) Jacksonville Jaguars  (2-1  =  70-51)

The Cardinals really let that game slip - to me it says a lot taht they've down to down not been nearly as good as they can, from Murray picks to Marvin Harrison Jr. drops to defensive mistakes, but they're still 2-1 and were one first down away from being 3-0. The NFC West will just be a nightmare all season but I do think the Cardinals have a high enough floor to stay relevant. Just not really sure about the ceiling. For teh Jags, it's similar in a way but luckily for them the AFC seems really down so far this year. For the Jags, being 2-1 with Lawrence still playing scattershot says a lot - the defense is for real. Hunter is doing a better job to me at this point as the #2 corner than at WR. Josh Hines-Allen looks phenomenal again. If Lawrence can pick it up with Brian Thomas and Hunter, they could be upwardly mobile.

5.) Los Angeles Rams  (2-1  =  73-61)
4.) Seattle Seahawks  (2-1  =  88-47)

3.) Washington Commanders  (2-1  =  80-57)

The Rams really blew that one, but to me it's all about their offensive play calling in the second half. Especially once the Eagles showed some life on offense - McVay kept it way too conservative. The defense looked great again, but the cornerbacks could be a concern against teams that ahve better OLs to give them time. The Seahawks faced such little actual resistance from the Saints it's hard to know really what to take from that game. The biggest takeaway for me three games in is that Sam Darnold looks way more like the guy from the 14-2 start than the 0-2 finish. For the Commanders, great sign that they can take care of business so calmly and easily without Jayden Daniels. Their offseason is looking quite good now - even with Deebo who hasn't been amazing in the offense has been quietly brilliant on returns. Admittedly, the Raiders aren't the greatest test, but the Commanders without their star QB passed it so easily.

2.) Green Bay Packers  (2-1  =  64-44)
1.) Detroit Lions  (2-1  =  103-78)

So, the Packers being the greatest team of all time and unbeatable didn't last too long, huh? Yes, some of that was fluky, but there are some undercurrents of issues. The OL had a lot of challenges - not all defensive lines are as good as Cleveland's, but if a lot of pressure turns this offense to throw a bunch of checkdowns and screens that might be too much of an overcorrection. The offense wasn't exactly humming the first two weeks either. The defense remains special so far. I feel weird ranking the Lions ahead of the Packers, but Week 1 always has some weird stuff happen, and the Lions have now dominated the Bears and to be honest, kind of dominated the Ravens in Baltimore on all-black night (where the Ravens are roughly 45-1). The OL has really started to come around, but more excitingly, the DL has been sharp the last two games - they just rolled the Ravens. Just a great win, maybe to be honest the most impressive single win of the short season.

Ranking the 3-0 Teams

6.) San Francisco 49ers  (3-0  =  59-49)

At some point the damn has to break with the injuries right? I guess in theory Purdy, Kittle, Aiyuk will be back at some point, but the defense was already missing starters from last year and now is without Nick Bosa for the year. This really is a repeat of 2020 (which last year was too to some degree). I hate to see it. I commend the resiliance of this team over three weeks but I fear we're reaching the breaking point. Granted, if Purdy, Kittle, Aiyuk come back quick and they can outscore teams enough.

5.) Los Angeles Chargers  (3-0  =  70-50)

4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  (3-0  =  72-66)

3.) Indianapolis Colts  (3-0  =  103-56)

I feel like this always happens - there's a few 3-0 teams that just don't make full sense. Granted, I predicted all three of them to make the playoffs (will ride that until I'm wrong!), but still there's always a few of these teams. I think all three have lasting power. The Buccaneers have won all three games by the skin of their teeth. The injuries are piling up, but they should have Wirfs and Godwin back soon. The OL reinforcements will really help. The Chargers defense remains really good, even without Khalil Mack. The secondary is playing at a special level. Jesse Minter is a special coach (and probably won't be long for that job). For teh Colts, being 3-0 is one thing, but a +47 point differential is something else. Yes, the two big wins were against 0-3 teams, but you shoudl dominate those teams, like the Colts did. The offense will cool down at some point of course, but with the varied weapons I still think their floor is high. 

