2008 Pro Football Thrills and Chills
Part I (NFC)
By Glenn Guzzo
Here’s a brief summary of the highlights and lowlights of Strat-O-Matic’s new football ratings:
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Warner may be the best passer, WR Fitzgerald the best No. 1 receiver, WR Boldin the best #2 receiver, and WR Breaston the best #3 receiver
Oh No! Opposing defenses will seldom need to guess Run
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Good to Excellent run D forces fumbles
Oh No! Very
Poor pass D yields Long Gain on roll #4 on
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Arrington’s kickoff-return TD
Oh No! Kickoff and punt coverage yield Long Gains
Offense:
Oh Yeah! There’s a strong OL, a strong running game, a solid QB – but the star card is SE Roddy White
Oh No! Nothing major to complain about, but some would have hoped for even better ratings for RB Turner and QB Ryan
Defense:
Oh Yeah! DRE Abraham’s (4*) 12 sacks
Oh No! Takeaways will be rare; long drives will not
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! +4
penalty advantage … #2 PR Douglass’ TD on roll #3 …
Oh No! Punts can be blocked
Offense:
Oh Yeah! RB Williams has LG right and wrong across the card at roll #2 … Backup RB Stewart would start for most teams … LT Gross (7/6) … SE Smith is a constant threat to burn defenses
Oh No! When Smith is 2-tmd, passing attack is erratic
Defense:
Oh Yeah! DRE Peppers (3*)12 / 6 vs. run; 6-rated MLB Beason and LCB Gamble
Oh No! Interceptions will be rare
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! PK Kasay: 2-10 FG up to 32 yd line, 2-12 XP and 12 touchback chances
Oh No! Punting: punts can be blocked and coverage yields a Long Gain
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Rookie HB Forte gets tough yards inside and has some breakaway runs
Oh No! So-so QB Orton gets no help from his WRs
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Good to Excellent run D especially tough Off Tackle
Oh No! Poor pass D (and no 5s or 6s in secondary) always vulnerable to big plays
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Manning’s kickoff-return TD is just the start: still 30 yds at roll #9
Oh No! Hester’s return TDs are gone this year
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Romo Flat and Short to TE Whitten, Long to Owens … Three 6-rated run blockers will help trio of complementary runners
Oh No! A lot of big plays are coming back – see Special Teams below
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Run D is among the best at forcing fumbles … Tremendous pass rush should pass D many times – if you risk the blitz often
Oh No! Pass D card is embarrassing – many yards, few picks
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! #2 kickoff-returner Felix Jones’ TD … FG kicker Folk
Oh No! -6 penalty disadvantage is a killer … so is the Long Gain on kickoff coverage for a team with only 3 touchback chances … punts can be blocked
Offense:
Oh Yeah! FL Calvin Johnson is everything you can ask for
Oh No! The weak OL will stop many drives
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Lions pretty good at forcing fumbles
Oh No! Worst-ever
eight 0-rated starters, including all 4 DBs … Short
Gain at 7 and 8 on Linebuck 0 LB
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Hanson is the best at FG in the set: 2-10 thru 32 yd line, 2-7,11,12 thru 39
Oh No! +46 is longest kickoff return; +27 is longest punt return
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Defenses must fear QB Rodgers at any range … Big-time threat FL Greg Jennings makes Rodgers even better
Oh No! Weak middle of the OL and sub-par RBs make the tough yards tougher
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Three 6s in the secondary
Oh No! Run D does not cause fumbles
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Blackmon’s PR TD on roll #3
Oh No! -3 penalty disadvantage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Tough to stop right or wrong, RB Peterson runs behind 6-rated run blockers at C, LG and LT and inspires fear on sweeps Wrong
Oh No! QB Frerotte’s horrible INTs, QB Jackson’s inaccuracy and a drop-prone receiving corps
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Excellent run D is very stout: Top team card, plus three 6s on the DL … Right side pass rush with DE Allen (4*) 12 and DT K. Williams (10)
Oh No! Long
Gains on
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! +4 penalty advantage … #2 punt returner Berrian’s TD on roll #3
