In 2000, Terry Cox was hired away from Harrah’s to set up the new sports book at the recently renovated Peppermill casino in Reno. As part of that first season, to promote his new establishment, Terry hired me to conduct a 30-minute pregame show in the sports book every Monday night.
I had a chance to interact with the attendees each week and a common question of mine to open the show was, “Who’s the best team in the National Football League?”
This was after the San Francisco 49ers had dropped from their perch atop the football world and were in a down season, but a lot of the locals would call out another Bay Area team, the Oakland Raiders. The Indianapolis Colts with a young Peyton Manning was a popular choice as was the Los Angeles Rams with Kurt Warner running their offense. The Tennessee Titans, who had just missed winning the Super Bowl the prior year, were a popular choice as they piled up win after win in the AFC Central Division.
All through the season a team that didn’t get mentioned was the Baltimore Ravens.
They started the 2020 season with Tony Banks at quarterback and switched mid-season to a signal caller with more bad press clipping than Sean Diddy, Trent Dilfer.
What we all missed, at the time I included myself in this blind spot, was that the Ravens had a defense that would tackle your grandmother at the door entering a Thanksgiving celebration. They were as mean and talented as any that ever played the game, and had a team leader, Ray Lewis, on their roster that was a catalyst for greatness.
Dilfer was just along for the ride.
The Ravens entered the playoffs as a Wild Card, downed the Broncos in their first playoff game before heading off to Tennessee as a six-point underdog. Won that game, 16-10, and were underdogs again the next week in the AFC Championship Game in Oakland. Beat the Raiders even more decisively, 16-3, and advanced to Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants.
Finally, not until they were in the Super Bowl, did the public notice that the Ravens were a pretty good football team with a defense for the ages. Still, more bettors backed the Giants, who had blown away the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, while the books moved the line up on the Ravens who closed as a three-point favorite and dominated the game to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy by a 34-7 count over New York.
I tell you that, because if we were to be holding that pre Monday Night Football seminar in 2024, and I was to pose the question of who is the best team in the NFL, what answers do you think I would get today?
The Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs would be in the discussion. The Baltimore Ravens would get some nods and perhaps the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings would gain some attention.
You know who I think they would leave off this list in 2024?
The Los Angeles Chargers.
Why?
First-year head coach Jim Harbaugh has transformed this team from a squad that always seemed on the verge of losing under their previous head coach, to a squad that plays rock solid defense and has a quarterback in Justin Herbert that everyone has always projected greatness for.
The Chargers have lost three games this year, in 2000 the Ravens had also lost three games entering the tenth week of action. Los Angeles’ setbacks have been suffered against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, the Chiefs at home and in Arizona versus the Cardinals. There is no loss on that list, and all three games were competitive, which shows any glaring weakness in the Chargers this season.
What we do know is that the Chargers have allowed the fewest points in the league this year and have an offense that appears to be getting better week-by-week under Harbaugh’s direction.
Yet, the Chargers are not yet in the discussion as the best team in the league, but I suggest now is a good time to get on their bandwagon while there is plenty of room for a comfortable seat.
Teams on the trajectory of the Chargers do not lose to NFL weaklings … and consistently cover the spread in the process.
Qoxhi Picks: Los Angeles Chargers (-7½) over Tennessee Titans