2.) Buffalo Bills  (3-0  =  102-71)

1.) Philadelphia Eagles  (3-0  =  77-63)

The champs remain undefeated, so as always they remain at my #1. To skip to them for a second, yes the fact all three wins have been fairly uninspiring is notable, but so is the life they showed in that dominant second half, and maybe an actual change to them letting Hurts actually throw 5+ yards past the line for once. For the Bills, says a lot if we're complaining about a 10-point win where they missed a field goal nad gave up a bunch of 3rd and Longs (which is generally not repeatable (in the sense the fact tehy were very good on 1st and 2nd down is just as meaningful). For the Bills defense, they'll too be getting some reinforcements from injury and suspension in upcoming weeks. The schedule is paper soft, so it will be interesting if complacency becomes an issue at any point.

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games

16.) Carolina Panthers (1-2)  @  New England Patriots (1-2)  (1:00 - FOX)

15.) Tennessee Titans (0-3)  @  Houston Texans (0-3)  (1:00 - CBS)

14.) New York Jets (0-3)  @  Miami Dolphins (0-3)  (MNF - ESPN)

13.) New Orleans Saints (0-3)  @  Buffalo Bills (3-0)  (1:00 - CBS)
12.) Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)  @  New York Giants (0-3)  (1:00 - CBS)

11.) Minnesota Vikings (2-1)  @  Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)  (9:30 - NFLN)
10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)  @  Denver Broncos (1-2)  (MNF - ABC)
9.) Washington Commanders (2-1)  @  Atlanta Falcons (1-2)  (1:00 - CBS)

8.) Cleveland Browns (1-2)  @  Detroit Lions (2-1)  (1:00 - FOX)

7.) Chicago Bears (1-2)  @  Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)  (4:25 - CBS)

6.) Green Bay Packers (2-1)  @  Dallas Cowboys (1-2)  (SNF - NBC)

5.) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)  @  San Francisco 49ers (3-0)  (4:05 - FOX)

4.) Indianapolis Colts (3-0)  @  Los Angeles Rams (2-1)  (4:05 - FOX)

3.) Seattle Seahawks (2-1)  @  Arizona Cardinals (2-1)  (TNF - Prime)

2.) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)  @  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0)  (1:00 - FOX)

1.) Baltimore Ravens (1-2)  @  Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)  (4:25 - CBS)

NFL 2025: Week 3 Power Rankings & The Rest

Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)

Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)

Ranking the 0-2 Teams

Tier I - The "Can We Just Speed Up to 2026?" Duo

10.) Carolina Panthers  (0-2  =  32-53)

9.) Miami Dolphins  (0-2  =  35-66)

Both were relatively better in Week 2 than Week 1, but it's all mirage at this point. The Panthers I fear will be in a position where Bryce does just enough to stay their plan for 2026 which I just don't see being any type of long term answer. The defense is playing like less than the sum if its parts. The Dolphins just need to go ahead and clean house now. I think McDaniel is the type of coach who will do better in second stint somewhere we he learns to grow a bit more command, but it's fairly clear things have run its course. I do wonder if he'll bench Tua at some point as some form of hail mary.

Tier II - The "So Much for Hope" Duo

8.) New York Jets  (0-2  =  42-64)
7.) Cleveland Browns  (0-2  =  33-58)

Both these two had competitive, close losses in Week 1 that they both easily could have won. Well, they took all the good vibes from those performances and decided to lay just absolute eggs. Let's see if Justin Fields misses a few weeks, but more disturbing was the Jets inability to get anything going in the passing game when he was in there against a very gettable Bills defense in its current perssonel iteration. For the Browns, they have to cut bait on the Joe Flacco experiment now. Just give Dillon Gabriel (and maybe at some point Shadeur) some cracks at it. They get nothing in terms of longer term development by throwing 40-year old Flacco out there. Also when do we get the first Myles Garrett trade request / rumor. Wonder if he's already regretting that contract, realizing another team would've given him like 95% as much to play for a winner.

