The homestretch of the NFL season is upon us, and the Power Rankings are in an optimistic mood. That means that this week we’ll look at the best-case scenario for all 32 teams the remainder of the season.

For some, it’s a Super Bowl ring, for some, it’s a postseason appearance and for some, it’s a new head coach under the Christmas tree.

(Last week: 1)

Sunday: Beat Buffalo Bills 37-34 in overtime

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Three coaches in NFL history have started 10-1 in back-to-back seasons, according to Elias Sports. They are Don Shula, Tony Dungy and … Nick Sirianni. The Eagles, who played without offensive tackle Lane Johnson (groin), have beaten the Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills in consecutive games, and their next three are against the 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks. Jalen Hurts, who had five touchdowns Sunday, is second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (11) and has 18 passing touchdowns. This team can erase the bad taste of last year’s Super Bowl loss.

Up next: vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

NFL Week 12 takeaways: Are Bills’ playoff hopes over after OT loss to Eagles?

(Last week: 4)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 20-10

Best case: Super Bowl ring

The Ravens are the most balanced team in the AFC. They are second in scoring defense (15.6) and defensive success rate (62.9 percent). Offensively, they lead the league in rushing (158.6 per game) and are seventh in yards overall (366.1 ypg). Linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen each have more than 100 tackles, and Jadeveon Clowney has 7 1/2 sacks. Baltimore hasn’t advanced past the divisional round since its 2012 Super Bowl win. That looks like it’ll change.

Up next: Bye

3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3)

(Last week: 2)

Sunday: Beat Las Vegas Raiders 31-17

Best case: Super Bowl ring

It would be the second in a row for the Chiefs. Any worries about the state of Kansas City’s wide receiving corps should be offset by the fact that this team won its last Super Bowl with the same group plus JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has 24 catches this season for 159 yards for the Patriots. Rashee Rice was a bright spot Sunday, catching eight passes for 107 yards. With Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the best case is a ring. On Sunday, Reid became the first coach in NFL history to become the winningest coach for two franchises.

Up next: at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

4. San Francisco 49ers (8-3)

(Last week: 5)

Thursday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 31-13

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Since acquiring defensive end Chase Young at the trade deadline, the 49ers are second in the league with 15 sacks. They have at least four sacks in each game since then, and they got Geno Smith six times on Thanksgiving Day. Plus, they still have Brock Purdy and that offense. San Francisco has played one other contender this season. It beat the Cowboys 42-10 in that game. This team could finally get Kyle Shanahan his championship.

Up next: at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

(Last week: 7)

Thursday: Beat Washington Commanders 45-10

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Dallas hasn’t been able to do better than regular-season rings for a while now, so there’s some understandable skepticism about this team, but the Cowboys are a very real threat. They lead the NFL in scoring margin (162). They are second in offensive EPA, third in defensive EPA and 10th in special teams EPA. Dak Prescott received PFF’s highest game grade (97) of any quarterback since 2007 for his Thursday performance. He has topped 300 yards passing and a 115 passer rating four times in the last five games.

Up next: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins’ explosive offense gives coach Mike McDaniel’s team a chance against everyone. (Mike Stobe / Getty Images)

(Last week: 6)

Friday: Beat New York Jets 34-13

Best case: Super Bowl

The Dolphins are second in the league in scoring (30.82 ppg) despite having 19 turnovers (the sixth most in the league). If Miami’s offense plays cleanly, this team can beat anyone. However, a defense that ranks 22nd in points allowed (22.82 per game) and lost Jaelan Phillips to an Achilles injury Friday combined with the fact that the Dolphins didn’t top 20 points against the Bills, Eagles or Chiefs makes it hard to think this group can beat three really good teams in a row.

Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 3)

Thursday: Lost to Green Bay Packers 29-22

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Even Jared Goff’s most ardent fans get nervous this time of year, and Goff wasn’t great Thursday against the Packers. Still, in an off game, he produced 332 yards, two touchdowns and a 103.6 passer rating. The Lions play the Saints, Bears, Broncos and Vikings (twice) down the stretch. If Detroit can get home-field advantage, it can make a run with this offense, which ranks second in the league in yardage (405.5).

Up next: at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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(Last week: 9)

Sunday: Beat Houston Texans 24-21

Best case: Two playoff games

Jacksonville’s stars are getting hot at the right time. Linebacker Josh Allen had 2 1/2 sacks Sunday and now is second in franchise history with 38 for his career. On the offensive side, Calvin Ridley has 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks. Jacksonville has won seven of its last eight with the only loss coming to San Francisco.

Up next: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

9. Buffalo Bills (6-6)

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 37-34 in overtime

Best case: Super Bowl

We’re having a hard time giving up on the Bills even though they lost for the third time in four games Sunday. The reason? That very game. Buffalo gained 505 yards and went toe-to-toe with the defending NFC champions in Philadelphia. The Bills are fifth in scoring (27.33 per game) and fourth in scoring margin (101). It’s not going to be easy to claw back into the picture with the Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins still on the schedule, but if they do …

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 10)

Sunday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 24-21

Best case: Two playoff games

This team will be dangerous in the playoffs, if it makes it, because of C.J. Stroud. The rookie topped 300 yards passing for the fourth consecutive game (an NFL rookie record) and sixth time this season Sunday and also led Houston in rushing with 47 yards. The Texans are one spot outside the playoff picture but still play the Titans twice and the Jets once down the stretch.

Up next: vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 15)

Sunday: Beat Cincinnati Bengals 16-10

Best case: Two playoff games

Firing Matt Canada seems to have served its purpose. After failing to top 400 yards in 44 games with Canada as the offensive coordinator, the Steelers gained 421 the week after firing him. Pairing an actual offense with a defense that ranks fifth in points allowed (18.6 ppg) is a winning formula, but it’s hard to imagine Kenny Pickett (31st in EPA per attempt, minus-.05) making much of a playoff run.

Up next: vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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12. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)

(Last week: 11)

Thursday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 31-13

Best case: Playoffs

There was a time not long ago when the Seahawks looked like a threat to San Francisco in the NFC West. That thought died Thursday when Seattle had three first downs compared with San Francisco’s 16 in the first half. It was the Seahawks’ third loss in the last four games, but they are holding onto the sixth seed in the NFC right now. Still, a defense that ranks 22nd in points allowed (22.6) puts a ceiling on this team.

Up next: at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

13. Denver Broncos (6-5)

(Last week: 16)

Sunday: Beat Cleveland Browns 29-12

Best case: Playoffs

Denver won its fifth straight Sunday, giving it the longest active winning streak in the league. In that stretch, the Broncos are third in the league in scoring defense (16.8 ppg allowed). Prior to the winning streak, Denver was giving up 33.3 points per game, which ranked last in the league. Russell Wilson threw for only 134 yards Sunday, but he’s fifth in the league in passer rating (103.4). The Broncos only play two more teams with a winning record — the Lions and Texans. They are a very real playoff contender, but it’s hard to forecast much more considering all the energy it will take to get there.

Up next: at Houston Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 8)

Sunday: Lost to Denver Broncos 29-12

Best case: Playoffs

The Browns would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today. Now, they just have to see if they can hold on to that spot. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a head injury and was replaced by P.J. Walker, who completed 6 of 13 passes for 56 yards. That puts more pressure on a defense that ranks first in the league in success rate (67.6 percent) and sack percentage (10.6) and seventh in points allowed (19 per game).

Up next: at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

With running back Jonathan Taylor hitting his stride, the Colts could be dangerous down the stretch. (Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images)

(Last week: 20)

Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20

Best case: Playoffs

The Colts are the seventh seed at the moment and play only two more teams with a winning record — the Steelers and Texans. And this is with Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Jonathan Taylor had his second 90-plus-yard rushing game of the season (91 on 15 carries), and Indianapolis is 11th in the league in scoring (23.3). Shane Steichen has entered the Coach of the Year conversation.

Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

16. Green Bay Packers (5-6)

(Last week: 23)

Thursday: Beat Detroit Lions 29-22

Best case: Playoffs

After upsetting the Lions on Thanksgiving, the Packers are only one spot out of the playoff picture. The reason is the improvement of Jordan Love, who is fourth in the league in EPA per attempt (.32) and passing yards (1,193) in November. He threw three touchdowns versus no interceptions on Thanksgiving against the Lions. After throwing eight interceptions in the first seven games, he has only two in the last four games.

Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 8:20 p.m.

(Last week: 24)

Sunday: Beat New Orleans Saints 24-15

Best case: Playoffs

The Falcons are in first place in the NFC South despite winning for the first time since Oct. 22 on Sunday. The run game produced a season-high 228 yards against New Orleans. Combining more of that with a defense that ranks sixth in the league in success percentage (61 percent) might be enough to keep the Falcons in front in this division. The best part of the weekend for Atlanta was the team’s celebration of 50 years of hip-hop music at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ludacris even came out of the ceiling.

Up next: at New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

18. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

(Last week: 14)

Monday: Lost to Chicago Bears 12-10

Best case: Playoffs

Despite Josh Dobbs throwing four interceptions and despite losing to the Chicago Bears, the Vikings are still in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed for the moment. The problem is they still have to play the Lions twice. The Dobbs story was fun for a while, but the Vikings should have started working on a new deal for Kirk Cousins at some point in the second half Monday night.

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 25)

Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 37-14

Best case: Playoffs

The Rams are in the ninth spot in the NFC after their second consecutive win. Kyren Williams had 143 yards on 16 carries and led the team with six catches (for 61 yards) in his first game since Week 6. Williams has topped 100 rushing yards in three of the last four games he has played, and Los Angeles looks like a different team with him in the lineup. “That was a big deal getting him back,” coach Sean McVay said.

Up next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

QB future of all 32 NFL teams: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and other intriguing scenarios

(Last week: 13)

Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10

Best case: Marvin Harrison Jr.

They’ve probably already won too many games to get into the top three of the draft, but we are talking about the best-case scenario after all. The Joe Burrow-less Bengals have the second-toughest remaining schedule in the league. They aren’t going to the playoffs, so why not solve their Tee Higgins problem in the best possible way? Lose out. Root for the Patriots, Bears, Commanders and Giants to stumble into a few wins, let Higgins walk and put Harrison, the Ohio State star, with Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

Up next: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

21. New Orleans Saints (5-6)

(Last week: 17)

Sunday: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 24-15

Best case: Playoffs

Three of the four teams in the NFC South remain in the playoff hunt simply because the division stinks. The Saints had 444 yards of offense but failed to get into the end zone against Atlanta on Sunday. The performance dropped them to 24th in the league in scoring (18.17 ppg). That’s even with Chris Olave having seven catches for 114 yards before leaving with a concussion in the third quarter.

Up next: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 22)

Sunday: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 27-20

Best case: Playoffs

The Buccaneers have lost six of their last seven. We should be able to count them out of the playoff race, but they’re only one game back in the win column for first place in the NFC South. Mike Evans is second in the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns after two more Sunday, but Tampa Bay is 23rd in the league in scoring (19.27 ppg). The rest of the Buccaneers have only 13 touchdowns combined.

Up next: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 4:05 p.m.

(Last week: 19)

Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 31-17

Best case: Jim Harbaugh

The Antonio Pierce interim coach bump appears to be over. Las Vegas went up 14-0 on Kansas City on Sunday but was outscored 31-3 in the final 37 minutes and has now dropped two in a row. They trail the Broncos in the division and have four teams between them and sniffing a playoff spot. Harbaugh is the type of big name the Raiders love to hire. He’s 49-22-1 all-time in the NFL. And there are reasons to believe his time at Michigan is short.

Up next: Bye

24. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)

(Last week: 18)

Sunday: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 20-10

Best case: Ben Johnson

The Chargers were flagged for having 12 men on the field on their first defensive snap Sunday night, which may be their only hope defensively. Los Angeles is last in the league in defense (390.6 ypg allowed), and Justin Herbert’s talents are being wasted. Herbert is fifth in the league in EPA per attempt (.19) and ninth in passing yards (2,826). Herbert needs an offensive-minded head coach, and the Lions’ offensive coordinator looks like the perfect match. The problem is the Panthers might outspend the Chargers for Johnson.

Up next: at New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

QB future of all 32 NFL teams: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and other intriguing scenarios

25. New York Giants (4-8)

(Last week: 29)

Sunday: Beat New England Patriots 10-7

Best case: Stop winning

Tommy DeVito has more passing touchdowns (seven) than Zach Wilson and Kenny Pickett (six each) this season. DeVito, the undrafted free agent who is living with his parents, has started the last three games, and New York has won two of them. The problem is that has cost them valuable draft positioning. They now sit sixth in the order. The good news is they still have to play the Eagles twice.

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 21)

Thursday: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 45-10

Best case: Dan Quinn

Washington fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer on Friday. Head coach Ron Rivera is almost certainly next. Quinn, the former Falcons head coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator, would bring the kind of energy and confidence-building style this organization desperately needs. Quinn might even be able to keep pass-happy offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on board.

Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

27. Chicago Bears (4-8)

(Last week: 27)

Monday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 12-10

Best case: Brian Johnson

Jalen Hurts is a powerful, athletic, strong-armed quarterback. Justin Fields is a powerful, athletic, strong-armed quarterback (who is faster than Hurts). In Brian Johnson’s three seasons with the Eagles — two as quarterbacks coach and this one as offensive coordinator — Hurts has gone from a question mark at the position to an MVP candidate. It’s folly to assume Fields could follow the same path, but at least Johnson knows what the path looks like. Or, they could just draft Caleb Williams.

Up next: Bye

28. Tennessee Titans (4-7)

(Last week: 28)

Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 17-10

Best case: Losing out

Right now, Tennessee would have the No. 9 pick in the 2024 draft, but it can do better than that. Its five remaining opponents all have winning records, and it’s not inconceivable that Sunday’s win could be the Titans’ last. That would leave them picking in the top five, where they could nab one of the top tackles available — Olu Fashanu of Penn State or Amarius Mims of Georgia.

Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

29. New York Jets (4-7)

(Last week: 26)

Friday: Lost to Miami Dolphins 34-13

Best case: A media blackout

No one needs to see the rest of this season, for their sake or for the Jets’. Having Robert Saleh do a television interview moments after New York gave up a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown on a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half against Miami felt cruel. Of course, the Jets bring a lot of this on themselves by doing things like starting Tim Boyle over Trevor Siemian (or a long list of other quarterbacks who could have been acquired during the season).

Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 30)

Sunday: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 37-14

Best case: A beneficial Kyler Murray trade

The Cardinals got a Murray bump in his first game back from a torn ACL, but they have returned to form now. Murray had an 83.2 passer rating, rushed for only 2 yards and was sacked four times Sunday. The Cardinals are in position to draft either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, and Murray is dynamic enough that he can bring them a good return on the trade market.

Up next: at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

31. New England Patriots (2-9)

(Last week: 31)

Sunday: Lost to New York Giants 10-7

Best case: An amicable parting

The Patriots are 4-14 in their last 18 games. Their best quarterback options are Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Both played Sunday, and neither topped 100 passing yards. Bill Belichick spoke for four minutes in his postgame news conference before he walked out. Owner Robert Kraft has been quiet about Belichick’s job status, but it’s hard to imagine him coaching in New England next year.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

32. Carolina Panthers (1-10)

(Last week: 32)

Sunday: Lost to Tennessee Titans 17-10

Best case: Ben Johnson

In what may be the weirdest stat in the league right now, Carolina has seen its point total stay level or decrease in each of the last six games — 24, 21, 15, 13, 13, 10. That’s the kind of thing that gets a head coach fired, and it did Monday as the Panthers dismissed Frank Reich. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young could use a dose of Johnson’s offense. Carolina won’t be the most attractive job this offseason, but Panthers owner David Tepper can afford to pay to lure Johnson, and now he has a head start on the competition.

Up next: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

(Top photo of DaRon Bland, left, and Dak Prescott: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)

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The post NFL Energy Rankings Week 13: Cowboys, Steelers transferring up, plus best-case situations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1): The Eagles held on to defeat the Chiefs in Kansas City, 21-17. Quarterback Jalen Hurts only threw for 150 yards and had an interception, but the Eagles continue to find a way to come through with unimpressive wins. Next: -3 vs Buffalo Bills – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 6-2-2 – O/U: 5-5)

2. Detroit Lions (8-2): The Lions trailed 26-14 with three minutes remaining in the game but found a way to score 17 points in the final three minutes to stun the Bears, 31-26 in Detroit. The Lions lead the NFC North division and the second place Vikings by 2.5 games, three in the lost column. Next: -7.5 vs Green Bay Packers – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 46.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 6-4)

3. Miami Dolphins (7-3): The Dolphins beat the Raiders as expected and are all alone in first place in the AFC East. The Dolphins lead the NFL in scoring at 30.5 points per game and total offensive yardage per game at 434 yards per game. Next: -9.5 at New York Jets – Fri, Nov. 24 – O/U: 41 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 5-5)

4. Dallas Cowboys (7-3): The Cowboys easily defeated the Panthers 33-10 on the road. Cornerback DaRon Bland tied an NFL record with his fourth pick-6 of the season in the rout. Bland was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week for Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. Next: -12.5 vs Washington Commanders – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 6-4)

5. San Francisco 49ers (7-3): The 49ers defeated the Buccaneers to improve their record to 7-3, tying them with the Cowboys for the third best record in the NFC. They beat the Cowboys head-to-head, 42-7, in Week 5. But following three consecutive losses the Niners slid behind the Cowboys two weeks ago. There’s a reason why they call them the whining Niner fans. Tsk, tsk. Next: -7 at Seattle Seahawks – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 5-5)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Ravens beat the Bengals and have the best record in the AFC, but they lost three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews for the season after he suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury. Next: -3.5 at Los Angeles Chargers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 47.5 (ATS: 7-4 – O/U: 5-6)

7. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3): The Chiefs suffered a loss at home to the Eagles but might have won the game if their receivers could simply stop dropping passes. The quality of wide receivers with the Chiefs needs to get better next season. Next: -8.5 vs Las Vegas Raiders – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 2-8)

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3): Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was named the AFC Offensive Player of Week 11 in leading the Jaguars to an easy 34-14 win over the Titans. Lawrence threw for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the rout. Next: -1.5 at Houston Texans – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 5-5)

9. Cleveland Browns (7-3): Former UCLA star quarterback Dorian-Thompson-Robinson drove the Browns to a game-winning field goal in his first victory as a rookie starter in the NFL, a 13-10 win over the Steelers. The Browns have the best defense in the NFL and that should help DTR. Next: +1.5 at Denver Broncos – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 6-3-1 – O/U: 5-5)

10. Seattle Seahawks (6-4): The Seahawks blew a 16-7 lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Rams, 17-16. The Rams swept the Seahawks this season. Former UCLA star running back Zach Charbonnet will likely get his first start in the NFL this week with an injury to Kenneth Walker III. Charbonnet was a second-round pick of the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Next: +7 vs San Francisco 49ers – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 5-4-1 – O/U: 4-6)

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4): The Steelers struggled again on offense in their 13-10 loss to the Browns and decided that the solution to their offensive problems might be solved by firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. They need an offensive coordinator that can block. Next: -1.5 at Cincinnati Bengals – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 2-8)

12. Houston Texans (6-4): Rookie Quarterback C.J. Stroud came down to earth a bit, throwing three interceptions in the Texans 21-16 victory over the Cardinals. Stroud did throw for 336 yards and two touchdowns and running back Devin Singletary rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win. Next: +1.5 vs Jacksonville Jaguars – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 48.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 4-6)

13. Denver Broncos (5-5): The Broncos won their third straight game, beating the Vikings, 21-20. The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs, Bills, and Vikings in consecutive weeks, a good sign for the team under head coach Sean Payton. Next: -1.5 vs Cleveland Browns – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 3-6-1 – O/U: 4-6)

14. Buffalo Bills (6-5): The Bills got their offense going this week in a 32-6 win over the Jets. Quarterback Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, one an 81-yard touchdown to wide receiver Khalil Shakir, the former Vista Murrieta high school star. Next: -3 at Philadelphia Eagles – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 4-7 – O/U: 3-8)

15. Minnesota Vikings (6-5): Quarterback Joshua Dobbs became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw a touchdown and run for a touchdown in each of his first three games with a team. Unfortunately, Dobbs could not lead the Viking to victory, as the Vikings lost to the Broncos, 21-20. Next: -3.5 vs Chicago Bears – Mon, Nov. 27 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 7-3-1 – O/U: 3-8)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5): Quarterback Joe Burrow is done for the season and so are the Bengals. Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist in the loss to the Ravens. Jake Browning, the former Washington Huskies star, will become the starting quarterback for the Bengals. Next: +1.5 vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 35.5 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 5-5)

17. Indianapolis Colts (5-5): The Colts are coming off their bye week and decided to make a roster move, cutting three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, a surprising move to many people, including Leonard, who is coming off two back surgeries. Next: -2.5 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 6-4)

18. New Orleans Saints (5-5): The Saints are coming off their bye week and remain all alone in first place in the NFC South with a 5-5 record, the only non-losing record in the NFC South. The Saint only have one team with a winning record in their final seven games. They should win the NFC South. Next: +1.5 at Atlanta Falcons – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 42.5 (ATS: 2-7-1 – O/U: 3-7)

19. Las Vegas Raiders (5-6): The Raiders battled the Dolphins in Miami, but fell short, losing 20-13. The Raiders will find out just how good they are in the next four weeks, with a pair of games against the Chiefs, starting this weekend. Next: -8.5 vs Kansas City Chiefs – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43 (ATS: 6-5 – O/U: 2-9)

20. Green Bay Packers (4-6): Quarterback Jordan Love had a career best day on Sunday, throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns in beating the Chargers, 23-20. The porous Chargers defense allowed 397 yards in offense to the previously struggling Packer offense. Next: +7.5 at Detroit Lions – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 46.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 4-6)

21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-6): In what has become a familiar weekly issue, the Chargers wasted another terrific performance by quarterback Justin Herbert in a 23-20 loss to the Packers. Herbert threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 73 yards. Pro Football Focus gave Herbert a grade of 92.7 for the week. Herbert had six drops in the game by receivers. Next: +3.5 vs Baltimore Ravens – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 47.5 (ATS: 4-6 – O/U: 3-7)

22. Los Angeles Rams (4-6): The Rams only scored 17 points against the Seahawks, but that was that was needed in the 17-16 victory over the Seahawks. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had just one tackle in the game, but it was his hit on quarterback Geno Smith that knocked him out of the game and led to the Rams victory, ending a three-game losing streak. Next: -1.5 at Arizona Cardinals – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 44.5 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 3-7)

23. New York Jets (4-6): The offensively challenged Jets managed to score six points in a 32-6 loss to the Bills. The Jets decided to bench and demote quarterback Zach Wilson and promote Tim Doyle to the starting quarterback position. Wilson has been demoted to the 3rd string quarterback, or for use in emergency purposes only. Next: +9.5 vs Miami Dolphins – Fri, Nov. 24 – O/U: 41 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 3-7)

24. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): The Falcons are coming off their bye week and have decided to return to Desmond Ritter as their starting quarterback in Week 12. The Falcons need a starting quarterback to have any chance of improving offensively next season. Next: -1.5 vs New Orleans Saints – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 42.5 (ATS: 2-8 – O/U: 4-6)

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): The Buccaneers lost to the 49ers, as expected and they fell to 4-6 for the season. The Bucs simply cannot run the football. They are last in the NFL in rushing yardage per game at 76.9 yards per game and last in the NFL in rushing yardage per carry at 3.1 yards per carry. That means Baker Mayfield has to win games with his arm. Good luck with that. Next: +2.5 at Indianapolis Colts – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 2-8)

26. Tennessee Titans (3-7): The fading Titans got blown out on the road by the Jaguars, 34-14. The Titans have lost three in a row and five of their last six games and are headed for an interesting offseason with the changes that will be coming in Nashville. Next: -4 vs Carolina Panthers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 37 (ATS: 4-6 – O/U: 3-7)

27. Chicago Bears (3-8): The Bears managed to blow a 26-14 lead in the final three minutes of the game with the Lions, losing 31-26. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is 6-22 as a head coach and is on the hottest of coaching seats and the loss to the Lions may serve as his signature loss. Next: +3.5 at Minnesota Vikings – Mon, Nov. 27 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 4-5-2 – O/U: 7-4)

28. New York Giants (3-8): Quarterback Tommy DeVito, despite being sacked nine times, found a way to lead the Giants to a 31-19 win over the Commanders. DeVito threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, only the second victory for the Giants since September 17th. Both wins are over the Commanders. Next: +3.5 vs New England Patriots – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 34.5 (ATS: 3-7-1 – O/U: 3-8)

29. Washington Commanders (4-7): The Commanders sacked Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito nine times yet somehow managed to lose on Sunday, 31-19. The Commanders also somehow managed to get swept by the Giants. Things got worse after the game when there was no hot water in the stadium to shower with. Unfortunately for head coach Ron Rivera, he will not avoid the hot water. Next: +12.5 at Dallas Cowboys – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 5-5-1 – O/U: 6-5)

30. Arizona Cardinals (2-9): Quarterback Kyler Murray, a two-time pro bowl selection, is back in action, and despite the loss at Houston on Sunday, looked good. Murray threw for 214 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown in his second game back from injury. The Cardinals have two 1st round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and could get better around Murray. Next: +1.5 vs Los Angeles Rams – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 44.5 (ATS: 6-5 – O/U: 6-5)

Mike Nowak

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen celebrates touchdown against Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field

31. New England Patriots (2-8): The Patriots avoided losing last week due to a bye. The Patriots are in a good position to finish with a top five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Pats roster has so many holes that just drafting a top quarterback prospect will not solve their problems. Next: -3.5 at New York Giants – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 34.5 (ATS: 2-8 – O/U: 3-7)

32. Carolina Panthers (1-9): It will be interesting to find out what rookie quarterback Bryce Young is learning from this first season with the Panthers about NFL football. Young has thrown for an average of 187 yards per game, with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. He has been sacked 36 times. Young has rushed for 138 yards, which is not particularly impressive given the many times he has had to run for safety. Young might have been better off staying at Alabama another season. Next: +4 at Tennessee Titans – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 37 (ATS: 1-7-2 – O/U: 3-7)

The post 2023 NFL Energy Rankings – Week 12 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The trusty quarterback trending arrow points up for Dak Prescott and down for Josh Allen.

Plus, Brock Purdy is back, people! (Even though he never really went anywhere.) So is Russell Wilson, I think?

And who wouldn’t be excited for some Patrick Mahomes–Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson–Joe Burrow matchups in Week 11?

Here’s my weekly look at how quarterbacks stand using traditional statistics like passer rating, along with advanced metrics like Expected Points Added per dropback, via TruMedia, to provide a number-based outlook of the state of the position.

I’ll also give a sneak peek at the upcoming matchups using EPA per dropback for the quarterbacks and the defenses they will face in Week 11. A warning that there are plenty of unexpected names and question marks throughout that chart.

GO DEEPER

NFL midseason QB EPA rankings: Joe Burrow trending up, Brock Purdy trending down

Nos. 1-8

The San Francisco 49ers passer pulled off the best passer rating of his career in the team’s Week 10 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s saying something since it’s the third time Purdy produced a passer rating north of 140.0 in 17 NFL starts. Maybe it helped to have Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams back in the lineup.

Prescott is having one of the better stretches in his career. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback led the league in EPA rate (0.33) and passer rating (125.1) during Weeks 6-10 (four games, Dallas had a bye in Week 7). Oddly, he’s done it while being the fourth-most-sacked quarterback in the span (13).

A weird couple of weeks for the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert. In Week 9, he yielded the second-worst passer rating (65.4) and fifth-worst EPA rate (-0.20) of his career against the New York Jets. The Chargers won that game. In Week 10, he put up outstanding numbers against the Detroit Lions. Los Angeles lost that one. Herbert’s Week 10 EPA rate was the highest for a losing quarterback this season.

I promise I’m not trying to downplay the success of C.J. Stroud. He’s helping the Houston Texans become a playoff contender. Take Week 9’s awesome performance away for a second. Stroud’s last four games outside of that, Stroud compiled a 0.04 EPA rate and 85.6 passer rating. The most encouraging aspect of that is how those numbers seem to be his floor.

Things are spiraling for the Buffalo Bills’ Allen, and now there’s a new offensive coordinator in Buffalo after Ken Dorsey was ousted this week. Allen’s Week 10 EPA rate in the loss to the Denver Broncos was his worst since Week 14 in 2019. Allen produced consecutive negative EPA rates for the first time in the regular season since Weeks 1-2 in 2021. The swoon dropped him from third to seventh in this season’s overall EPA rankings.

