FDH 2020 NFL Week 4 power rankings

By Rick Morris 

NOTE: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Kansas City (2-2-2)

2 Green Bay (5-4-3)

3 Baltimore (3-3-1)

SECOND TIER

4 Seattle (11-5-4)

5 Tennessee (8-7-6)

6 Buffalo (9-8-7)

7 New England (23-9-12)

8 Pittsburgh (15-15-13)

9 San Francisco (4-6-8)

10 New Orleans (1-1-5)

11 Tampa Bay (10-16-15)

12 Chicago (14-14-14)

13 LA Rams (19-13-10)

14 Las Vegas (21-12-9)

15 Arizona (24-11-11)

16 Indianapolis (7-20-17)

17 Dallas (12-17-16)

18 Cleveland (16-26-18)

THIRD TIER

19 Carolina (22-22-24)

20 LA Chargers (17-19-19)

21 Philadelphia (6-10-20)

22 Atlanta (18-21-21)

23 Minnesota (13-18-22)

24 Denver (20-23-23)

25 Houston (25-25-25)

26 Washington (28-24-26)

27 Miami (26-28-28)

28 Cincinnati (27-27-27)

29 Jacksonville (32-32-29)

FOURTH TIER

30 Detroit (31-30-30)

31 New York Giants (29-29-31)

32 New York Jets (30-31-32)

BIGGEST RISERS: Carolina, New England and Pittsburgh (5 spots), Tampa Bay (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Las Vegas and New Orleans (5 spots), Arizona (4 spots), LA Rams (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM

1 NFC West 41

2 AFC North 57

3 AFC West 59

4 NFC South 62

5 NFC North 67

6 AFC East 72

7 AFC South 75

8 NFC East 95

FDH 2020 NFL Week 3 power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 Baltimore (3-3)

2 Kansas City (2-2)

SECOND TIER

3 Green Bay (5-4)

4 Seattle (11-5)

5 New Orleans (1-1)

6 Tennessee (8-7)

7 Buffalo (9-8)

8 San Francisco (4-6)

9 Las Vegas (21-12)

10 LA Rams (19-13)

11 Arizona (24-11)

12 New England (23-9)

13 Pittsburgh (15-15)

14 Chicago (14-14)

15 Tampa Bay (10-16)

16 Dallas (12-17)

17 Indianapolis (7-20)

18 Cleveland (16-26)

19 LA Chargers (17-19)

20 Philadelphia (6-10)

THIRD TIER

21 Atlanta (18-21)

22 Minnesota (13-18)

23 Denver (20-23)

24 Carolina (22-22)

25 Houston (25-25)

26 Washington (28-24)

27 Cincinnati (27-27)

28 Miami (26-28)

29 Jacksonville (32-32)

FOURTH TIER

30 Detroit (31-30)

31 New York Giants (29-29)

32 New York Jets (30-31)

BIGGEST RISERS: Cleveland (8 spots), Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and LA Rams (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Philadelphia (10 spots), Minnesota and New Orleans (4 spots), New England (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM

1 NFC West 33

2 AFC West 53

3 AFC North 59

4 NFC South 65

5 NFC North 69

6 AFC South 77

7 AFC East 79

8 NFC East 93

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM

1 NFC 260

2 AFC 268

2020 FDH NBA Playoff Conference Finals predictions

By Rick Morris

NOTES: 7-5 thus far.  Picks for series that have already begun on Twitter @TheFDHLounge .

CONFERENCE FINALS

5 Miami over 3 Boston in 7

1 LA Lakers over 3 Denver in 6

NBA FINALS

LA Lakers over Miami in 6

FDH 2020 NFL Week 2 power rankings

By Rick Morris

NOTE: Rankings from start of season are in parentheses.

TOP TIER

1 New Orleans (1)

2 Kansas City (2)

3 Baltimore (3)

SECOND TIER

4 Green Bay (5)

5 Seattle (11)

6 San Francisco (4)

7 Tennessee (8)

8 Buffalo (9)

9 New England (23)

10 Philadelphia (6)

11 Arizona (24)

12 Las Vegas (21)

13 LA Rams (19)

14 Chicago (14)

15 Pittsburgh (15)

16 Tampa Bay (10)

17 Dallas (12)

18 Minnesota (13)

19 LA Chargers (17)

20 Indianapolis (7)

21 Atlanta (18)

22 Carolina (22)

23 Denver (20)

THIRD TIER

24 Washington (28)

25 Houston (25)

26 Cleveland (16)

27 Cincinnati (27)

28 Miami (26)

29 New York Giants (29)

FOURTH TIER

30 Detroit (31)

31 New York Jets (30)

32 Jacksonville (32)

BIGGEST RISERS: New England (14 spots), Arizona (13 spots), Las Vegas (9 spots), LA Rams and Seattle (6 spots), Washington (4 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Indianapolis (13 spots), Cleveland (10 spots), Tampa Bay (6 spots), Dallas and Minnesota (5 spots), Philadelphia (4 spots), Atlanta and Denver (3 spots)

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM

1 NFC West 35

2 AFC West 56

3 NFC South 60

4 NFC North 66

5 AFC North 71

6 AFC East 76

7 NFC East 80

8 AFC South 84

RANKINGS BY DIVISION – 1 POINT PER RANKING SPOT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM

1 NFC 241

2 AFC 287

Happy Labor Day

By Rick Morris 

[NOTE: This is a column that we publish every Labor Day.]

In the world we live in today, Labor Day may seem like the most anachronistic of holidays today, certainly more so than Independence Day, Memorial Day or anything else that still seems completely relevant -- but there are still people left to remind us of the importance of the day.

As an example, I would cite my great-aunt Josephine – who passed away in September of 2017 just after turning 102! – someone who worked very hard at her job for decades and who helped unionize her workplace when abusive conditions became completely rampant. Now, I'm no fan at all of what many affiliates of the modern labor movement do to workers -- taking money out of their paychecks so that they can hand it to politicians who advance causes many workers oppose -- but that doesn't change at all the heroism of those who in an earlier day and age put their own well-being on the line to help build a more humane workplace and society.

To my great-aunt Josie and all of the other heroes who helped to build a better America, Happy Labor Day.

2020 FDH Stanley Cup Playoff Conference Finals predictions

By Rick Morris

NOTE: 10-10 so far

CONFERENCE FINALS

6 New York Islanders over 2 Tampa Bay over in 7

1 Vegas over 3 Dallas in 6

STANLEY CUP FINAL

Vegas over New York Islanders in 7

2020 FDH NBA Playoff Conference Semifinals predictions

By Rick Morris

NOTES: 6-2 in the first round.  Picks for series that have already begun in the second round posted on Twitter @TheFDHLounge .

1 Milwaukee over 5 Miami in 6

2 Toronto over 3 Boston in 6

1 LA Lakers over 4 Houston in 5

2 LA Clippers over 3 Denver in 7

CONFERENCE FINALS

1 Milwaukee over 2 Toronto in 6

2 LA Clippers over 1 LA Lakers in 7

NBA FINALS

1 Milwaukee over 2 LA Clippers in 6