
You picked the most overrated and underrated NFL teams
Good morning! Pay homage to the Honey Badger today.
Yesterday's Pulse Poll gave me exactly what I wanted: a natural enemy for Pulse readership and a team to bet on (metaphorically, of course). Let's start with the team you chose to antagonize:
I don't know what I expected from this one, but it wasn't this. We gave you the top 10 teams in our latest Power Rankings and asked you to pick one as most overrated … and 34 percent of you chose the Packers, ranked No. 5. Two quick thoughts:
I can see the outline of logic for the rest of our candidates above, but nothing came close to the Green Bay angst. Let's move on to our underrated teams:
Hello, Denver. This was a closer vote, as you can see, but we anoint the Broncos as The Pulse's underrated dark horse. I'm sure they'll crater immediately.
Allow me to cast doubt on your second-most underrated team, the Cincinnati Bengals, on vibes alone. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase can power any offense to three touchdowns a game, but ongoing feuds with both your star pass rusher and your first-round pick scream trouble to me.
A final note: Many of you wrote in pleading with us to include the Buccaneers, who just missed our arbitrary cutoff of 15 teams from those Power Rankings (they're No. 16). We've already established The Pulse as in on the Bucs. Elsewhere: The Athletic Football Show picked the player arguably facing the most pressure. Watch.
Thank you, as always, for voting. Onward:
Venus' big day
Venus Williams won her first-round match at the Citi Open yesterday over 23-year-old Peyton Stearns, the world No. 35, in straight sets. It is an incredible achievement for the 45-year-old Williams, who hadn't won a WTA match since 2023. She's looked good in both doubles and singles now, and she hopes to compete in the U.S. Open later this summer. Also on the old-athlete circuit: Rich Hill, also 45, started last night for the Royals, his 14th team (which ties a record).
Advertisement
Parsons baffled by Cowboys strategy
Micah Parsons is at Cowboys training camp despite an ongoing contract dispute, but was direct about his communication (or lack thereof) with the team as he seeks a new deal. Parsons, the star rusher in the final year of his rookie contract, emphasized he wants to stay a Cowboy. I also don't understand how the Cowboys operate like this. Jon Machota tried to give us some answers.
Marte loses $400K in burglary
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte said burglars stole approximately $400,000 worth of items from his home last week during All-Star festivities, just before Marte played in Tuesday's All-Star Game. No one was home during the break-in, thankfully, but Marte still (understandably) seems shaken by the incident. It's the latest in a string of burglaries at the homes of pro athletes. Read more here.
More news
📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters.
📺 Soccer: Germany vs. Spain
3 p.m. ET on Fox
The winner of this one faces England (big win yesterday) in the Women's Euros final this weekend. I found the story of Spain's Salma Paraluello moving, as the 21-year-old is back contributing after taking four months off in the last year to pre-emptively avoid injury. She looks smart now. Germany's Sarai Linder was not so lucky and will miss today's match with an ankle injury.
📺 MLB: Yankees at Blue Jays
7:07 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Toronto is solidly in the AL East lead and yet can't top the Yanks in our latest Power Rankings. What gives? The big question hovering over Toronto is whether the team is really this good. Tonight can help prove that in the short term.
Get tickets to games like these here.
Perfect offseason content: How much are college football programs worth? Matt Baker ran the numbers, which are startling. Hook 'em (for billions).
Andrew Marchand has a timely report and column about ESPN and the NFL being 'on the 5-yard line' on a deal for ESPN to acquire NFL Media. Read it here — we'll have more on this tomorrow.
Advertisement
An early fantasy football cheat sheet: Michael Salfino breaks down the best QB options to stack in your upcoming draft.
Which NHL broadcasts are the best? Here's what fans think.
Sean McIndoe has a super interesting story on the minor playoff rule change that altered NHL history.
Brody Miller and Hugh Kellenberger made predictions for both Ryder Cup teams. The picture is a little clearer now.