Nos. 9-16

Lions running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns and Jared Goff amassed his best EPA rate of the season in the win over the Chargers. A nice bounce-back outing for Goff after the bye. He struggled a bit in Weeks 7-8 with a -0.15 EPA rate and 76.9 passer rating.

Baker Mayfield has left that Week 6-8 stretch behind (-0.11 EPA rate, 77.1 passer rating). In the last two games, Mayfield tallied a 0.29 EPA rate and 111.1 passer rating. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB is easily having his best season since 2020 when he went to the playoffs with the Browns.

Geno Smith rebounded from the worst EPA rate and passer rating of his Seattle Seahawks career in Week 9 to propel the team to a last-second win over the Washington Commanders in Week 10. It was his third 100.0-plus-passer rating performance of this season.

In the last five Green Bay Packers losses, Jordan Love has yielded a -0.10 EPA rate and 67.8 passer rating. Love also possesses the league’s lowest completion percentage at 58.7 percent. All that said, Love has produced a 0.10 EPA rate or better in three of his last four games.

Coincidence that an AFC North foe was the last team to slow down the Baltimore Ravens’ Jackson this season? The numbers from Jackson’s Week 10 outing in a loss to the Cleveland Browns resembled his performance in a Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (-0.31 EPA rate, 65.2 passer rating). His 56.5 completion percentage in Week 10 stands as a season low.

I’ve been pretty harsh on Wilson for his empty stats and a career-worst game (in terms of EPA) during this season. Wilson’s EPA rate probably should’ve been higher given how often the Broncos began possessions inside Bills territory in Week 10. But … Wilson looked the part again in a thrilling win. During the Broncos’ current three-game winning streak, Wilson has amassed a 0.05 EPA rate and 115. passer rating.

Nos. 17-24

Plenty of teams could use a Sam Howell-type quarterback right now. Too bad the Commanders squandered very good outings for Howell in Week 8 and 10 losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Seahawks, respectively. Howell totaled a 0.18 EPA rate and 111.8 passer rating in those two games.

You might not know this, but Josh Dobbs ranked ninth in EPA rate (0.12) and 10th in passer rating (99.4) during the first four weeks of the season while starting for the Arizona Cardinals. So I’m not totally stunned by the success he’s having in Minnesota. It’s more about how quickly he’s acclimated himself with the Vikings.

Burrow and Derek Carr possess very similar overall numbers, and I wouldn’t have imagined that to be the case more than halfway through the season. It feels so much better for the Cincinnati Bengals’ signal caller, though. despite the setback in Week 10 against the Texans. The Carr seemed too unsettled in Week 10 — and sustained a concussion and right shoulder re-injury — despite coming off a 0.22 EPA rate and 119.6 passer rating in Weeks 8-9.

The Indianapolis Colts’ Gardner Minshew made it the ninth time this season in which a quarterback guided a team to a win this season with a passer rating south of 70.0.

The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-0 since Aidan O’Connell took over as the starter in Week 9. O’Connell didn’t set the world on fire in the team’s Week 10 win over the New York Jets with a -0.27 EPA rate and 72.0 passer rating. O’Connell had more success against the New York Giants in Week 9 (0.25 EPA rate, 90.3 passer rating).

Justin Fields is expected to start this week for the Chicago Bears after missing the last month with a right thumb injury. Rookie Tyson Bagent kept the Bears viable with a 2-2 mark as a starter despite posting lackluster rates.

Nos. 25-33

We’re only two weeks removed from the Tennessee Titans’ Will Levis yielding a 0.13 EPA rate and 130.5 passer rating in his first start in a win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8. Last two weeks for Levis: -0.16 EPA rate, 59.8 passer rating.

Current Falcons starter Taylor Heinicke isn’t passer-rating qualified yet so he’s not listed in the rankings. In three appearances, Heinicke has produced a 0.02 EPA rate and 84.2 passer rating. His Week 10 numbers in a loss to the Cardinals: -0.25 EPA rate, 84.0 passer rating.

No hyperbole here with the Jags’ Trevor Lawrence. He compiled the worst EPA rate and third-worst passer rating of his career in the blowout loss to the 49ers. Quite the way to halt consistency. During Jacksonville’s five-game winning streak, Lawrence tallied a 0.04 EPA rate and 100.2 passer rating.

The Browns and Steelers both stand at 6-3 and are very much in the thick of the AFC playoff race. This despite their respective quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Kenny Pickett continuously near (or in) the basement of these rankings. Watson picked up his biggest win as Browns QB in Week 11 against the Ravens, but now he’s out for the year with a right shoulder injury. As for Pickett, he hasn’t thrown a pick since Oct. 1.

Mac Jones’ time as the New England Patriots’ starter may be nearing an end with Bailey Zappe replacing Jones on the final drive in the Week 10 loss to the Colts.

Would you have ever thought this statistic would exist? So far, undrafted rookie Bagent has pushed the Bears to more wins in four starts this season than 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young has for the Carolina Panthers.

I see little point in examining the New York quarterbacks, but since the Giants’ Tommy DeVito doesn’t qualify for overall rankings, here you go: -0.30 EPA rate, 67.8 passer rating vs. Cowboys in Week 10.

(The Cardinals’ Kyler Murray will be ranked once he’s passer-rating qualified. Murray returned from his knee injury with a -0.12 EPA rate and 71.0 passer rating in the team’s Week 10 win over the Falcons.)

Week 11 defense vs. QB EPA matchups

*Injury uncertainty heading into Week 11

(Photo of Dak Prescott; Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

The post NFL QB EPA rankings: Dak Prescott transferring up, Josh Allen transferring down and is Russell Wilson again? appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Ever since crude first gushed from Spindletop Hill in 1901, Houston has been an oil town — the epicentre of America’s oil and gas industry, its fortunes rising and falling with those of the sector.

Today, though, America’s fourth-largest city is rapidly expanding beyond the industry on which it was built. Not only has it become a centre for green energy innovation, but other sectors, including medical technology and aerospace, now call the Texas city home.

“When I grew up in this city, it was oil and gas,” says Sylvester Turner, the city’s mayor. “When I went to law school at Harvard and told people I was from Houston, Texas, many students . . . thought I had an oil well in my backyard.”

Now, Houston’s transformation to an international hub for a growing number of multinational corporations — backed by one of the nation’s busiest international airports and global shipping ports — has helped propel the city to the top of the second annual FT-Nikkei Investing in America rankings.

“We are still an energy-focused town,” notes Turner. “But we are that and so much more.”

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Texas dominated the 2023 rankings, with five cities in the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area — Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, Irving and Arlington — all claiming spots in FT-Nikkei top 20, as did Austin, the state capital.

The Lone Star State is known for its pro-business outlook. Alongside a host of incentive programmes, Texas does not levy a state tax on corporate or personal income. Its cost of living is also significantly lower than other parts of the country.

That has attracted both businesses and people. Since 2000, the population of Texas has grown by more than 9mn, well ahead of any other state. The state’s gross domestic product has roughly tripled over that period to $2.36tn. If it were a country, Texas would boast the eighth-biggest economy in the world — ahead of Italy.

But, while Austin’s reputation as a tech hub and Dallas’s financial services pedigree are well established, Houston has often flown below the radar.

The city prides itself on its lack of frills and a drive to get deals done. Ever since the dredging of the Houston ship channel, in 1914, paved the way for it to go from a forgotten inland town to a vast metropolis and commercial hub, the city has clung to an Old West ethos as a place where hardworking people make their own luck.

“God did not intend a major city to be built in this mosquito-infested, flat, ugly, sort of nothingness world that Houston inhabited,” says Stephen Klineberg, founding director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and author of the book Prophetic City: Houston on the Cusp of a Changing America. “There’s an ideology in Houston and a belief that ‘we can make this work’.”

That reputation has drawn in businesses both big and small. The Houston area is home to 26 Fortune 500 companies, making it the third-ranking metro area in the country.

“People came here because they saw it as a good location for building business and commercial activity,” says Bob Harvey, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, a chamber of commerce. “That was true in the 19th century and it’s true today.”

Companies such as ExxonMobil — which moved its headquarters to the city this year — ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum helped Houston earn the title of the “energy capital of the world”. However, city leaders want to see it become the “energy transition capital of the world”.

“We did oil and gas the way Detroit did cars, the way Seattle did aeroplanes,” says Klineberg. “That was the identity. Now, it’s in transition and trying to remain a leader in a very different kind of mix of energy systems.”

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Of Houston’s 26 Fortune 500 companies, most are in hydrocarbons. But, as growth in the industry wanes from the shale boom frenzy — with minimal new company formation — and warnings grow over the longevity of fossil fuel demand, the city is adapting.

The transition to green energy is helped by the knowhow that made it a centre for oil and gas. Houston boasts unrivalled technical expertise in energy, including manufacturing, engineering, trading markets, and complex industrial project management. It also has a robust energy infrastructure and the nation’s biggest port by tonnage.

“We’re clear in Houston that if we’re going to continue to have prosperity — to the degree to define prosperity as job growth and wealth creation — it’s going to need to come from places other than the incumbent energy business,” says Bobby Tudor, chief executive of Artemis Energy Partners and a leading corporate voice in the city.

McKinsey, the consultancy, has estimated that the city could grow its share of energy transition capital from about 6 per cent in 2020 to as much as 15 per cent by 2040, reaching $250bn annually.

“Increasingly, people working in the energy transition space are saying, you know, actually where the action is, is here,” says Tudor. “It’s not really San Francisco. It’s not really Boston. It’s Houston, Texas.”

This year alone, Konec, a South Korean maker of electric vehicle parts, announced plans for a new $80mn plant in the city; Sumika, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo that makes semiconductor materials, unveiled a $250mn plant; and Tinci Materials of China, which makes electrolyte blends for batteries, said it would spend $180mn on a new facility.

Houston has had a more complicated record of attracting investment outside the energy sector, however. In 2018, it failed to make Amazon’s shortlist of 20 cities that the tech group was considering for a second headquarters.

But there have been notable successes in the tech sector. Hewlett Packard Enterprise moved its headquarters from its historic home in Silicon Valley to Houston in 2022.

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The city is also home to the Texas Medical Center, the world’s biggest medical complex, and has positioned itself as a leader in healthcare innovation. The TMC Helix Park opened in late October, a vast new biomedical research hub aimed at turbocharging the commercialisation of research. The project is slated to create more than 20,000 jobs and generate as much as $5.4bn in annual economic impact.

It is an example, says Andy Icken, the city’s chief development officer, of an explosion of innovation centres in the city spanning everything from climate tech to med tech.

Houston is also returning to its 20th-century technological roots. Associated with the US space programme since the Apollo missions of the 1960s, the city once again has a thriving hub of aerospace innovation. Houston Spaceport has positioned the city to be at the forefront of commercial space exploration.

Intuitive Machines, a company that was started in 2013 by ex-Nasa scientists, expects to land the first commercial spacecraft on the moon in January, in what it hopes will be a kick-start for the lunar economy akin to the Spindletop oil rush. Bank of America has estimated that the industry could be worth as much as $1.1tn by the end of the decade.

“The history and heritage from the Apollo programme, and the centring of astronauts for human space flight here, has really given the city a birthright to be Space City,” says Stephen Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive.

“We’re starting to . . . get back to our original identity — and away from being just an energy city,” he adds. “It really is an international city. And it’s where people want to come do business in space.”

The post Houston takes prime spot in FT-Nikkei rankings by transferring past oil appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Biggest riser: Indianapolis Colts (up four spots since Week 5)

• Biggest faller: New York Giants (down nine spots since Week 5)

• Dig into the numbers for yourself: PFF’s Premium Stats is the most in-depth collection of NFL and NCAA player performance data. Subscribe today to get full access!

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

You can find a statistical review of Week 5 here.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

1. San Francisco 49ers (No change)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (No change)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (up 3)
4. Buffalo Bills (down 1)
5. Miami Dolphins (down 1)
6. Dallas Cowboys (down 1)
7. Detroit Lions (up 1)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (up 1)
9. Baltimore Ravens (down 2)
10. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
11. Cleveland Browns (no change)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)
13. Seattle Seahawks (no change)
14. Minnesota Vikings (no change)
15. New York Jets (up 1)
16. New Orleans Saints (up 3)
17. Green Bay Packers (down 2)
18. Washington Commanders (down 1)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (down 1)
20. Indianapolis Colts (up 4)
21. Los Angeles Rams (up 1)
22. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
23. Tennessee Titans (down 2)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (up 3)
25. Denver Broncos (up 1)
26. Houston Texans (up 2)
27. Las Vegas Raiders (up 2)
28. Arizona Cardinals (up 2)
29. New York Giants (down 9)
30. New England Patriots (down 5)
31. Carolina Panthers (no change)
32. Chicago Bears (no change)

The Patriots are struggling. They earned just a 52.3 team passing grade and generated the fewest expected points added (EPA) per play (-0.72) on offense in Week 5. They were successful on only 17.6% of their plays, the lowest rate in the league.

The Bears generated a league-leading 0.27 EPA per play on offense in Week 5, with the offense also ranking first in receiving yards after the catch per reception (10.4). Wide receiver D.J. Moore put up a 92.8 receiving grade, the best mark of his season, thanks to a massive three-touchdown and 230-yard game.

The Commanders called 55 consecutive pass plays from early in the second quarter until the end of the game — a PFF record — racking up a league-high 378 passing yards in the process. However, it still wasn’t enough to save themselves from falling to the Bears at home. 

We’re also reaching the part of the season when injuries start to pile up. Players such as Justin Jefferson, De’Von Achane  and Travis Kelce are now dealing with injuries, so we hope these players and their teams bounce back quickly.

Biggest Riser: Indianapolis Colts

Despite losing quarterback Anthony Richardson mid-game again, the Colts got another win to improve to 3-2. The offensive line looks much improved, with all starters ranking in the top 25% at their respective positions in PFF grade.

While the injury to Richardson certainly hurts, Gardner Minshew is one of the game’s better backups and has posted PFF grades near the 70s in his limited time paired with now-head coach Shane Steichen.

Biggest Faller: New York Giants

It has been tough sledding for the Giants, who are riding a three-game losing streak heading into Week 6. The offensive line has been a train wreck — no lineman has graded above 52.0, and the starting tackles currently rank second- and third-worst at the position. 

The result is that Daniel Jones has been sacked 31 times, and the Giants are generating the second-fewest EPA per play on offense. Entering Week 6, they have a 10% chance of picking first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 48% chance of picking in the top five. 

