The Sportsletter - Midweek Re-Rank 📊

BY JEFF YODER

NOV. 8, 2023 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

Yesterday afforded us a rare chance to take a breath and digest all the action of the past few weeks. No more baseball. No NFL on Tuesday. And the NBA took the night off. In today’s edition, it’s a unique all-rankings recap so we can see catch up on the trends and hot streaks across pro sports.

Tonight: Wemby’s 1st Game at the Garden

Spurs at Knicks (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

Letter Rip!

  PICKS  

🏈 Play The Sportsletter’s NFL Pick ‘Em (Week 10)

*1st Place Gets $50 / Top-5 Make Playoffs

  NFL  

NFL Power Rankings: Birds of a Feather

Image via Joe Stella / Media Mobilize

Week 10: Eagles Cling to #1 After Thriller With Cowboys, But Ravens Are Playing the Best Football

We wanted to do it… We couldn’t do it. As tempting as it was to bump the Eagles for the high-flying Ravens after this weekend, Philly’s unmatched 8-1 record still holds strong. The Eagles just find ways to win, no matter how bizarre. But Baltimore? They just strung together two 30-point wins against the Lions and Seahawks in the past three weeks. I have Lamar Jackson as my favorite for MVP at this point. Both teams have terrifying schedules on the horizon, though. The Eagles and Ravens have a collection of opponents that includes the Chiefs, 49ers, Browns, Bengals, Jaguars and Bills in their upcoming “down the stretch” schedules. It’s time to prove it in November and December.

Rest of the Rankings: Whether you agree or disagree after the top 5 or 6 teams, the rest of the “playoff” field is up for debate. We slotted the Chiefs (7-2) at No. 3 with the other two 2-loss teams rounding out the top-5. After that, Teams 7 through 27 are hovering between 5-3 and 3-5. That means a team like the Raiders (4-5) at No. 23 could reel off three wins by December and find themselves firmly in the playoff mix. November is crunch time. Here’s how we see ‘em:

NFL Power Rankings (Week 10)

1. Eagles (8-1) | —

2. Ravens (7-2) | —

3. Chiefs (7-2) | ↑2

4. Jaguars (6-2) | ↓1

5. Lions (6-2) | ↑2

6. Dolphins (6-3) | ↓2

7. Bengals (5-3) | ↑2

8. Browns (5-3) | ↑4

9. Cowboys (5-3) | ↓3

10. 49ers (5-3) | —

Teams 11-20

11. Bills (5-4) | ↓3

12. Seahawks (5-3) | ↓1

13. Steelers (5-3) | ↑1

14. Chargers (4-4) | ↑1

15. Saints (5-4) | ↑1

16. Vikings (5-4) | ↑2

17. Jets (4-4) | ↓4

18. Texans (4-4) | ↑4

19. Broncos (3-5) | ↓2

20. Falcons (4-5) | —

Teams 21-32

21. Commanders (4-5) | ↑4

22. Colts (4-5) | ↑2

23. Raiders (4-5) | ↑6

24. Packers (3-5) | ↑3

25. Rams (3-6) | ↓7

26. Titans (3-5) | ↓5

27. Buccaneers (3-5) | ↓4

28. Patriots (2-7) | ↓2

29. Bears (2-7) | ↓1

30. Giants (2-7)  | —

31. Panthers (1-7) | —

32. Cardinals (1-8) | —

  NBA  

Early NBA Standings: Historic Pace

Photo: Michael Hickey / Getty Images

Celtics, Sixers, Mavericks & Nuggets Off to Hottest NBA Starts, But the Pacers' High-Powered Offense is Wild to Watch

The NBA took a night off on Tuesday to make room for elections across the country, and that left a void. We filled it by rewinding the first two-ish weeks of the season. Teams have played anywhere from six to eight games, and that’s a small sample size that won’t tell the story at season’s end. Regardless, there’s something to be said for hot starts.

East’s Elites → Celtics, 76ers, Bucks & Pacers

The Celtics and 76ers (both 5-1) are cruising in the East, but the Bucks (4-2) are still acclimating to their newest star player, Damian Lillard. The biggest surprise? It’s the fast-paced Pacers (4-3) who rank 1st in the NBA in points per game (124.9 ppg). Indiana has put 140-plus on the scoreboard three times in seven games, including two 150-point outings. Only two other teams are averaging more than 120 ppg. The problem is Indiana's defensive scoring (121.7 points allowed) ranks 29th.