Oh No! Punting: blocked kick and long gain on coverage undermines Kluwe’s great distance … Only 2 touchback chances on kickoffs
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Gun-slinging QB Brees has a great card and four 7-rated pass blockers on the OL … WR Henderson’s yardage is eye-popping, but the whole receiver crew gets big yards, including the backs on Flat Passes
Oh No! HB Bush is far more a receiver than a runner
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Uh … well, MLB Vilma is a 5 (but the only 5 or 6 on the team)
Oh No! Don’t ever move the 0-rated FS unless you like your DBs toasty
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Bush’s punt-return TD on roll #3 … Pakulak’s punting
Oh No! Long Gain on kickoff coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! HB Jacobs gets the tough yards and has 17 changes for Short Gain or better Off Tackle Wrong … FB/HB Ward adds 14 such chances Off Tackle … C O’Hara (7/6) and RG Snee (7/6) lead the best run-block OL … QB Manning makes this offense the best in the set
Oh No! Drops galore among the WRs
Defense:
Oh Yeah! DLE Tuck is a 6 with (1*) 12 sacks
Oh No! The run D causes no fumbles
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! +4 penalty advantage … Punting: Feagles’ yardage and superb coverage
Oh No! Everything else is ordinary
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Both OTs are 7 pass-blockers
Oh No! Eagles’ difficulty getting the tough yards shows in poor run blocking
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Excellent run D is stingy with yards and forces fumbles
Oh No! The price for good secondary ratings (two 6s, two 5s) is a weak team-pass D card
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Kickoff-returner
Demps and punt-returner
Oh No! Punts can be blocked … kickoff coverage yields a Long Gain
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Bulger is very solid … LT Pace, healthy at last, yielded only 1 sack and is a 7 pass blocker
Oh No! Other than Pace, weak pass-blocking … WRs are lackluster
Defense:
Oh Yeah! FS Otogwe is a 6
Oh No! The
team cards are the worst in the set, with no relief on pass or run. Example:
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Jones’ awesome punting (still 50 yds at roll #8) … Brown’s FG is 2-7 from 33-37 yd lines
Oh No! Where is the real Dante Hall? (41 is his longest kickoff return)
Offense:
Oh Yeah! WR Bruce looks 10 years younger than his age
Oh No! RB fumbles are 2-7, 11, 12 Right … OL is weak … QBs can’t throw deep
Defense:
Oh Yeah! RILB Willis is a 6 and LILB Spikes is a 5
Oh No! Run D causes no fumbles and pass D has few INTs
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Rossum’s kickoff-return TD
Oh No! Punts can be blocked
Offense:
Oh Yeah! LT Jones (7/6) is only thing spectacular, but there’s solid run and pass potential
Oh No! RB ratings reflect Seahawks’ troubles getting tough yards
Defense:
Oh Yeah! No explanation point warranted … But two of three LBs are 5s
Oh No! It will take lucky rolls for this D to force turnovers
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Mare’s all-around kicking: 11 touchbacks, 2-12 XP, strong FG range
Oh No! Punting: blocks and a Long Gain on coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Bucs can play ball-control better than most, with excellent Flat Pass yardage, solid run-blocking and steady ball carriers … WR Antonio Bryant is a legit deep threat
Oh No! Other than Bryant, the big-play potential is sub-par
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Something harder to come by: A decent pass D card for a team with decent DB ratings (three 5s)
Oh No! The pass rush from the OLBs and DTs is basically non-existent
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! KR/PR Clifton Smith’s TDs, other strong gains on both return types
Oh No! Bryant’s placekicking is shaky in all areas
Offense:
Oh Yeah! With FB Sellers and LT Samuels (both 7/6) leading a strong run-blocking crew, it should be all good for RB Portis, who is strong inside and out, Right and Wrong
Oh No! QB
Campbell is a running threat and seldom throws picks, but his
Defense:
Oh Yeah! MLB Fletcher and FS Landry are 6s
Oh No! Bad combo: Few sacks and almost no turnovers (no fumbles on D cards)
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Randle El’s punt-return TD
Oh No! Punting: blocked punts and a Long Gain on coverage