Tier III - The "To QB or Not to QB" Quadro

6.) New York Giants  (0-2  =  43-61)

5.) Chicago Bears  (0-2  =  45-79)

4.) New Orleans Saints  (0-2  =  34-46)
3.) Tennessee Titans  (0-2  =  31-53)

None of these four teams will likely make the playoffs this year. They've all either had one close loss or two close losses. But the outlook for even the rest of 2025, if not outer years, cannot be more different all due to whether they have a real QB worth evaluating. The Giants don't - even if Russell Wilson had an out of body experience for 62 minutes. Those moonballs are not sustainable in the year of our lord 2025. The Saints similarly do not have their long term answer - Rattler is not that. For the Bears and Titans, well they have the last two #1 picks. Neither has truly impressed yet - and yes the Caleb stuff is worrying - but at least there seems to be some value in what seems like inevitable 6-11 seasons this year.

Tier IV - The "Uh-Oh" Uno

2.) Houston Texans  (0-2  =  28-34)

On the one hand, losing to two teams that are 2-0 and are among the better NFC teams (which means these losses mean little for tiebreakers) is not all that bad, especially when your defense looks like it is one of the leagues best units. But the converse view of all this is the OL is every bit as bad as last year, and while Bobby Slowik is gone, that means there's one less person to blame before some of the heat starts getting put on CJ Stroud. Even if the Colts are "for real", I doubt they run and hide in that division so the Texans have time to figure this out. Blocking is a good starting point.

Tier V - The "Sky Is Not Falling?" Uno

1.) Kansas City Chiefs  (0-2  =  38-47)

It's so interesting listening to people talk about the Chiefs, and more than that Mahomes's legacy and the "end of the dynasty" talk when the person Mahomes is effectively chasing at this point (Brady) went 10 years in the middle of his career without winning a Super Bowl. Pretty much no one on the 2025 Chiefs will be around when Mahomes will need to really catch up to Brady (late in career). Anyway, for teh 2025 Chiefs - well it shouldn't be a surprise that a Chiefs team without both Worthy and Rice would be a bit fallow. The defense at least had a better game. 

 

Ranking the 1-1 Teams

Tier I - The "Who Are We?" Trio

12.) New England Patriots  (1-1  =  46-47)

11.) Jacksonville Jaguars  (1-1  =  53-41)

10.) Minnesota Vikings  (1-1  =  33-46)

The Patriots defense was supposed to be good. It made a Dolphins offense that looked lost and broken into a passable unit. Vrabel so far has not been able to instill any sort of punch into that defense - particularly the secondary and coverage units. For the Jaguars, they've been better under Cohen, but still so spotty at the little things. No idea where this Brian Thomas revolt is going to end up. The defense has played well in spurts, but that team had no business losing that game, and I worry it sets a team that should have it sights set on playoffs on the wrong track. The Vikings loss was distressing, as is the fact they have just one good quarter in eight so far. McCarthy also now missing a few weeks of live reps is rough as well. This was always going to be a transition season but I do wonder when we get the first "should they have kept Darnold" stories get written.

Tier II - The "Is This Just What We Are" Duo

9.) Las Vegas Raiders  (1-1  =  29-33)

8.) Dallas Cowboys  (1-1  =  60-61)

7.) Pittsburgh Steelers  (1-1  =  51-63)

So the Raiders - maybe it wasn't a sure thing that Chip Kelly, a guy who failed in the NFL pretty notably, and Pete Carroll, whose defense the league seemed to figure out a decade ago, would combine to turn a moribund franchise good? Anyway I only go harsh because also the idea that Tom Brady would be some personnel genius is also laughable. Anyway... the Raiders! As for the Cowboys, they played two diametrically opposite games with the defense showing up in Week 1, the offense in Week 2, but never both teh same. For the Steelers, what has happened to the defense? If you gave me ten guesses, the "Rodgers looks relatively really good, the addition of Metcalf is working like a charm, but the defense has gone to shit, especially the rush defense" would ahve been #9 or #10. Teams are just running away from TJ Watt for great success over and over again. Something has to change - luckily history tells us the Steelers defense will likely improve. But also the age on that unit means maybe it just doesn't.