Eastern Conference

1. Celtics (5-1)

2. 76ers (5-1)

3. Bucks (4-2)

4. Pacers (4-3)

5. Hawks (4-3)

6. Magic (4-3)

7. Cavaliers (3-4)

8. Knicks (3-4)

9. Raptors (3-4)

10. Nets (3-4)

Other: Heat (3-4), Bulls (3-5), Hornets (2-4), Pistons (2-6), Wizards (1-5)

West’s Bests → Nuggets, Mavs, Dubs & Wolves

It's no surprise the defending champs are off to a hot start. The Nuggets are 7-1 and look like they haven’t missed a beat since last year’s run. The Warriors and Timberwolves are also playing great out of the gate, but the sneaky Mavericks (6-1) may be a bigger threat in the West than we thought. Their only loss came against Denver, and Luka Doncic (31-10-9) is averaging an almost-nightly triple-double. Could it finally be the year for Luka to take the MVP?

Western Conference

1. Nuggets (7-1)

2. Mavericks (6-1)

3. Warriors (6-2)

4. Timberwolves (4-2)

5. Pelicans (4-3)

6. Thunder (4-3)

7. Clippers (3-3)

8. Rockets (3-3)

9. Suns (3-4)

10. Lakers (3-4)

Other: Spurs (3-4), Blazers (3-4), Kings (2-4), Jazz (2-6), Grizzlies (1-6)

  NHL  

Early NHL Standings: B's At It Again

Photo: China Wong / Getty Images

Bruins & Golden Knights in a League of Their Own, But the Sharks Could be Historically Bad

The NHL season is a little further along than the NBA slate, but it’s not too early to analyze the best starts. Two teams stand out — the Bruins and Golden Knights. Boston is fresh off a 2022-23 campaign where they shattered the NHL record for wins and points in a single season. They didn’t make it far in the postseason, though. That’s where Vegas took over. Both clubs are off to flying starts, and they’re the only two teams to breach 20 points after one month of hockey.

On the flip side, there’s the struggling San Jose Sharks. No one expected them to be great this season, but their first win of the year didn't arrive until last night — 12 games in. They beat the Flyers (2-1). The Sharks were just the fourth team in NHL history to go winless through the first 10 games.

Eastern Conference

1. Bruins (10-1-1) — 21 points

2. Rangers (9-2-1) — 19 points

3. Hurricanes (8-5-0) — 16 points

4. Lightning (6-3-4) — 16 points

5. Devils (7-4-1) — 15 points

6. Red Wings (7-5-1) — 15 points

7. Maple Leafs (6-4-2) — 14 points

8. Panthers (6-4-1) — 13 points

Other: Islanders (13 points), Sabres (13 points), Canadiens (12 points), Capitals (11 points), Flyers (11 points), Blue Jackets (11 points), Penguins (10 points), Senators (8 points)

Western Conference

1. Golden Knights (11-1-1) — 23 points

2. Canucks (9-2-1) — 19 points

3. Kings (7-2-2) — 16 points

4. Avalanche (8-3-0) — 16 points

5. Stars (7-3-1) — 15 points

6. Ducks (7-5-0) — 14 points

7. Jets (6-4-2) — 14 points

8. Coyotes (6-5-1) — 13 points

Other: Wild (12 points), Blues (11 points), Predators (10 points), Kraken (10 points), Flames (9 points), Blackhawks (8 points), Oilers (5 points), Sharks (3 points)

  CFB RANKINGS  

New Week, Same Rankings

Image via @CFBPayoff Twitter

CFB Playoff Rankings 2.0: #1 Ohio State, #2 Georgia, #3 Michigan & #4 Florida State Hold Strong

Another week, another standstill atop the college football rankings. The CFB Playoff committee unveiled the second rendition of playoff positioning with the same top-8 teams as last week. Only #9 Oklahoma suffered a loss last Saturday. And now, it sets the stage for an incredible weekend of opportunity ahead. This Saturday features two top-10 battles and at least seven of the top-10 teams facing major tests. A showdown between #2 Georgia and #9 Ole Miss could shake up the SEC (and the playoffs), while #3 Michigan travels to #10 Penn State with the Big Ten potentially on the line. In the Pac-12, #5 Washington plays host to #18 Utah, and a matchup between #6 Oregon and USC could break the scoreboard in Eugene (expect some ¡Ole! defense in that one).