WAR Lost to Injuries

Note: At the time this graphic was created, De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill were listed as active.

 Von Miller played only 20 snaps against the Jaguars, but he is back from injury nonetheless. Miller has graded above 85.0 in nine of his 11 seasons as a pro and is quite easily one of the best pass-rushers in modern NFL history. Look for him to make an impact with Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones likely out for the rest of the season.

As if Minnesota’s season couldn’t get any worse, Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 and has since been placed on the injured reserve. The team now needs rookie Jordan Addison (65.1 PFF grade), K.J. Osborn (51.6) and Brandon Powell (70.0 on 28 snaps) to step up in a big way.

The Vikings face the 49ers in two weeks, a tough matchup even with the star pass-catcher in the lineup. According to PFF Greenline, they have had the fourth-hardest schedule to date, but they have the 15th-hardest schedule the rest of the way.

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Dolphins offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (-0.05 WAR) suffered a neck injury against the Giants in Week 5. While he has not performed well this season, grading negatively on more than 28% of his snaps, the Dolphins are thin along the offensive line. On top of that, Miami also lost De’Von Achane to a knee injury. His backups, Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed, should be able to carry his workload in a scheme that is extraordinarily favorable to the position.

The Cardinals’ leading rusher, James Conner, left last week’s game with a knee injury. The team’s backups have not done much so far this season, with quarterback Joshua Dobbs coming behind Conner in rushing yards.

Click here to see player usage and performance for all 32 teams ahead of Week 6.

Late-Down Decision-Making

The graphic above shows how teams have fared in terms of EPA per play when they go for it on fourth downs. Ironically, the Buccaneers have gone for it the least of any team but have been incredibly successful when they have gone for it. 

The Vikings were aggressive on fourth downs in Week 5, going for it five times. On the year, they’re third in the league in EPA per play on fourth downs at 1.52. 

The Raiders’ win against the Packers was not due to their aggressiveness on fourth down. They punted four times and kicked three field goals, two of which were unsuccessful.

Game Finishers

Note: This graphic includes overtime.

It’s been difficult for teams to stop the 49ers and the Eagles at any time in the game, as you can see above. On top of that, the Eagles defense does not allow their opponents to score often. Through five weeks, 68.6% of their opponents’ drives have ended in no points.

The Patriots offense is reaching a decades-long low point. Belichick’s squad ranks last in the league in EPA per play in both the first and second half. 

This week, the Colts led the league in second-half EPA per play (0.35) against the Titans. As they continue to increase RB Jonathan Taylor’s reps, look for him to make a significant impact. Indy hasn’t been very successful at converting drives, but last week, the team finished sixth in successful drive rate at 50%.

The Trenches

The Saints move up in this metric after an excellent performance against the Patriots on both sides of the ball. Center Erik McCoy was the highest-graded offensive lineman this week (94.4), while the Saints defensive line finished top-five in pressures (16), pressure rate (39.4%) and pass-rush grade (79.6).

Although the Cowboys offensive line usually protects the quarterback well, they struggled this week, allowing pressure on 56.7% of their passing snaps. They posted the worst pass-blocking grade of their season as a result (28.3).

Defensive Success

The Dolphins defense has not been otherwordly this season, but it was successful against the Giants in Week 5. They allowed -0.113 EPA per play, the seventh-best mark in the league. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins earned a season-best 92.0 pass-rush grade and won one-third of his reps. 

Aidan Hutchinson continues to perform at a high level and earned a career-best 94.1 overall grade in Week 5. The rest of the Lions pass rush as a whole is fairly average, however, as the unit ranks 19th in pass-rush grade through Week 5.

Although the Broncos defense has struggled this season, they have a few bright spots. Alex Singleton posted a 79.9 run-defense grade this week, fifth among linebackers. Defensive end Zach Allen earned an 80.8 pass-rush grade that ranked sixth.

Perfectly Covering Plays

Kyle Shanahan’s offense is moving further away from the pack when it comes to forcing broken coverage on offense.

After a hot start, Mike McDaniel’s offense has cooled down a little bit, but he is still one of the best play-callers in terms of scheming open players, and it helps to have the dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

On the other end of the spectrum, Matt Canada and Eric Bienemy’s offenses haven’t been that good at forcing coverage mistakes, with both ranking at the bottom of the league in this metric.

Sustaining Drives on Offense

The Rams took the throne from the Bills as the top team at avoiding three-and-outs so far this season. They were able to get past that first series pretty consistently against the Eagles but stalled after that due to bad pass protection from the offensive line.

The Cardinals also fell closer to the league average this week after finishing in second place in this metric in Week 4.

The post NFL Week 6 Energy Rankings: San Francisco 49ers stay on high, Philadelphia Eagles crack the highest 3 | NFL Information, Rankings and Statistics appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By Zach Buchanan, Nick Groke and Stephen Nesbitt

Like the Cardinals, Astros, burnt ends and the fourth Mad Max movie, some things are worth waiting for. The barbecue should take hours to do correctly. “Fury Road” came out 30 years after “Beyond Thunderdome.” And the Astros and Cardinals needed six weeks to finally show up this season.

We are now more than 25 percent through this season. Some teams are still finding their way, and others are ready to find a third gear. Some needed a while to get off the line and others are hitting their stride. But all of them are looking for that one kick to push them into new territory.

Shout-out to Keith M., who took top honors as our commenter of the week for his biting observation that it is “definitely reigning comity in here.” Kudos to Keith for his totally sincere take that wasn’t at all sarcastic and for having a good vocabulary.

All of us are still waiting for more comity in this world. Meanwhile, let’s take stock of baseball’s hierarchy this week by zooming in on one thing each team is still waiting for that might take them to the next level.

Record: 34-14
Last Power Ranking: 1

Truthfully, the Rays regulars have almost all been clicking on all cylinders these past two months. They have no star who has yet to find his footing, no should-be ace scuffling in a slow start. They are powered by a mishmash of Yandys, Randys, Wanders, Harolds and Lowes, and somehow they are still standing despite rolling out half a rotation. But we are here to pick nits. And so I will say, like a real hard-hitter, “Gosh, their backup catcher … yikes.” Yes, Francisco Mejía is batting .211 with a .590 OPS. He is doing what he did last year, just a little worse. Same with Manuel Margot. Great defense, OK hitter. So there, we knocked the Rays’ bench. That’s about it. A couple other hitters have come back to earth this month (Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco, Christian Bethancourt), along with the Rays’ win/loss record, but the way they clicked from Day 1 this season, they’re certainly capable of doing it again any day now. — Stephen Nesbitt

Record: 29-17
Last Power Ranking: 3

OK, I’m stumped. I have scrutinized the Rangers roster up and down and I’m having a hard time picking out someone important who is underperforming in a meaningful way. Sure, Jacob deGrom is out with an injury, but terrific pitching interrupted by stints on the injured list is kind of what you expect, right? Almost every lineup regular is turning in above-average offensive production. Unsurprisingly, the Rangers are scoring the most runs per game in MLB. What, am I going to pick on Robbie Grossman? He may be the weak spot in left field, but he’s actually performing better than he did a year ago. Starting pitchers Martín Pérez and Andrew Heaney are carrying mediocre ERAs, but those numbers are inflated by a few rough outings. Perhaps this explains a lot about the Rangers — aside from a few key injuries, almost everything is going well and very little is going poorly. — Zach Buchanan

Record: 29-17
Last Power Ranking: 4

It’s too early to truly be concerned about Michael Harris II. Right? Right?? RIGHT??? Through 25 games in his rookie season, Harris was batting .330 with a .900 OPS, so seeing him below the Mendoza line is a little jarring. Harris, who missed three weeks in April with a lower back strain, has a .171/.253/.256 triple slash, with just five extra bases and four steals so far in 2023. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has struggled against righties in general and against fastballs in particular. But it does seem like things should start clicking. With as consistently as Harris barrels baseballs, factor in an abnormally low .213 BABIP and improved walk and strikeout rates this season and I’m betting his surface numbers will come around before long. But, if not, the slow start will soon be sounding alarm bells. — SN

Record: 31-16
Last Power Ranking: 6

It would’ve been cool to see Jorge Mateo continue his meteoric rise this month, but in reality, the Orioles weren’t counting on guys like Mateo in 2023. They were expecting an immediate impact from their top prospects like Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez. Instead, it’s been a rough transition for those two, even as the surging Orioles have accumulated the second-best record in baseball. Henderson is batting .192 with a .685 OPS in everyday playing time, and Rodriguez has a 6.21 ERA through eight starts. There are silver linings, to be sure. Henderson is getting on base at a good clip. Rodriguez now has more solid starts than bad, with a few blowups skewing the ERA. But they’ve also looked a lot like, well, rookies. And if the Orioles are to do better than stay in the playoff conversation, if they’re going to chase down the Rays, it’ll likely be because Henderson and Rodriguez got a firm foothold and found their groove. — SN

Gunnar Henderson (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Record: 29-19
Last Power Ranking: 2

When the Dodgers trade for a guy, the general expectation is that guy is suddenly going to get way better. (See, to a certain extent, Jason Heyward.) Miguel Rojas has been the opposite. Acquired from the Marlins for shortstop prospect Jacob Amaya — who is starting to hit in Triple A, by the way — Rojas was set to fill a Trea Turner-sized hole at shortstop. The 34-year-old has been a good defender, but he’s been terrible at the plate with a .494 OPS. Rojas has never been a league-average hitter in any full season, and certainly no one expected him to hit like Turner, but his offensive numbers are just plain ugly.

Of course, the Dodgers are scoring the most runs in the NL — their big problem is pitching injuries, not pitching underperformance — so maybe getting Rojas to hit would be unfair to everyone else. — ZB

Record: 27-19
Last Power Ranking: 11

Yes, the Astros, with their below-average offensive production, need Alex Bregman’s talent to float back into his body. It’s worth noting, though, that Bregman is coming off a good week and hasn’t been nearly as much of a drain on the lineup as another fixture. The guy who truly got Monstar-ed is first baseman José Abreu, who owns a .534 OPS, worse than even Martín Maldonado’s. I could throw a whole bunch of numbers at you, but this gets the point across.

Jose Altuve is back, which should help the Astros at the plate, but Abreu is still batting in the heart of the lineup. Until manager Dusty Baker drops the struggling veteran – or benches him — the (admittedly surging) Astros will be waiting for him like Godot. And if you’re familiar with the Samuel Beckett play, you know that Godot never arrives. — ZB

Record: 29-20
Last Power Ranking: 9

The answer to this prompt would have been Aaron Hicks had he not been designated for assignment Saturday, but there are a few others getting a lot of run for the red-hot Yankees and not contributing with the bat:

• Oswaldo Cabrera: .203/.258/.312, 3 HR, 10 BB, 28 K, 5 S
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa: .198/.258/.302, 2 HR, 6 BB, 14 K, 4 SB, 2 CS
• Kyle Higashioka: .191/.247/.368, 3 HR, 5 BB, 24 K

These are lower than typical numbers for Kiner-Falefa and Higashioka, but they were known commodities as glove-first guys. After Cabrera broke into the majors with a .740 OPS (109 OPS+) in 44 games last season, there was hope he’d help both ways. But through 42 games this season, that hasn’t been the case. He’s lugging around a .570 OPS and looking at a lot of blue on his Statcast page. Also worth noting: Josh Donaldson hasn’t played enough to say the Yankees are waiting for his bat to show up; right now they’d settle for him showing up healthy at all. — SN

Record: 25-22
Last Power Ranking: 7

Less than two weeks ago, Carlos Correa was hitting just .185 — and hearing boos. “I’d boo myself, too,” Correa said. Since then, he’s hitting better, with an .873 OPS over that stretch to raise his batting average to .206. He’s inching back into form. But here’s the rub: The Twins are treading water, in control of the AL Central but just three games above .500. They’re currently shorthanded. They’re … fine. And fine isn’t good enough. At some point, if they’re serious about this season, the Twins will need to reach another level. They won’t get there by going 2-4 in a week as they did after a trip through Los Angeles and Anaheim last week. They’ll get to another level behind their stars. And Correa is their brightest. “When I get right,” Correa said, “when we get right as a team, then we’re going to be playing better baseball.” He knows what’s up. — Nick Groke

Record: 27-20
Last Power Ranking: 10

Things are mostly going well with the Arizona offense. By bWAR, the Diamondbacks’ top six players are all hitters. Arizona had a couple dead spots in the outfield, but has the prospect depth to flip those guys out for replacements like Dominic Fletcher and Pavin Smith, both of whom are hitting well. Arizona has similar prospect depth in the rotation, but the results there have not been as good.