Tier III - The "Can You Feel the Excitement Building" Duo

6.) Atlanta Falcons  (1-1  =  42-29)

5.) Seattle Seahawks  (1-1  =  44-34)

This last week is who we thought these team were. Well, maybe not the Falcons pass rush suddenly becoming awesome and it not even being the high picks or Leonard Floyd doing it - that was a surprise. Bijan looks great, and Penix is learning to adjust well to pressure. For the Seahawks, that was just about as good a game as they could have had - defense was swarming, Walker ran really well, and Darnold looked pretty close to the 2024 Vikings guy. They play in the league's best division (two weeks in, at least) and have some really tough games coming up - great stretch to see how good this team is really.

Tier IV - The "Second Year Jitters" Duo

4.) Denver Broncos  (1-1  =  48-41)

3.) Washington Commanders  (1-1  =  39-33)

This is where your priors still make a meaningful impact as on 2025 performance, these two teams shouldn't be this high. But then again, the Broncos defensive line has been excellent, the offense has generally been very good, and maybe the Colts are a secret juggernaut (probably still unlikely). For the Commanders, the whole "maybe we played a juggernaut" thing is more real with their fallow Week 2 performance, as is the nervousness around this "knee injury" that Daniels seems to have picked up, but I still believe in a lot of what they have. I will say I wouldn't be surprised if my priors are just proven incorrect though and I'm dropping both teams back a bit in weeks to come.

Tier V - The "Hey... These Teams Play this Weekend!" Duo

2.) Detroit Lions  (1-1  =  65-48)
1.) Baltimore Ravens  (1-1  =  81-58)

When you are a preseason favorite that loses in Week 1, you want to see that team go out and hammer their week 2 opponent. Well? Mission very much accomplished for these two - who both may have had the bad luck of opening the season on the road against two of the best teams in the league. The Lions offense looked every bit as good as the top-of-the-league unit it was in 2024. Goff got time and he was insane. The defense rediscovered a pass rush. For the Ravens, if anythign they were actually still a bit sluggish but the defense became the ball hawking unit they are at their best. These are 99th percentile outcomes for these teams, but still important to show they can pull those off a bit on command when pushed.

Ranking the 2-0 Teams

Tier I - The "2-0 is Supposed to be a Good Thing, Right?" Duo

10.) Cincinnati Bengals  (2-0  =  48-43)

9.) San Francisco 49ers  (2-0  =  43-34)

2-0 is supposed to be a good thing, right? Well, when you lose in one case your starting pro-bowl QB for three months, and in the other case have already lost your pro bowl QB for a few weeks, and your top TE, adn top WR, well... it just doesn't feel that way. Granted, the best part about being 2-0 is you have a cushion to play with - maybe less true for the 49ers who have two other 2-0 teams in their division that both look some levels of legitimate. But still, 2-0 is 2-0. 

Tier II - The "Too Early to Believe" Trio

8.) Arizona Cardinals  (2-0  =  47-35)
7.) Indianapolis Colts  (2-0  =  62-36)

6.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers  (2-0  =  43-39)

The Cardinals were a trendy sleeper Wild Card pick (including by me), a team was down to down better than their 8-9 record last year. Well, through two games that remains true, but can they stop this thing where they stop playing halfway through the 4th quarter? That game yesterday had no business being that close in the end. The Colts are fascinating because it may just be that Anthony Richardson was even worse than we thought and Shane Steichen remains the great play caller he was for the 2022 Eagles. The defense also plays better than its talent with Anarumo calling things, which is huge. Yes, Daniel Jones may return to pumpkin mode at some point, but a 2-0 start in that division is huge. For the Bucs, that was a crazy game, but an amazing win. The OL needs some serious help, but reinforcements (mainly Tristan Wirfs) are coming at some point. Until then, they have enough high end talent to keep abreast in the NFC South. Helps that the run game looked like its 2024 self again.

