The most optimistic NFL fan base and American hopes at the US Open

This morning, I want to start small and look back at yesterday's Pulse Poll on whether the San Francisco 49ers could make it to the NFC title game for the fourth year in a row. The results were mixed:

That makes sense to me. On one hand, it's so, so hard to continue this trajectory of elite play just by the sheer luck factor. Injuries happen. Random hits pop up, ready to destroy a promising season with a twist of fate. Right now, logic probably says there aren't two better teams in the NFC than San Francisco.

But that's because no one showed up.

Just one day before the season starts, you'll see predictions like the ones you see here all over the football internet. However, I would like to focus on something that is a little more nebulous and unifying: hope.

Every team is tied 0-0. Every fan has drawn up disaster and dream scenarios for the year, and both are equally valid right now. We are in a unique liminal space where the season is already here and yet we still have no dates, which means anything is possible.

For this purpose we started our Hope-O-Meter Today. It's a fan-collected measure of how optimistic (or pessimistic) each NFL fan base is right now, and it reflects many of those emotions. I'd like to highlight one team from each section of the list:

• Best: Detroit (1st, 98.8 percent optimism) — There's a lot of good going for the Lions, who probably should have won the NFC title last year. The front office has worked hard to preserve the core, and retaining offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could be the biggest coup of the offseason. I don't know if it's logical to overstate the optimism of the two-time Super Bowl champions, but I get it nonetheless.
  
• Well: Arizona (20th, 72 percent optimism) — This is the perfect example of a team on the metaphorical edge. They have weapons in Kyler Murray and first-round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr., and this team played better than we expected last year. But they play in a crowded NFC, and even the optimists here are expecting nine wins at most.
  
• Bad: New Orleans (32nd, 16 percent optimism) — Woe is me, isn't it? Any reason for pessimism is appropriate here. An expensive, old team looks destined for a frustratingly mediocre year. And yet the delusional fan in me can envision a success: Derek Carr rebounds and becomes a top-15 QB in a new offensive scheme, and that's all New Orleans needs to make a surprise playoff appearance. The defense should be good enough to pick up the slack. But don't bring that up when I'm begging for playing time for Spencer Rattler in December.

See where your team landed on the Hope-O-Meterwhich was a lot of fun. We also got fresh NFL Rankings before week 1.

And of course we must not forget our own forecast balance:

1. Chiefs or the field in the AFC?
Pulse answer: Chiefs.

2. Best rookie quarterback QBR?
Pulse answer: Caleb Williams.

3. Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen?
Pulse answer: Josh Allen.

4. 49ers appearance in the NFC title game?
Pulse answer: Yes.