CFB Playoff Rankings (2.0)

1. Ohio State (9-0)

2. Georgia (9-0)

3. Michigan (9-0)

4. Florida State (9-0)

______________________

5. Washington (9-0)

6. Oregon (8-1)

7. Texas (8-1)

8. Alabama (8-1)

9. Ole Miss (8-1)

10. Penn State (8-1)

  EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

🏒 NHL

Avalanche def. Devils (6-3)

Lightning def. Canadiens (5-3)

Hurricanes def. Sabres (3-2, OT)

Coyotes def. Kraken (4-3, S/O)

*Connor Ingram’s Shootout Save Wins It

Rangers def. Red Wings (5-3)

*Trocheck (2 Goals) & Panarin (1G, 1A) Lead NY

Sharks def. Flyers (2-1)

*San Jose Gets 1st Win of Season

⚽️ Champions League

Shakhtar Donetsk def. Barcelona (1-0)

*Danylo Sikan Scores Upset Winner

Man. City def. Young Boys (3-0)

*Haaland Nets 2 Goals

Atletico Madrid def. Celtic (6-0)

*Griezmann & Morata Score 2 Goals Each

Dortmund def. Newcastle (2-0)

AC Milan def. PSG (2-1)

⚽️ MLS Playoffs

Orlando City def. Nashville (1-0)

*Orlando Wins Series (2-0)

Atlanta Utd. def. Columbus Crew (4-2)

*Series Tied (1-1)

🏀 NCAAM

#20 Baylor def. Auburn (88-82)

*JaKobe Walter (28 Points) Sets Baylor Freshman Record

  FOOTBALL STORYLINES   🏈

Grading NFL 1st-Round Rookies

We're at the halfway-ish point in the NFL calendar, so what better time to take a look back at the 2023 first-round draft class and grade their performance to date. CJ Stroud and Jalen Carter headline an impressive class. (CBS Sports)

Heisman Trophy Rankings

Ten weeks through the 2023 college football regular season, there's no clear answer in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is still the front-runner, but his advantage has only narrowed recently. (Bleacher Report)

Michigan, Hail to the Victims?

The ongoing saga around the Michigan football program and allegations of sign stealing continues to evolve, with the most recent twists involving efforts by Michigan to paint itself as a target of sign stealing. (FOX Sports)

  NEWS   📰 

• Rams Sign QB Carson Wentz Amid Matthew Stafford’s Thumb Injury (B/R)

• Cowboys Add Recently Reinstated Free-Agent WR Martavis Bryant (SI)

• Orioles’ Mike Elias Voted MLB Executive of the Year After Winning AL East (FOX Sports)
• Pac-12 & USC Begin Trial Over Athletes’ Employment Status (USA Today)
• Wisconsin Sign With Craig Counsell’s Name Vandalized as Brewers Turn On ‘Lost’ Manager (CBS Sports)
• Clippers Preach Patience After Loss in James Harden Debut (Yahoo! Sports)
• LB Blake Martinez Returns to NFL, Signs With Panthers After Pokemon Business Fallout (ESPN)

• Titans Name QB Will Levis Starter for Remainder of NFL Season (CBS Sports)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️ 

Today's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA

Celtics at 76ers (7:00 pm ET)

Spurs at Knicks (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

Suns at Bulls (8:00 pm ET)

Raptors at Mavericks (8:30 pm ET)

Warriors at Nuggets (10:00 pm ET, ESPN)

🏒 NHL

Panthers at Capitals (7:30 pm ET, TNT)

Kings at Golden Knights (10:00 pm ET, TNT)

⚽️ Champions League

Arsenal vs. Sevilla (3:00 pm ET)

Bayern vs. Galatasaray (3:00 pm ET)

FC Copenhagen vs. Man. United (3:00 pm ET)
Real Madrid vs. Braga (3:00 pm ET)

⚽️ MLS Playoffs

Gm 2: New England vs. Philadelphia (7:00 pm ET)

Download The Sportsletter's Must-Watch Calendar

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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