Tier III - The "It's Annoying LA has two good teams with fans who don't give a shit" Duo

5.) Los Angeles Chargers  (2-0  =  47-30)

4.) Los Angeles Rams  (2-0  =  47-28)

The Chargers look good, they look super competent on both sides. If anything, Greg Roman may be getting guilty of going too pass heavy - which, yeah, is just a shocking thing to say out loud. Herbert just looks really locked in this year - his accuracy can still fail him at times, but he seems so good in the pocket and at least for now in sync with healthy pass catchers. The Rams were supposed to be good, and then everyone started to be cryptic about the 38-year old QBs back. Well, the back seems fine now and they're basically as good as we thought tehy were. The Rams have had a few things go great - such as Davante Adams rediscovering the will to play. They also have a defense that is keeping up its pass rush dominance. The ceiling is super high, but yeah that back remains a bit of a silent ticking time bomb hanging over everything, sadly. It's definitely not one of those stories that will just disappear.

Tier IV - The "Fast Forward to February?" Duo

3.) Green Bay Packers  (2-0  =  54-31)

2.) Buffalo Bills  (2-0  =  71-50)

Look, the only reason these aren't the #2 and #1 teams is because I have a rule that until the defending champ loses I keep them at #1. But let's be real, these are the best two teams right now. The Packers defense has been ludicrous these first two games - especially after what we saw the Lions do in their second game (and to some degree, the Commanders in their Week 1 game). Love hasn't been perfect, but the offense has still been plenty good which is terrifying. For the Bills, always nice to sleepwalk to a 20-point win without needing Allen to do anything insane. The defense has gotten a huge boost from Joey Bosa and has reinforcements on the way. They have a clear path to that #1 seed given the light schedule they have.

Tier V - The "Well, They're Still the Champs" Uno

1.) Philadelphia Eagles  (2-0  = 44-37) 

To some degree, you can panic, but the 2025 Eagles have looked very much like what the 2024 Eagles were for long stretches, an inconsistent offense with enough front line talent, and a defense that is just very good and sound. Granted, Barkley and the run game has been a bit slow to start. The offense hasn't gotten out of first gear. The penalty questions aside, the tush push has been sluggish. But hey, they're 2-0, they're 18-1 in their last nineteen games. The defense still looks very good. Eagles fans will complain because of course they will, and there are some legitimate things to complain about, but this is still a damn good group.

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Games

16.) Green Bay Packers (2-0)  @  Cleveland Browns (2-0)  (1:00 - FOX)

15.) New Orleans Saints (0-2)  @  Seattle Seahawks (1-1)  (4:05 - CBS)

14.) Miami Dolphins (0-2)  @  Buffalo Bills (2-0)  (TNF - Prime)

13.) New York Jets (0-2)  @  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)  (1:00 - CBS)

12.) Atlanta Falcons (1-1)  @  Carolina Panthers (0-2)  (1:00 - FOX)
11.) Dallas Cowboys (1-1)  @  Chicago Bears (0-2)  (4:25 - FOX)

10.) Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)  @  Minnesota Vikings (1-1)  (1:00 - CBS)

9.) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)  @  New England Patriots (1-1)  (1:00 - CBS)
8.) Indianapolis Colts (2-0)  @  Tennessee Titans (0-2)  (1:00 - CBS)
7.) Houston Texans (0-2)  @  Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)  (1:00 - CBS)

6.) Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)  @  New York Giants (0-2)  (SNF - NBC)
5.) Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)  @  Washington Commanders (1-1)  (1:00 - FOX)

4.) Denver Broncos (1-1)  @  Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)  (4:05 - CBS)

3.) Arizona Cardinals (2-0)  @  San Francisco 49ers (2-0)  (4:25 - FOX)

2.) Los Angeles Rams (2-0)  @  Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)  (1:00 - FOX)

1.) Detroit Lions (1-1)  @  Baltimore Ravens (1-1)  (MNF - ESPN)