The bottom three spots in the Arizona rotation are filled by rookies Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt along with pseudo-rookie Tommy Henry. They have a combined 5.81 ERA. Each has shown positive signs, but consistency is what a rotation needs. Arizona is 13-7 when Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly pitch, and 14-13 when anyone else does. The Diamondbacks are comfortable winners right now, but that’s a hard act to keep up when three-fifths of the rotation is so shaky. If those young pitchers don’t find their footing soon, it might be time for the Diamondbacks to reach even deeper into the farm system for, say, Blake Walston or Bryce Jarvis. — ZB

Record: 26-21
Last Power Ranking: 12

The Red Sox’s starting shortstop switching from Xander Bogaerts to Trevor Story to Kiké Hernández represented an obvious downgrade, but the results have been even worse than expected. Hernández’s hitting numbers, from the traditional (.298 OBP, .646 OPS) to the advanced (87.5 mph average exit velocity, 33.3 hard-hit percentage), are among the lowest of his career, and his defense has rated as worse than all but two position players in the majors: Amed Rosario and CJ Abrams. Bogaerts, meanwhile, is tied for first in the majors in Outs Above Average. On the pitching side, Corey Kluber is throwing slower and getting hit harder than ever. His start Sunday ended after seven outs and five runs, one earned. His ERA went down, from 6.41 to 6.26. Kluber’s strikeout rate entering Sunday’s start (18.4 percent) and ground-ball rate (30.7 percent) were both career lows, which helps explain how his home-run rate (2.52 per nine innings) is more than double his previous high. — SN

Record: 25-22
Last Power Ranking: 5

Bad week for the Blue Jays, and in Toronto, no less. They lost three of four to the Yankees, then were swept by the Orioles. The East is already on fire. As we stand, Toronto is a last-place team, but that’s deceiving. Yes, they are 5-12 in their division this season and they need to be better against those teams directly in front of them. But the new balanced schedule takes some of the sting away. The Jays are still a winning team. They just need more. And that more should come from George Springer, Toronto’s best underperforming player. Springer was an All-Star last year, but while he was about 33 percent above league average as a hitter in 2022, he’s now about 15 percent worse than league average. Quite a swing in the wrong direction. Nothing is especially alarming about his season; for example, he’s not striking out more than he normally does. And he’s suffering some bad luck (.252 BABIP). But Springer needs to be more impactful. The Blue Jays could really use an infusion from their right fielder. — NG

Record: 25-21
Last Power Ranking: 8

Big picture, the Brewers are 5-5 over the past 10 games and still on the winning side. But in the past week, they lost an alarming series to the Cardinals and another to the Rays. And despite the Pirates falling back to earth and the Cardinals playing like a Roomba in a sandbox, the Brewers failed to pull ahead in the Central. Milwaukee has fielded a very middle offense, exactly at the median by fWAR and slightly below average by wRC+. With a rookie-inflected lineup, that’s probably how it will stay for a while. What they need is for Corbin Burnes to go on a heater. It’s not fair to expect the Brewers’ ace to carry them. He can only pitch every five days or so. But that’s what aces do. In his last outing, Burnes struck out seven and walked just one over six solid innings. And yet the Brewers lost that game to the Cardinals. Maybe it’s too much to ask, but they need Burnes to be even better. What they have right now is a potential All-Star. What they’re waiting for is the Cy Young winner. — NG

Record: 25-23
Last Power Ranking: 15

There are some notable underperformers on the Angels roster — Aaron Loup, Tyler Anderson, Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury — but we can’t do this team and not talk about third baseman Anthony Rendon. The 32-year-old, who is currently out with a minor groin issue, actually has been one of the better hitters on the roster, carrying a 118 OPS+ entering Monday. But that’s still a shadow of what the Angels are paying him to be. The Angels dropped seven years and $245 million on him after 2019 thinking they’d be getting the guy who’d just finished third in MVP voting with a 157 OPS+. And they did get him … for one season. Rendon posted a .915 OPS in the shortened 2020 campaign, but barely played the next two years. When he did play, he was a shell of himself, batting just .235/.328/.381. His performance this year has been encouraging by comparison — before his injury, Rendon was batting .412 with a 1.041 OPS in May — but the Angels need him to do more than just show up if they’re going to keep pace as a supposedly three-superstar team in the AL West. They also need him to hang around a while. — ZB

Record: 25-23
Last Power Ranking: 18

I can say with a certain degree of confidence that, when healthy, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will deliver good results for the Mets. I will say no such thing, however, about a handful of veterans currently populating the Mets’ lineup and bench. To oversimplify here, let’s say that if league-average OPS in 2023 is .728 (which it is) then residing in the .600s or below is a real bummer. And that’s where Eduardo Escobar (.685), Luis Guillorme (.591) and three of four outfielders — Starling Marte (.620), Mark Canha (.666), Tommy Pham (.664) — all reside. That’s not even counting those with fewer than 20 games played this season. For Steve Cohen and the Mets, the quickest path to first place is to get those bats back on track. Marte had three hits Sunday to bounce his batting average from a career-low .231 to still-a-career-low .245, and he also homered and hosed a former teammate from right field, so maybe he, like the Mets, is coming around. — SN

Record: 22-24
Last Power Ranking: 16

The Phillies are a strange team to try to explain statistically. They’re both one of the best pitching teams in the league (third-most valuable rotation in the majors by fWAR) and one that has allowed the 10th-most runs. They are the 13th-best offense by wRC+ and one that ranks 20th by runs scored. Watch them for more than one game at a time, and you may guess the Phillies have one of the best records in the NL and yet they’re in fourth place in their own division. Some of this will even out over time. But Philadelphia is already mortgaging their season in an alarming way. Their starting pitchers have thrown among the fewest innings in the majors this season, which in turn has taxed a bullpen that is missing Jose Alvarado. With Ranger Suárez now back in action, the Phillies are waiting for their starters to show up in full. “We need to get it going,” manager Rob Thomson said. “We really do.” — NG

Record: 22-24
Last Power Ranking: 13

“Can man survive on pitching alone?” our Corey Brock asked last week, and that gets to the heart of Seattle’s problem. The Mariners are waiting on nearly an entire offense to show up. Jarred Kelenic and Cal Raleigh are doing well, but so many others are scuffling. Kolten Wong is hitting .177. Teoscar Hernandez strikes out so often that he’s in danger of earning Titanium Strikeout Status, with free punchouts for life. “Seattle’s designated hitters have produced a collective .138 batting average,” Brock wrote last week. Most glaringly, reigning Rookie of the Year winner Julio Rodríguez is batting just .204.

Too long; didn’t read? Consult this handy flow chart. — ZB

Record: 24-22
Last Power Ranking: 17

There are a few hitters the Pirates wish would bring more with the bat — Ji Hwan Bae and Austin Hedges come to mind — but none of them were expected to produce in the way Ke’Bryan Hayes and Carlos Santana were. Santana, asked to clean up in the middle of the lineup, has just two homers and a .696 OPS for the second-place (but struggling) Pirates. Hayes doubled twice and tripled over the weekend to slightly better his slash line: .234/.290/.351 (.641 OPS) with one homer. Hayes, an incredible defender at third base, seems to have the right tools at the plate. He hits the ball hard, and his strikeout rate has improved this season, but he has been stuck for the past three seasons as a squarely below-average bat with mediocre OBPs and little pop. Hayes still has his believers that he’ll break out as a hitter, but so far this season they’re still waiting to be proven right. — SN

Record: 21-27
Last Power Ranking: 25

If not for the Astros’ torrid run recently, we’d be framing the Cardinals as the hottest team in baseball, winners of eight of their past 10 games. Nolan Arenado is hitting .439 with a 1.357 OPS over his past 10 games, with six home runs and 15 RBIs. It’s a ridiculous run of hitting that helped the Cardinals sweep the Red Sox, win two of three against the Brewers and three of four against the Dodgers. They are back on track, even if they have a ways to go before breaking even. The offense showed up, but St. Louis is still waiting for its pitching to get hot. Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz still remain below league average by park-adjusted ERA. Only Jordan Montgomery has an ERA below 4.50. And collectively, the rotation ranks about 24th in the league. Somehow, all that panic about Willson Contreras didn’t ruin the Cardinals. But that doesn’t mean everything is tip-top with the team and their starting pitching. — NG

Record: 22-24
Last Power Ranking: 21

The Giants are a weird team of extremes, as Grant Brisbee explains. They are not rebuilding and they are not a juggernaut. But, judging by how they conducted their offseason, they do expect to win — which they have been doing more of lately. After leaving Carlos Correa at the altar, other teams might have said, “You know what, I need to take some time for myself,” but San Francisco got right back out on the market and made notable additions to its roster in the hopes of building out a winner.

But many of those additions have not produced. We’ll give Michael Conforto a bit of a pass, as he’s been roughly a league-average bat and missed all of last season. But Mitch Haniger is sitting on an OPS+ of 52. Sean Manaea, signed for two years and $25 million, can’t stick in the rotation and has the eighth-highest ERA of any pitcher who has thrown at least 20 innings this season. The Giants aren’t bad — and for once are producing homegrown talents like Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey — but if you’re going to build your team through free agency, you have to get those signings right. — ZB

Record: 21-26
Last Power Ranking: 14

What are we waiting for to show up in San Diego? How about the super-squad Padres team this offseason promised us? Like the free-spending Mets on the opposite coast, the Padres have a star-studded team playing several degrees below its own talent. This piece by Dennis Lin last week gets across the magnitude of the problem:

• The franchise is on its fifth full-time manager since general manager A.J. Preller took over in 2014. It doesn’t seem to make a difference!
• The Padres have already played 23 games in which they scored three or fewer runs. They have lost 21 of them.
• They went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position in one game against the Royals to improve their season average in those situations.

Not hitting: Austin Nola, Trent Grisham, Nelson Cruz.

Not pitching well: Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove.

The boobirds have been out. “I would boo ourselves, too,” said Fernando Tatis Jr. — ZB

Record: 24-23
Last Power Ranking: 23

We’ll start with Jean Segura. Because for as hard as the Fish have worked to keep their heads above .500, they’ve had little help from Segura, who this past offseason signed a two-year, $17 million deal. He’s batting .204 with a .509 OPS — more than 200 points lower than any of his past seven seasons. He is swinging at everything and barreling almost nothing. Meanwhile, the Marlins’ catching situation is a mess. They have the worst OPS from the position in the majors this season, at .459. Jacob Stallings is batting .118 with a .340 OPS, and Nick Fortes has hit .211 with a .538 OPS. Add into the mix that shortstop Joey Wendle and outfielder Peyton Burdick are also both batting below .200 in small samples, and the Marlins have some significant holes in their lineup. — SN

Record: 20-26
Last Power Ranking: T-19

Rewind a week. The Cubs were coming off a rough stretch with series losses to the Cardinals and Twins. They were getting good contributions from several players, notably Dansby Swanson. And, at least statistically, their lineup is among the top 5 in the majors. The one hole in the order, at the time, was Seiya Suzuki. In his second year after moving from the Hiroshima Toyo Carp to the North Side, the Cubs were still waiting for him to break out. Then, in the past week, Suzuki raised his batting average by more than 30 points and his OPS by more than 100 points. And now, Suzuki, too, is hitting well above league average. “He’s in a good place,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “When he’s like that, you’re going to see our offense put up a lot of good numbers. He’s key in the middle of that order.” Unfortunately, the Cubs went 1-5 this past week, swept by the Astros and bested by the Phillies. Maybe they were waiting for somebody other than Suzuki to fix everything. — NG

Record: 20-26
Last Power Ranking: T-19

The Guardians are clearly not a bad baseball team. Ok, maybe it’s not immediately apparent, but it’s true. The league this year is made up of maybe five good teams, two demonstrably horrid teams and a flat circle of mediocrity in between. The Guardians are in that middle group. The fact that they’ve trended toward the bottom of the mid-range is immaterial. Sure, they are five games under .500 with a run differential now 34 runs below even. They’re also in a winnable division and it’s hard to imagine even Alan Trammell would claim the Tigers are better than the Guardians. So something is missing. In the past calendar week, the Guards went 1-5 and that series loss to the White Sox is borderline shameful, but they were swept out of New York by a total of just three Mets runs. This season, they’ve won as many as four games in a row and lost as many as three straight. They’ve scored as many as 12 runs and allowed as many as 11. When they find some consistency — if they can find some consistency — Cleveland will get right. — NG

Record: 20-24
Last Power Ranking: 22

Well, you might say the Tigers are still waiting on most of their lineup to figure things out. But these are the second-place Tigers we’re talking about, so show some respect. Let’s focus our attention on the bats. The only Tigers hitters who rate as above-average this season by OPS+ or wRC+ are Zach McKinstry, Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, who is currently injured. That’s not super-duper promising. But, again, I refer you to the standings. No one is counting on Miguel Cabrera to turn around his .459 OPS, but how about Jonathan Schoop (.565), Nick Maton (.616), Matt Vierling (.639), Javier Báez (.608) or Spencer Torkelson (.661)? Torkelson, Vierling and Maton all have shown encouraging signs at bat in this past week, and any (or all) of them starting to click regularly could be what keep these Tigers — No. 2 in the division, No. 1 in your hearts — interesting this summer. — SN

Record: 19-29
Last Power Ranking: 27

Nice week for the White Sox, after winning two of three against the Guardians and sweeping the lowly Royals. It was the kind of week that should be expected. Losing five of six to those two teams would have said more about their problems than winning all but one says about their merits. At a granular level, the Sox are trying to fix some pitching mechanics to get right, with Lance Lynn and Dylan Cease tweaking their motions for better results. This team, though, is beyond the tweaks. They are the third-worst team in the league! They’re looking down at the Royals and A’s, two historically bad teams. Maybe the Sox aren’t a good team, as constructed, but they shouldn’t be this bad. We are not here to lobby for cleaning house with the roster or even the front office. It just seems like the Sox are waiting for a big idea — any idea — for getting right, either this season or into the future. They are beyond the need for tweaks. — NG

Record: 19-27
Last Power Ranking: 24

I saw a recent article on a competitor’s site highlighting players receiving trade buzz, and one of the names listed was Reds outfielder Wil Myers. This prompted me to look up Myers’ numbers and … what? Teams want to trade for this guy? Why, do they owe Cincinnati a favor?

The Reds signed Myers to a one-year deal hoping they could flip him at the deadline like they did with Brandon Drury last year, but it’s not working. Myers is hitting .198/.258/.298. He hasn’t had a multi-hit game in nearly a month. For a guy wearing red, his Baseball Savant page is really, really blue. Myers has generally been a good hitter, but there’s a chance the 32-year-old has hit the downslope. His in-zone contact is a career-worst, as is his maximum exit velocity. He is striking out so damn much.

