Standings After Two Years

 Eric: 62 Wins

1. Philadelphia - 19 (10, 9)
2. Jacksonville - 11 (5, 6)
3. Oakland - 11 (4, 7)
4. New York Giants - 9 (5, 4)
5. Miami - 12 (7, 5)

How bad is Eric's team? So bad its best team has as many wins as Toph's worst. So bad its second best team is in the midst of a complete rebuild. So bad it's already trailing by 42 wins. We all laughed at Eric's team on draft day, we laughed again after year one, and we're laughing harder than ever now. Any time the next three years you need a chuckle, just log on and look at this atrocious group of teams. It's a remarkable collection of rubbish. It has no hope of winning. Its dream scenario is a 4th-place finish.

Tom: 71 wins

1. Minnesota - 19 (8, 11)
2. Pittsburgh - 17 (9, 8)
3. Indianapolis - 18 (11, 7)
4. Detroit - 9 (6, 3)
5. Arizona - 8 (3, 5)

This squad was wildly unlucky last year, with its top three quarterbacks and overall players combining to play ten games. Andrew Luck's retirement cast a pall over the group before the season began, with Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Stafford soon following him off the field. That's not to say this squad would be a contender in a more fortunate parallel universe. There's no stalwart here, but there are two major anchors (last-place Arizona and second-to-last place Detroit). These teams have combined to win one more game than undrafted Buffalo. The whole team has combined for two playoff wins in two seasons. Rest easy fellas: there will not be a back-to-back champion of The Bet.

Jack/Jamie: 84 wins

1. Atlanta - 14 (7, 7)
2. Kansas City - 28 (13, 15)
3. Carolina - 12 (7, 5)
4. Tennessee - 20 (9, 11)
5. Washington - 10 (7, 3)

Not only has Kansas City won the most games through two years, but they might have the brightest prospects over the next three. The 500 million dollar man will need to remain on the field for Jack and Jamie to have any chance at making up their twenty-win deficit. Their other teams simply aren't strong enough. Carolina just began a rebuild, Tennessee futilely hopes career-mediocre Ryan Tannehill will recapture magic in a bottle, and first-round pick Atlanta has yet to get to .500. Also, they drafted Washington for some reason. The first time around, New England comfortably led all teams in wins for fourth-place Zack & Paul. We may see the Chiefs post a similar result for a similarly-noncontending team.

Alex: 88 wins

1. Green Bay: 20 (6, 14)
2. New Orleans: 27 (14, 13)
3. Seattle: 22 (10, 12)
4. Cincinnati: 8 (6, 2)
5. New York Jets: 11 (4, 7)

The lesson from the first Bet was that avoiding awful teams was more important than choosing good ones. Alex was unable to adhere to that principle and finds his team compromised because of it. Despite the presence of three NFC thoroughbreds, he finds himself in third place thanks to the hapless Jets and league-worst Bengals. While Joe Burrow provides the latter with a beacon of hope, the former find themselves on the cusp of another rebuild. Around the time these bedridden franchises find their footing, the Saints and Packers will begin their own rebuilds. Alex needs to win this year to have a shot at the five-year title.

Zack/Paul: 91 wins

1. New England: 26 (14, 12)
2. Houston: 22 (11, 11)
3. LA Chargers: 18 (13, 5)
4. Denver: 12 (6, 6)
5. Cleveland: 13 (7, 6)

With New England and Houston still on track for double-digit wins and three young quarterbacks animating the hopes of their other teams, the Coloradoans have the best chance at overtaking the pool's leader. They'll need a lot to go right: the Brady/Belichick chicken/egg debate will have to be won by Belichick; Deshaun Watson will need to keep transcending his house-on-fire franchise; Drew Lock and Justin Herbert will need to be good; and Cleveland's substantial talent will need to overcome the malaise of their franchise. It's a lot to ask for, but it's all plausible.

Toph: 104 wins

1. LA Rams: 23 (15, 8)
2. San Francisco: 19 (4, 15)
3. Dallas: 19 (11, 8)
4. Baltimore: 24 (10, 14)
5. Chicago: 19 (12, 7)

Though three of Toph's teams regressed in 2019, he extended his lead thanks to outstanding performances from the 49ers and Ravens. The 2013 Super Bowl combatants simultaneously returned to glory, with San Francisco dispatching all comers in the NFC and Baltimore winning twelve straight games before a playoff upset. Those two teams shine as Toph's brightest immediate prospects, but all have hope. Dallas is primed for some win regression, Chicago's quarterbacking can't possibly get worse and the Rams still have studs. Toph would be the favorite in a three-year bet starting this season; his 13-win lead on the field positions his squad to embarrass his competitors and avenge the sting of his harrowing loss in the initial Bet.