Ichiro is a singular figure in sports history. You can still take these four lessons from his career and apply them to your life.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story about the fan who fell into the outfield basket at Wrigley Field while trying to snag a home run ball.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our latest Transfer DealSheet. Soccer is busy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Giants take home losing streak into matchup against the Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates (44-62, fifth in the NL Central) vs. San Francisco Giants (54-52, third in the NL West) San Francisco; Monday, 9:45 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Mitch Keller (4-10, 3.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 97 strikeouts); Giants: Carson Whisenhunt (0-0) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Giants -132, Pirates +111; over/under is 7 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants aim to end their five-game home slide with a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. San Francisco has a 54-52 record overall and a 28-23 record in home games. The Giants have the sixth-best team ERA in baseball at 3.67. Pittsburgh has a 13-37 record on the road and a 44-62 record overall. The Pirates are 30-19 in games when they did not allow a home run. The matchup Monday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. TOP PERFORMERS: Heliot Ramos leads the Giants with a .268 batting average, and has 19 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 35 walks and 50 RBIs. Willy Adames is 12 for 38 with three home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games. Bryan Reynolds has 22 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 51 RBIs while hitting .232 for the Pirates. Tommy Pham is 12 for 37 with three doubles, a triple and a home run over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Giants: 2-8, .254 batting average, 5.01 ERA, outscored by 11 runs Pirates: 6-4, .237 batting average, 3.33 ERA, outscored by one run INJURIES: Giants: Landen Roupp: 15-Day IL (elbow), Erik Miller: 15-Day IL (elbow), Christian Koss: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jerar Encarnacion: 10-Day IL (oblique), Tom Murphy: 60-Day IL (back) Pirates: Chase Shugart: 15-Day IL (knee), Ryan Borucki: 15-Day IL (back), Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Enmanuel Valdez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Justin Lawrence: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tim Mayza: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jared Jones: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tigers open 3-game series against the Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks (51-55, fourth in the NL West) vs. Detroit Tigers (61-46, first in the AL Central) Detroit; Monday, 6:40 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Eduardo Rodriguez (3-6, 5.50 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 93 strikeouts); Tigers: Troy Melton (0-1, 10.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, seven strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Tigers -130, Diamondbacks +110; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Tigers host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday to start a three-game series. Detroit is 33-21 in home games and 61-46 overall. The Tigers have hit 131 total home runs to rank ninth in the majors. Arizona has gone 25-27 on the road and 51-55 overall. The Diamondbacks have a 23-12 record in games when they did not give up a home run. Monday's game is the first time these teams match up this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Gleyber Torres leads the Tigers with a .276 batting average, and has 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 walks and 49 RBIs. Dillon Dingler is 10 for 32 with five RBIs over the past 10 games. Eugenio Suarez leads the Diamondbacks with 54 extra base hits (18 doubles and 36 home runs). Ketel Marte is 10 for 40 with three doubles, a home run and an RBI over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 2-8, .193 batting average, 5.19 ERA, outscored by 25 runs Diamondbacks: 5-5, .237 batting average, 2.80 ERA, outscored opponents by six runs INJURIES: Tigers: Sean Guenther: 60-Day IL (hip), Sawyer Gipson-Long: 15-Day IL (neck), Jackson Jobe: 60-Day IL (flexor), Jason Foley: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Alex Cobb: 60-Day IL (hip), Ty Madden: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (elbow), Alex Lange: 60-Day IL (lat) Diamondbacks: Gabriel Moreno: 60-Day IL (hand), Jalen Beeks: 15-Day IL (back), Shelby Miller: 15-Day IL (forearm), Tommy Henry: 60-Day IL (elbow), Pavin Smith: 10-Day IL (oblique), Ryan Thompson: 15-Day IL (scapular strain), Ildemaro Vargas: 10-Day IL (foot), Christian Montes De Oca: 60-Day IL (elbow), Justin Martinez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Cristian Mena: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Corbin Burnes: 60-Day IL (elbow), A.J. Puk: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jordan Montgomery: 60-Day IL (elbow), Blake Walston: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angels begin 3-game series against the Rangers
Texas Rangers (56-50, third in the AL West) vs. Los Angeles Angels (51-55, fourth in the AL West) Anaheim, California; Monday, 9:38 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Jacob deGrom (10-2, 2.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 122 strikeouts); Angels: Jack Kochanowicz (0-0) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rangers -201, Angels +166; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Angels host the Texas Rangers on Monday to begin a three-game series. Los Angeles is 51-55 overall and 26-25 in home games. The Angels rank fourth in MLB play with 151 total home runs, averaging 1.4 per game. Texas has a 22-30 record in road games and a 56-50 record overall. The Rangers have a 36-17 record in games when they record eight or more hits. The teams play Monday for the eighth time this season. The Rangers are up 5-2 in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Taylor Ward has 24 home runs, 45 walks and 77 RBIs while hitting .232 for the Angels. Nolan Schanuel is 13 for 38 with three doubles and two RBIs over the last 10 games. Josh Smith has 17 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 28 RBIs while hitting .277 for the Rangers. Kyle Higashioka is 13 for 37 with a double and two home runs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Angels: 4-6, .242 batting average, 4.45 ERA, outscored by six runs Rangers: 9-1, .220 batting average, 1.68 ERA, outscored opponents by 31 runs INJURIES: Angels: Chris Taylor: 10-Day IL (hand), Jorge Soler: 10-Day IL (back), Robert Stephenson: 60-Day IL (biceps), Hunter Strickland: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Christian Moore: 10-Day IL (thumb), Ben Joyce: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Anthony Rendon: 60-Day IL (hip) Rangers: Chris Martin: 15-Day IL (calf), Jake Burger: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Tyler Mahle: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Cody Bradford: 60-Day IL (elbow), Josh Sborz: 60-Day IL (shoulder) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.