It’s not going to kill the Reds if he doesn’t turn it around, but it sure wouldn’t hurt! (And anyway, the guy we’re all really hoping will show up is Elly De La Cruz.) — ZB

Record: 20-27
Last Power Ranking: 28

I’ve sung Keibert Ruiz’s praises around here as a breakout candidate and as an early-season positive for the Nationals, as he batted .281 with a .351 OBP in April. But the production has cratered in May, with Ruiz batting .167 with a .227 OBP, which actually improved significantly over the weekend with a single, double and homer against the Tigers. With his profile as a switch-hitting catcher with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Ruiz makes a ton of contact, but not a lot of hard contact — especially when he’s chasing. And that weaker contact is why his below-average BABIPs (.233 this year, .263 in the majors) don’t look so much like bad luck as they do his norm. Ruiz is mostly a singles hitter at this stage, and he rarely walks, so a prolonged slump like the one this month is capable of completely halting his offensive production. Ruiz isn’t the only Nationals player with middling offensive numbers so far this season, but he’s a central piece of the franchise’s future and it’s crucial for him to continue making progress. — SN

Record: 19-28
Last Power Ranking: 26

The Rockies were so pleased with their core over the past few seasons, they doled out contract extensions to Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, Ryan McMahon, Daniel Bard, Elias Diaz and C.J. Cron. And they signed Kris Bryant to a seven-year deal. Bit of an odd strategy considering they were no better than a 74-win team over the past four years and are currently a last-place squad. There’s just not a lot of room to work over the roster in free agency. They’re waiting for an infusion of rookies — namely, outfielder Zac Veen, the club’s top prospect. But here’s the tough part, and the Rockies aren’t alone in this way of dealing with prospects: If Veen makes his way to the majors later this summer, he’ll be joining a losing team, a team that needs him more than he needs them. That’s not an ideal situation for a young player. All of a sudden, you’re asking him to save the team. That’s an unreasonable demand. Ideally, Veen would get the space to find his way and figure out how to survive in the major leagues. That alone is incredibly difficult. But to be responsible for the future of the team, too? Not a fair request. — NG

Record: 14-34
Last Power Ranking: 29

When he’s out there collecting four hits in a game like he did Saturday — more like three and a half with that nubber to the pitcher, but he also smacked a well-hit double — Nick Loftin will start turning that gentle knock on the big-league door into a hard bang. If the Royals are content to wait for their No. 2 prospect, fans might not be. Loftin sits just outside the list of MLB’s Top 100 prospects, or just inside, depending on the wind. And he is probably the nearest, best minor-leaguer yet to join the Royals. As a do-it-all hitter, five-tool player and utility fielder, Loftin should have little trouble finding a spot on this Royals team. The key question is how to maximize his future. It’d be dumb to rush him into the bigs just for him to learn how to lose games. But keeping him in Triple-A Omaha in perpetuity is just as bad. Everybody, it seems, is waiting for Loftin to arrive. — NG

Record: 10-38
Last Power Ranking: 30

We could spend a lot of time clowning on the abject futility of the A’s — Jayson Stark has that in great detail if you desire it — but that feels like it’s missing the point we’re making here. If this week’s theme is about waiting for the real Slim Shady to stand up, these A’s aren’t helpful. Barely anyone on this roster has a track record!

So, we’ll take aim at the C-suite, where we’re waiting on competent executives to arrive. A brief rundown of recent events: The A’s announced a “binding” land deal in Las Vegas and abandoned it almost immediately. They then announced a new deal that would involve nearly $400 million in public funds, only for public officials to be like, “Uh, I don’t think we’re spending that much.” Owner John Fisher and president David Kaval built a bad roster on purpose. But this Vegas stuff is something they’re actually trying to get right. — ZB

(Top photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)

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Monica Morales, director of the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, speaks on the issue of citizen participation while Jasmine Najera, CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance, left, listens at a news conference presenting the latest County Health Rankings data for Santa Cruz County to be discussed. (Nick Sestanovich – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

WATSONVILLE >> Overall, Santa Cruz County performs well in terms of overall health outcomes, ranking ninth out of 58 California counties on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2023 County Health Rankings list, which ranks counties across the country in various areas related to health.

Santa Cruz even saw a slight increase from last year when it finished 11th, but despite this positive result, officials are working hard to address health categories where it doesn’t perform as well. The results of that list were presented by Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency and Pajaro Valley Unified School District at the district’s Family Engagement and Wellness Center on Wednesday, the day the list was released.

Susan Brutchy, president of Applied Survey Research, said 13% of county adults reported being in poor or reasonable health, compared to 12% domestically and 14% stateside. Santa Cruz also outperformed the state and nation on adult obesity rates, access to exercise facilities, teenage birth rates, annual flu shots, and air pollution rates.

On the negative side, 26% of households reported housing problems, be it overcrowded apartments, high costs and a lack of kitchen or plumbing facilities. This matched the percentage reported by the state and was nine percentage points higher than that of the nation.

The district also reported a higher number of poor mental health days and a lower number of mental health providers. This was emphasized in Wednesday’s presentation.

“That’s important because it gives us an opportunity to compare counties across the country in terms of well-being and the look of well-being,” Brutchy said.

Brutschy said the County Health Rankings have placed an emphasis on civic participation in 2023 to measure well-being. Civic participation is measured through voter turnout, advocacy, volunteering, mentoring, and other community activities.

“I think it’s really important because it talks about the role of citizen health and how we all play a role and how it works both ways,” she said. “It makes us feel better, and when we take care of ourselves, our civic participation increases and we have the opportunity to increase the well-being of citizens across the country.”

Santa Cruz County Health Director Monica Morales said she grew up in the county and a lot has changed.

“When I was here, high school ratings were really bad, especially in this part of the county,” she said. “We also had high teenage pregnancy rates. We’ve also struggled with low health insurance premiums, so it’s quite remarkable to be able to look at the data now and see how well we’re doing.”

However, Morales emphasized that there are many areas that need improvement.

“You can see from the rankings that there’s still a big imbalance in power, a big imbalance in access,” she said. “The data still shows, for example, that our Latino children experience the highest rates of poverty, that we still have food insecurity in the country and especially here where we actually produce some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables in the country, and some of our families don’t have once access to them.”

Morales also highlighted a lack of behavioral health services for Indigenous and Spanish-speaking communities.

“I hope that today we continue to highlight for ourselves the resilient community we live in, the powerful collective impact we are a part of, but most importantly, that we continue to challenge institutions to ensure they are responsive to the needs fulfilling our community,” she said.

Morales said the Health Services Agency is working to “shift the conversation, moving from an institution that projects onto our community, to an institution that listens to you, that sits around the table with community-based organizations.”

“We don’t have to solve it,” she said. “We don’t even have to fund it, but we have to sit at the table and listen and actually be part of the solution.”

Pajaro Valley Prevention & Student Assistance (PVPSA) chief officer Jasmine Najera said one problem is not having enough mental health clinicians to provide services to students.

“We face a massive shortage of mental health providers, not just locally but across the state,” she said. “We just don’t have that many people to fill those positions, and more and more clinicians are leaving those positions because they’re burned out themselves.”

Najera said PVPSA is working to provide clinical services such as crisis response, family strengthening and workforce development.

“My mission in this role at PVPSA is to continue to ensure we have a strong workforce to ensure we are putting the right resources in the right places and making sure we reflect the needs of our community,” she said.

PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez highlighted what the district has done to address the issues, including opening the Wellness Center on EA Hall Middle School’s campus in December 2021. Since then, it has served more than 14,800 families and has provided a psychiatrist provided on-site and worked with agencies to distribute frozen meals from Martha’s Kitchen and groceries through Second Harvest Food Bank, host a farmers market from FoodWhat and parenting classes from Triple P and Disciplina Positiva.

“I think what I’m most proud of is the fact that we developed this and then we didn’t stop listening,” she said. “We said, ‘Let’s hear what people are actually saying, what their needs are, and change over time.'”

Morales said it will take action to improve data in areas where the county is lacking.

“Let’s just start and really focus on the political elements,” she said. “We know this is required to transform the systems.”

Complete data for Santa Cruz County can be found at Countyhealthrankings.org.

The eight counties that ranked higher than Santa Cruz were Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Placer, Napa, Orange, San Francisco, and Ventura.

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San Francisco Lands Top Spot In Clean Energy Rankings For First Time

San Francisco took top honors in ACEEE’s 2021 City Clean Energy Scorecard, followed by Seattle; Washington, D.C.; Minneapolis; and Boston and New York.

San Francisco took top honors for the first time in the sixth edition of the 2021 City Clean Energy Scorecard, followed by Seattle (#2), Washington, DC (#3), Minneapolis (#4), and Boston and New York (tied for #5). The annual American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) report ranks 100 major US cities on efforts including reducing energy waste in homes and buildings and moving toward a cleaner power grid—and doing so equitably. It identifies the leading cities, the most improved, and those with ample room for progress, citing opportunities for each to advance.

Cities earned credit for policies and programs such as requiring large buildings to reduce energy waste or subsidizing access to transit and other efficient transportation options for historically marginalized groups, and for their success in reducing their overall greenhouse gas emissions.

San Francisco launched a new program that provides free home energy-saving kits to residents in areas that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution and are economically disadvantaged. The city also updated its energy code for new residential and commercial buildings with requirements that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and it was the top scorer on transportation policies.

“I’m so proud of the all the work we’ve done in San Francisco to achieve the top City Clean Energy ranking this year,” said San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed. “Thanks to consistent investments in our city’s clean energy program, innovative policies to decarbonize our buildings, and advancing environmental solutions centered around equity, we’ve shown that it’s possible to drastically reduce our carbon emissions while growing our population and economy. I’m looking forward to our continued work with ACEEE and cities around the nation to continue striving toward bold climate action.”

Source: 2021 City Clean Energy Scorecard, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Making Moves In Transportation

This year was the first time ACEEE assessed cities’ progress toward their climate goals for the transportation sector—which are based on either greenhouse gas emissions or vehicle miles traveled—using a comprehensive review of their reported data. Twenty-five cities have adopted such goals, and only three are on track to achieve them. Seventeen of the 25 cities could not provide sufficient data to assess their progress. San Diego showed the strongest progress in this category, achieving a nearly 3% annual reduction in transportation greenhouse gas emissions since 2015.

The report also found that cities’ most recent clean energy policy actions have primarily focused on sectors other than transportation. Of the 177 new city clean energy actions scored in the report, only 23 were related to transportation, which is responsible for the largest share of US emissions.

“Most cities haven’t set a goal for reducing vehicle travel or transportation emissions, and of those that have, only a few show progress, so that points to a big area for improvement,” said Stefen Samarripas, local policy manager at ACEEE and lead author of the report. “From investments in transit to incentives for installing electric vehicle charging stations and zoning changes that allow dense, mixed-use development, cities have to use all their tools to support an affordable transportation system that works better for all while slashing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Additional Findings

The report, which evaluated cities from May 2, 2020, to July 1, 2021, also found:

• Seattle’s advocacy in the state legislature allowed its municipal utility to expand its electric vehicle charging initiatives; Washington, DC earned points for incentivizing the purchase of new electric vehicles by waiving the excise taxes on them.
• Madison (Wisconsin) (#39), Charlotte (#42), and Honolulu (#24) are this year’s most-improved cities. Madison increased its investments in renewable energy and adopted requirements to install electric vehicle chargers in all multifamily and some commercial buildings. Charlotte created a program to train energy efficiency and renewable energy workers and directed city agencies to purchase efficient vehicles. Honolulu adopted a new climate action plan.
• Many cities dropping in rank fell by not keeping up with peers who have adopted leading clean energy practices, increasingly rewarded in the Scorecard’s metrics.
• Many cities encountered funding, staffing, and operational challenges for their clean energy efforts because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though a small number adapted their operations and plans quickly and effectively. Overall, the pandemic slowed many cities’ actions through 2020, but efforts generally recovered in the first half of 2021 with a renewed focus on the buildings sector.

“COVID relief and infrastructure funds from Congress provide a big opportunity for all cities to step up their efforts,” said Samarripas. “Cities can invest in upgrading buildings to cut costly energy waste. They can invest in efficient transportation, including public transit, to help lower-income residents reduce their travel costs and protect the climate. The leading cities provide helpful models for those at much earlier stages of their efforts.”

The Scorecard ranks cities in five policy areas: community-wide initiatives, buildings policies, transportation policies, and local government operations.

For the first time, the Scorecard grouped cities into six types based on the population of their metropolitan areas and their rates of growth, allowing for an examination of trends across city types. The Scorecard also includes a new analysis and scoring of cities’ smart growth strategies and a new tool (developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) to quantify the potential of a city’s transportation system to connect people to services and activities in an energy-efficient, convenient, and cost-effective way.

You can read the full report online, including individual fact sheets that describe each city’s performance and recommend ways to improve.

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Every week,​ we​ ask all​ of our baseball​ writers​ — both the​ local​ scribes​ and the national team,​ more​ than​​ 30 writers in all — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, the TA30.

Almost every team in baseball has made their way to the quarter mark of the season, which means we’re starting to see some narratives solidify themselves. Will the Yankees and Dodgers be able to keep up their hot pace for an entire season? Will the struggling Braves manage to put it back together? Can the Orioles, boosted by the newly called-up Adley Rutschman, find a groove and creep their way out of the basement?

Steve Berman will handle the American League teams and Fabian Ardaya will cover the National League squads this week.

There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, but here’s where we stand after 40ish games.

1. New York Yankees

Record: 29-12
Last Power Ranking: 1

The Yankees got hit with a wave of setbacks over the last week. Reliever Chad Green will require Tommy John surgery and is out for the season. Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka, already struggling this season, were sent to the COVID-19 IL prior to last weekend’s doubleheader against the White Sox. And Aroldis Chapman has had his fair share of struggles. And yet, here they are in our No. 1 spot, leading the AL East by five games, with a .707 winning percentage on the books.

This seems to be their first big test of adversity this season after a hot start. Winning at this rate while firing on all cylinders is one thing. Sustaining success through injuries and illness will be another.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 27-13
Last Power Ranking: 2

Starting with last Sunday’s wild comeback win all the way to Saturday, the Dodgers had found themselves with a deficit in six of those seven games. They’d won all seven. And on Sunday, they never trailed — until Max Muncy booted a ground ball in extra innings and allowed the tying and winning runs to score in a 4-3 loss.

The Dodgers’ talent level is still shining through. Freddie Freeman has been precisely the type of hitter the Dodgers imagined he’d be, and now he’s spreading his gospel to his new teammates. He, Mookie Betts and Trea Turner have formed quite the formidable trio — which will get even more lethal the more “dangerous” Turner feels in the batter’s box.

In the last two weeks, they’ve gotten starts out of two guys making their big-league debuts (Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove), along with a versatile swingman in Mitch White making just his fifth career start. And they still have the top ERA in baseball, even with their top reliever, Blake Treinen (who the club extended on Sunday), still a ways away from a return and their ace struggling to sort out what has been, to this point, his iconic pitch. This might be the best team in baseball. Just not this week.

3. New York Mets

Record: 28-15
Last Power Ranking: 3

Max Scherzer knows his body well. So when you see him making a slashing motion to his throat to signal to the Mets dugout, as he did on Wednesday, it is cause for concern. The Mets’ worries were validated hours later.

He will miss some time. Jacob deGrom is already missing time. So is the man who replaced him in the Opening Day rotation, Tylor Megill. As is their Opening Day catcher, James McCann.

Yet the Mets are not collapsing under their seemingly annual Metsiness. They’re thriving. Pete Alonso is sending lasers to the moon. Their hefty budget has paid off in their depth, allowing them to absorb significant blows and still sit comfortably in first place.

They are doing things that good baseball teams do. They can hit. (You mean Brandon Nimmo can cut his strikeout rate by 5 percent while hitting the ball harder than ever?) They can pitch. They’ve held their own defensively. Buck Showalter has acclimated himself as well as expected, a good fit for both market and roster. Francisco Lindor is doing Francisco Lindor things.

Let’s look at their upcoming schedule and … oh. Time for a test.

@ Giants
vs. Phillies
vs. Nationals
@ Dodgers
@ Padres
@ Angels
vs. Brewers

Lastly, Starling Marte — who has endured significant tragedy over the past few years — made his return to the Mets lineup this weekend following the death of his grandmother and hit a home run on the first pitch he saw. Nick Groke told “Ponga’s” story beautifully.

4. Houston Astros

Record: 27-15
Last Power Ranking: 4

The Astros lost a series to the Red Sox last week, but things are still rosy in Houston. In the second game of the series in Boston. the Astros tied an MLB record with five home runs in an inning, all off starter Nathan Eovaldi, culminating in a 13-4 win. Plus, they were probably due for a series loss since they didn’t lose a game for nearly two weeks. Speaking of that streak, Jayson Stark had a plethora of fun facts about what the Astros accomplished earlier in May. This one stuck out above the rest:

When that Astros streak finally came to an end last Saturday with a 13-6 loss in Washington, it was more than just a loss. It was history because it meant …

Runs allowed by Astros during 11-game win streak: 12

Runs allowed by Astros in game that ended streak: 13

Which made this … the longest winning streak in history in which a team gave up fewer runs during the whole winning streak than it gave up in the game that ended that streak.

The Yankees and Astros are the only teams in the top three in fWAR for position players and pitchers, and the Astros arguably play the best defense in baseball (the metrics like them, anyway). The Astros have made the ALCS in each of the past five seasons, and at this point, it seems likely that they’ll keep that streak going in October.

5. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 26-15
Last Power Ranking: 5

This Brewers-Padres trade from 2019 is so fascinating to me:

Traded Zach Davies and Trent Grisham to the San Diego Padres. Received Eric Lauer, Luis Urías and player to be named.

Initially, this looked like a whopper for San Diego. Davies was quite good in 2020 and San Diego parlayed that into him being part of the Yu Darvish trade. Trent Grisham has been a stellar big leaguer, this year’s early struggles notwithstanding.

But Urías might be MLB’s next big star from Mexico (with some mentorship from Willy Adames). And Eric Lauer is downright shoving for a Brewers starting rotation that already has three former All-Stars (including reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes).

It’s a great challenge trade for two of the best teams in the National League this year.

Speaking of former top prospects, maybe this is the time for Keston Hiura to become the bat they hoped for. If he does, it’s an exclamation point for a Milwaukee team looking every bit the NL Central favorite they were projected to be this year. And what a treat Brewers fans have in their broadcast teams, including the ever-versatile Brian Anderson.

6. San Diego Padres

Record: 27-14
Last Power Ranking: 7

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s future at shortstop has felt like an open question for so long. His trial in the outfield last season as he dealt with a dislocated left shoulder seemed like the door creaking open. But for as well as Ha-Seong Kim is performing and how poor some of the Padres’ outfield is hitting, Dennis Lin doesn’t think that’s too likely this year. If one of your main concerns is where an MVP finalist will slot into the lineup, that’s a good problem to have.

Another good problem? Having too many solid starters. Joe Musgrove is pitching like someone ready for a heftier bank account. Having Mike Clevinger and Blake Snell back and healthy has pushed MacKenzie Gore (who looked like he’d truly arrived) to the bullpen, and that rotation now looks scary good.

This feels like the Padres team we were sold, even before Tatis comes back.

7. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 26-17
Last Power Ranking: 6

Some of the hype surrounding the Angels was quieted a bit when they got swept in Texas, but they responded by taking two of three from the A’s. This is a team with not one, not two, but three MVP candidates. Hopefully Taylor Ward, who missed both games over the weekend after colliding with the wall while making a great catch on Friday, will return soon.

The Angels aren’t perfect. Noah Syndergaard can’t hold runners on, Jo Adell didn’t hit enough to stay in the majors (especially with how he plays defense in left), and they aren’t getting much from the catching position. Anthony Rendon, so far, hasn’t been worth the money. But when you have Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and a guy who’s hitting .370 with power, and one of your most pressing issues is who should be the backup catcher, things are going fine.

8. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 24-17
Last Power Ranking: 9

All hail Brett Phillips, the most memorable outfielder who can’t really hit that this generation has produced. His lifetime slash line is .203/.287/.381 and his 2022 numbers almost mirror what he’s done in his eight-year career. But fixating on what he does at the plate is like going to an amazing taco truck and complaining about the lack of seating.

Phillips’ defense is what keeps him in the majors, but his entertainment value is off the charts. He’s made two pitching appearances this season, lobbing “fastballs” that wouldn’t be ticketed for speeding on rural country roads. His personality seems like one the Rays couldn’t bear to lose, just based on his mic’d-up segments and how he comports himself on the mound — even when Anthony Rendon takes him deep with a lefty beer-league swing. The Rays are known as one of the smartest franchises in the sport, and they keep rolling along toward yet another playoff berth, but Phillips’ presence shows that they might care about team chemistry more than you might think.

Another reason to think the Rays are more cuddly than their image as mathematical tacticians?

“We are not trying to ‘win’ trades,” Rays GM Peter Bendix told The Athletic in a recent interview. “We are trying to make our team better. If it makes the other team better at the same time, honestly, that’s great because that’s how both teams are going to win a trade, with coming away feeling happy and interested in making future trades.”

9. San Francisco Giants

Record: 22-18
Last Power Ranking: 7

It started mostly as a joke. I was covering the Angels in 2019, right after they’d acquired Tommy La Stella in a relatively minor deal that winter. He was a high contact rate kind of guy, someone to compete for the starting second-base job and hit a little, but definitely not for any thump.

Then the power came early that year. He was driving the ball. So I’d jokingly say it after each blast. “Tommy La Slugger.”

He wound up being an All-Star that year, all while still rarely striking out. He’s got some pop. But [wipes glasses] 464 feet? Even at Coors, I didn’t think he had that in him.

Turns out, swinging weighted bats and treating backspin like it’s adding juice to the dead baseballs helps. La Stella’s habits have certainly been influential on the Giants this year, from how he swings the bat to using his “Little Red Machine,” as Andrew Baggarly chronicled recently. Now the Giants seem like they really like Thairo Estrada, who they got on a waiver claim last April after all of 121 plate appearances with the Yankees.

Cue Jesse Pinkman screaming that they can’t keep getting away with this again.

10. Minnesota Twins

Record: 25-16
Last Power Ranking: 12

Carlos Correa, who was showing signs of a hot streak before he got injured, was activated off the IL last week. Great news, except that it meant another No. 1 pick got sent back to Triple A. Royce Lewis, whom the Twins took first in the 2017 draft, got demoted after hitting a homer and a double against the A’s.

When a team has the top free-agent shortstop and a shortstop who looks big-league ready, that’s a good thing. A superstar/potential star backlog at that position is rare.

Speaking of talented players, Byron Buxton isn’t hitting for average or walking much … but his isolated power (FanGraphs’ way of showing extra-base hits per at-bat) leads all of baseball. They even have the perfect hitter for the current dead-ball era. The Twins feel like a team with a very high ceiling.

11. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 22-19
Last Power Ranking: 10

Toronto had a pretty good week, taking series from the Mariners and Reds (yeah, sure, the Reds are the Reds, but the Blue Jays didn’t make the schedule). Pitching once again led the way. Starting pitching, specifically.

Their offense, which was billed as one of the best in the game heading into this season, has been middle-of-the-pack. The bullpen has performed similarly, but one of their relievers realized something important: After being prescribed glasses, it might help to actually wear them. It’s fair to expect the hitters and relievers to perform better as the season progresses.

Toronto has been buoyed by two starters who are in the top five among the betting favorites to win the AL Cy Young. I had doubts that Kevin Gausman, after a shaky end to his otherwise brilliant 2021 with the Giants, would be worth the contract he got in a more hitter-friendly park. He’s been fantastic, with a 2.52 ERA and a ridiculous 1.25 FIP, which is what happens when you only allow one homer and three walks in 50 innings.

Alek Manoah, a bro who didn’t worry about being iced before the 2019 draft, looks like a future ace for years to come, with a 1.62 ERA after eight very strong innings on Saturday. Toronto leads the league in starters’ WAR, according to FanGraphs, which is usually a good sign for teams that expect to contend.

12. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 23-18
Last Power Ranking: 11

Albert Pujols is having fun. He’s pitching. He’s stealing bases. He’s still crushing left-handed pitching. In his free time, he’s bonking teammates on the helmet (look around the 35-second mark on this clip). He’s even warming up Yadier Molina before his own pitching appearance as the Cardinals have seemingly turned to Old Timer’s Day on the mound the second they get into a blowout.

Last week: Albert Pujols pitching, Yadier Molina catching

This week: Yadier Molina pitching, Albert Pujols warming him up

@MLB pic.twitter.com/Gtll47TwCM

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) May 22, 2022

He’s also playing on a winning ball club and will get some exciting new teammates. It’s not every day that you see a club call up its top hitting and pitching prospects on the same day, but the Cardinals are proving their roster is about more than just heartwarming reunion tours and living life like it’s 2006.

The one cause for concern? Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore arrive just as Tyler O’Neill, the Cardinals’ top player in 2021 by Baseball-Reference WAR, hits the injured list with his OPS sitting at a measly .554. That’s lower than St. Louis’ winning percentage this year (.561).

13. Atlanta Braves

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 14

It seems like the baseball world is collectively poking a stick at the Braves and saying, “C’mon, do something.”

They’re the defending World Series champions, after all, and made moves to have themselves back in the mix this summer. But it’s been a slow start, particularly for the offense.

Despite their losing record, there’s a reason they’re so high on this list. Maybe they’ve been unlucky — their BaseRuns record would have them as a winning club. And having Ronald Acuña Jr. healthy (and staying healthy) will be a boost. It could just be a matter of time.

14. Chicago White Sox

Record: 21-20
Last Power Ranking: 13

The White Sox won three of five against the Royals before sweeping Sunday’s doubleheader to take two of three against the Yankees, and Tony La Russa seems like he’s extremely confident in his team’s long-term prospects despite the team’s slightly disappointing record. It seems like he’s fully on the load management train, which isn’t one a team willingly hops on unless they think they have the firepower to make up ground during the summer months.

Michael Kopech is looking more and more like an ace with every start; he was mixing nasty breaking stuff with 100 mph fastballs on Sunday night and the Yankees had no chance. And during a tough early stretch full of injuries, a little dose of Johnny Cueto may be just what the White Sox needed.

Johnny Cueto’s Messing With Timing Windups/Overlay pic.twitter.com/RAnNiItCHp

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 17, 2022

We also recommend James Fegan’s Q&A with Tim Anderson, one of the last hitters who doesn’t seem obsessed with hitting for a high average but believes that’s how he’ll help his team the most.

15. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 15

Last week, it felt like the Phillies were the greatest lineup ever constructed. They went into Dodger Stadium and pushed around a pitching staff that entered the weekend with the best ERA in baseball. Bryce Harper looked unstoppable — except for his health.

He missed last Sunday’s finale at Dodger Stadium to receive a PRP injection in his throwing elbow, and didn’t play again until Saturday. The Phillies, coincidentally, managed just four runs in a span of four games at one point this week.

For a roster built around its ability to slug, that’s a problem.

The good news: They’ve managed to hang around even in this difficult stage of their schedule (two series each against the Mets and Dodgers along with the Mariners, Padres, Giants, Angels and Brewers) so far. If they can keep up until their schedule lightens, maybe they can make a run at it.

Speaking of: Roman Quinn might still be running from second base after his mad dash to end Sunday’s walk-off victory.

HE’S FAST, HE’S VERY FAST #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/0Sh7ND7Spw

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 22, 2022

16. Boston Red Sox

Record: 19-22
Last Power Ranking: 21

What a difference a near-month makes. When I last handled these AL rankings, Trevor Story was a total disaster — a guy whose contract Red Sox fans were comparing to players like Pablo Sandoval.

Fast-forward to now, and Story is the guy helping the Red Sox turn the corner offensively, following up a three-homer performance on Thursday with a grand slam on Friday. It’s rare that a team has a productive week when one of the games features the team’s top starter giving up five homers in an inning, but the Red Sox won both of their series and seem like a team that’s seeing the clouds around them start to dissipate.

Another mood-lifter came from Rafael Devers, Boston’s best offensive player all season. Manager Alex Cora pumped his fist when Devers decided to do a postgame interview in English after Wednesday’s game. Though teams are generally very accepting of players wanting to conduct interviews in other languages — as they should be — the Red Sox seemed to appreciate one of their most charismatic players sharing another side of himself on Wednesday.

17. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 17-20
Last Power Ranking: 16

It was an uneventful week for the Guardians, mostly because they didn’t play much baseball. Due to scheduled off days and weather postponements, they only played four games. They won one of them and lost a little more ground in the AL Central.

COVID-19 also made things a little strange for the Guardians, who quietly have put together a strong lineup built almost completely with trades. Every week it seems like we write something about how Cleveland is a team that shows signs of making noise but will probably hang around .500 all season, and this past disjointed week didn’t change that. But they still have José Ramírez, who has finished in the top six in MVP voting in four of the past five seasons and looks primed to do so again.

T-18. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 21-22
Last Power Ranking: 17

Losing a baseball game stings, even when drawn out over the course of 162. Losing four games in a span of 42 hours while holding a lead in each game? That just seems brutal. That’s what happened when the Diamondbacks got to Dodger Stadium this week, a shock to the system after what has been a promising start.

They appear to be far better than the franchise that won just 52 games last year. They can pitch. Their lineup includes some intriguing young players, like Alek Thomas, Daulton Varsho and Pavin Smith, who are off to good starts in the big leagues. Christian Walker can certainly mash, too. Sitting at the bottom of the NL West at this point feels more like a testament to the division’s depth than it does to Arizona’s ability to compete.

What direction they go in July will be interesting. But in the meantime, they’re playing intriguing baseball.

T-18. Miami Marlins

Record: 18-22
Last Power Ranking: 18

Miami probably should have a better record than they do. They have a positive run differential. Their Pythagorean and BaseRuns records indicate they’re playing like a winning ballclub.

And it’s easy to talk yourself into that being the case. Pablo López has been one of the top starters in baseball this season, full stop. Sandy Alcántara is probably underrated among NL starters (and yes, he just tossed a complete game against the defending champs). They’re getting stellar performances out of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brian Anderson and others. Jesús Águilar, Jorge Soler and Garrett Cooper create a formidable middle of the order.

The problem? The lows on this team have been quite low. Miguel Rojas, Jacob Stallings and Avisaíl García are off to really sluggish starts. The bullpen has struggled to close out games. Get some turnarounds, and maybe the Marlins can get themselves in the NL East mix.

20. Colorado Rockies

Record: 19-21
Last Power Ranking: 20

The Rockies got Kris Bryant back this weekend. They’ll need his production to return with him (he had just a .689 OPS in 65 plate appearances before hitting the injured list). The rest of their lineup seems … fine? They’re hovering right around league average in terms of team-wide wRC+. But their homegrown pitching, a strength for them in recent years, has slipped lately. That’s how you score five or more runs in five of six games and only win one.

The Rockies have still never won a division title. At this point, I’d venture to say that every club in the division has a quicker path to winning the NL West in the coming years than Colorado has. A last-place finish this year feels extremely possible.

OK, in lighter news: Brian Serven has had one heck of a week. The Arizona State product made his big-league debut and fouled off the first pitch he saw … right to his family sitting in the ballpark.

Baseball is special

Brian Serven fouled off the 1st pitch of his 1st major league AB. Where did it end up? In the hands of his family watching him play! pic.twitter.com/Bnadf9AcRC

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 18, 2022

And then, a few nights later, he slugged a pair of home runs. I couldn’t even do that in Road To The Show.

21. Texas Rangers

Record: 18-22
Last Power Ranking: 23

Trevor Story’s disappointing start got a lot of coverage, but Marcus Semien has been far worse: .180/.243/.234 with no home runs. It’s probably not worth worrying about too much; I saw him up close when he struggled throughout the shortened 2020 season and he bounced back with 45 homers for the Blue Jays.

The Rangers have had differing degrees of success with their slumping hitters this season. They helped get Adolis García back on track by urging him to forget the adjustments he made during the offseason and go back to doing what made him dynamic in 2021. They made a similar recommendation to Kole Calhoun. Semien seems to be a more difficult nut to crack, but Rangers manager Chris Woodward isn’t worried.

“It’ll happen,” Woodward said. “There’ll be a game where everything clicks — he’ll jump on some fastballs, he’ll get back to being Marcus Semien.”

Baseball is funny. The Rangers spent a half-billion dollars on Semien and Corey Seager, and their most valuable player has been Martín Pérez, a free agent they signed for $4 million.

22. Seattle Mariners

Record: 17-25
Last Power Ranking: 19

An entertaining series win against the Mets got the Mariners off to a nice start on their East Coast road trip. Then things went from bad (they lost two of three in Toronto) to worse (they got swept in a four-game series by the Red Sox).

Hopes were high in Seattle going into this season after they signed Robbie Ray, in part because Jarred Kelenic was expected to take a step forward. But after hitting .140 and striking out in 37.5 percent of his plate appearances, Kelenic was sent to Triple A.

It’s still early — for him and the Mariners — and Seattle went on a bit of a run late in the 2021 season. But things look bad right now. How bleak? One of the questions sent to Corey Brock’s mailbag simply read, “Why am I a Mariners fan?”

23. Oakland Athletics

Record: 17-26
Last Power Ranking: 22

It seems like the first thing that comes up whenever people talk about the A’s is home attendance. It’s to the point now where TV anchors are making jokes about it. Jay Leno would probably talk about it every night if he was still on. It’s not even low-hanging fruit anymore. It’s fruit that’s been stepped on.

Eno Sarris and Ken Rosenthal dove into why people aren’t going to the Coliseum, touching on just about all of the important points. I’ll add one more: The A’s can’t hit.

The A’s have the worst team average (.199), on-base percentage (.268) and slugging percentage (.306) in all of Major League Baseball.

— Steve Berman (@BASportsGuy) May 17, 2022

They’ve improved slightly since then (.205/.272/.313 after Sunday), but they’re still at the bottom of the league in each category. It’s a shame for a team that has a solid pitching staff. Paul Blackburn has been great, the rest of the starters have been solid, and if last year’s team had the same bullpen depth as this squad, they would’ve made the postseason in 2021.

Fans knew this team would be subpar during this rebuilding phase. But when you’re likely to see your team do next to nothing offensively — the A’s have scored two or fewer runs in 12 of their 20 home games — it’s even harder to get jazzed about coming to the Coliseum. Unless you’re a possum.

In happier A’s news, they signed an Australian free agent who they hope to develop as an infielder and a pitcher.

24. Chicago Cubs

Record: 16-24
Last Power Ranking: 24

Arizona’s Josh Rojas entered Wrigley Field with zero home runs on the year. He left Friday with three to his name. Daulton Varsho got the Little League home run treatment the next day, too.

When the Diamondbacks are running roughshod on you at home, it’s not a great sign.

Naturally, the Cubs and their fans are already looking to better days, past and future. They honored a franchise great in Fergie Jenkins on Friday, the type of rotation workhorse we may not see again.

Conversations are already starting up around the trade deadline, where a bloodletting last season included shipping off the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Báez. Will Willson Contreras be part of it this year? Moving past that era means developing several players they’ve gotten through those trades and the draft. Caleb Killian might be a good start once he breaks through to the big club. But Ed Howard missing the rest of the season’s worth of development due to a hip injury is cause for some concern.

25. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 17-25
Last Power Ranking: 27

The past week pretty much told the story of the 2022 Orioles. They’re showing signs that they aren’t among the two or three worst teams in MLB but will probably end up in the AL East cellar again. They lost more games than they won, but one of the victories was really fun — a wild 13-inning affair in which the Rays scored two runs in the 10th and another run in the 11th and still lost 8-6. They capped the week with a 7-6 win to take two of three from Tampa Bay, too.

But we’re burying the lede here, which is … Adley Rutschman (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap), who hit a triple and walked in his major-league debut Saturday. 

26. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 16-24
Last Power Ranking: 25

When you’re engaged in the years-long project the Pirates have been in, you’re looking for bright spots. Maybe it’s a set of young prospects, like the reigning No. 1 overall pick. Maybe it’s the latest mock draft, seeing who will be next to join Henry Davis in Pittsburgh’s system.

Even the big-league club has some interesting things going on. José Quintana has been the prototypical “sign a veteran starter, hope he pans out and gets you something in July” guy through his first few starts. Ben Gamel is having a promising start to the year while getting some everyday runs. Ke’Bryan Hayes is doing Ke’Bryan Hayes things and is a true delight to watch. Bryan Reynolds helped beef up his home run totals with a ball that didn’t even leave the ballpark on Saturday night. David Bednar has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

Eventually, they’ll need actual results. But it’s OK to take the little slivers as they come.

27. Detroit Tigers

Record: 14-26
Last Power Ranking: 28

It seems like every team has had a load of injuries and illnesses this season, but Cody Stavenhagen’s story on Friday makes a case that the Tigers have had more than their fair share:

• A.J. Hinch, who’s trying to find the right path forward, missed a game due to a non-COVID illness.
• Austin Meadows got an inner-ear infection that caused a vertigo-induced trip to the injured list.
• One of their best relievers, Will Vest, went on the COVID-19 list.
• Eduardo Rogríguez left Wednesday’s start in the first inning with pain in his left side.

There were six more injury-related notes in the story that had nothing to do with the players just mentioned. Pray for Tarik Skubal, the only member of the Tigers’ Opening Day rotation who’s still healthy.

“Dude, let’s get some bubble wrap,” said catcher Tucker Barnhart on a recent flight. “We gotta get you away from everyone.”

28. Kansas City Royals

Record: 14-26
Last Power Ranking: 26

Does anyone else feel like there’s something unsavory about Zack Greinke getting mentioned in every story about starting pitchers who could get traded at the deadline? It feels like he should be off-limits after re-signing with Kansas City after 11 seasons with other teams.

But that’s what happens when the Royals are toiling in the bottom five of the power rankings every week and Greinke did everything to make himself better this season, as our Alec Lewis described in a story that included a gem of a quote from Gil Meche: “Dude, I’m telling you, he’s a competitive little shit.”

It’s not all gloom-and-doom in Kansas City, however. Bobby Witt Jr. seems like he’s on the cusp of a breakout. That wasn’t enough to save the hitting coach’s job, however.

29. Washington Nationals

Record: 14-28
Last Power Ranking: 29

How are you doing, Nationals fans?

The team’s defense has been the stuff of lowlight reels at multiple points this season, which is a problem (though they did turn a triple play on Friday). Their baserunning is keeping up with the defense, step for step, apparently:

Lane Thomas just got thrown out trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park homer. Dave Martinez wants to review it and they may be telling him he was too late?

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) May 21, 2022

Mind you, this was in a two-run game.

Juan Soto is in the news, which is usually good except when he’s listed in trade rumors. For a franchise that saw Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon walk out the door and traded away Max Scherzer and Trea Turner, it’s enough to bring up bad feelings, even if he’s not going anywhere just yet.

Speaking of superstars of the recent past, Turner is coming into town this week with the Dodgers. Washington’s primary return in that deal, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz, will likely be the starting battery on Tuesday, a status check on the state of this Nationals retooling.

Then there are the other lingering questions for the franchise, from ownership to front office and even the manager.

Everyone good?

30. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 12-28
Last Power Ranking: 30

[deep, extended sigh]

This is a depressing bit of history C. Trent Rosecrans dropped on us last week:

A Reds starter didn’t complete six innings in any of their first 31 games of the season, the longest such streak since 1893, when the mound was moved to 60 feet, 6 inches.

The good news is, the Reds are starting to get healthy. Joey Votto was activated off the injured list just as the club got to Toronto and he slugged his first homer of the year on Sunday in front of his hometown crowd. Luis Castillo has taken his stead back in the rotation, at least until a juicy enough offer rolls around.

Also, Hunter Greene is making some strides. First, it was the no-hit outing against the Pirates. He followed it up by pitching well on Saturday night, too. Turns out, even guys capable of throwing well over 100 mph could still benefit from amped-up usage of his breaking ball. Greene has found his slider, and he’s throwing the heck out of it.

Of course, the Reds lost that game, too. They’ve lost a lot of those this year.

(Photo: Billie Weiss / Boston Red Sox via Getty Images)

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Four teams at Mountain West have a winning streak of six or more games. Colorado State (with eight wins), Utah State, Wyoming, and Air Force have all put together winning streaks that will lead them to the top of Mountain West. In total, these four schools have won 26 games in a row, placing them all at the top of the conference rankings.

It’s been one of the best starts to the conference as a whole in a while, but some of the competition these teams have faced have been beaten. Anyway, winning is better than losing. Let’s see how the teams in Mountain West do on this week’s leaderboard:

1) Colorado state

After their tournament victory in the Virgin Islands, the Rams are still in first place with two wins. The Colorado state offensive continues to lead the way as they scored 88 and 86 points on both wins last week, respectively. Their schedule starts this week with a home game at St. Mary’s and some SEC teams, Mississippi State, and Alabama showing up later this month.

2) State of Utah

The Aggies also impress after their home defeat on the premiere night. Justin Bean now leads Mountain West with 22.6 points per game and rebound with 12.9 points per game. Easy wins for the Aggies over UT-Arlington and Carroll College. Utah State has a big test tonight when they host St. Mary’s. A win over the Gaels could be key to bringing the Aggies back to the NCAA tournament for a third time.

3) Wyoming

One of the nicest surprises that year at Mountain West was the Wyoming Cowboys 6-0. With the help of Hunter Maldonado (19.4 PPG) and Graham Ike (18.8 PPG), the Cowboys joined the Rams as the only undefeated teams in Mountain West. They’re hosting Denver and McNeese State this weekend tonight and have a great chance of finishing 8-0 ahead of their Arizona road trip next week.

4) State of San Diego

Without question, the Aztecs have played the toughest schedule of any team in Mountain West to date. At 5-2, it’s not time to worry too much about San Diego State’s inconsistencies on the offensive. Their losses to BYU and USC aren’t bad losses and they stand a chance of claiming a big win against Michigan on Saturday. Expect the Aztecs to click once the game starts in Mountain West and pose a huge threat to challenge Colorado State.

5) Fresno State

Last week the Bulldogs lost their first game of the season away to California, but they had a nice neutral win against Santa Clara, so it’s been a decent week for the state of Fresno. A dominant win against San Diego this week puts them back on the winning side with a street game against the unbeaten San Francisco. The state of Fresno tops Mountain West with an average of 57 points this season.

6) Air Force

The Falcons continue to win and continue to impress 6-1. You already have more victories than last season (5) and have the opportunity to get more victories before the end of the new year. They’re hosting the Army this weekend and have a couple of street games before being tested in their first Mountain West game of the year against the state of Utah.

7) Nevada

After the start, the wolf pack had three wins in a row with 1-4. Double-digit wins against George Mason, Washington and Pepperdine were all encouraging games for Nevada after a difficult start. They have two tough street games in Texas when they face North Texas on Saturday and UT Arlington next week. Grant Sherfield has scored more than 20 points in the last three games and his performance will be critical to Nevada’s success for the remainder of the season.

8) New Mexico

The Lobos topped the century mark in their grand win against state rivals New Mexico earlier this week. They’re playing them back at The Pit next week. This could give the Lobos a big boost after a heavy loss to Towson at the Las Vegas Invitational. Both Jamal Mashburn Jr. (20.4 PPG) and Jaelen House (18.4 PPG) are the top 10 of the conference in the scoring. That duo will be important to the Lobos this season and how successful Richard Pitino is in his freshman year.

The Broncos fell back in the rankings after a 46-39 home loss to CSU Bakersfield after entering the game as a double-digit favorite. from the free throw line. It has been hard for the Broncos without a Derrick Alston Jr.-type scorer to find consistency on offense, but given that they have played against a good Saint Louis team, hopes the Broncos will turn things around as soon as conference play begins.

10) UNLV

The Runnin ‘Rebels have lost four of their last five games 3-0 since the start. Her only win on this route is against Division III Whittier College. A blowout loss at home to UCLA and a tough showing in their first real street game at SMU have brought the scarlet and gray down the ladder this week. The unbeaten San Francisco is just around the corner and UNLV will have to improve defensively and find some consistency on the offensive if they want to finish well at Mountain West.

11) San Jose State

The Spartans are a 500-a-side basketball team after their first six games, which is a great sign of a program looking to build positive momentum. The state of San Jose has some games against high quality WCC teams later this month that could prepare them for the game at Mountain West and show if they can fight for some conference game wins this year.

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