2008 Pro Football Thrills and Chills
Part II (AFC)
By Glenn Guzzo
Here’s a brief summary of the highlights and lowlights of Strat-O-Matic’s new football ratings:
Offense:
Oh Yeah! A versatile, powerful running attack led by FB/HB McLain, with help from HBs McGahee and Rice… C Jason Brown (7/6)
Oh No! Flacco’s lackluster
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Five
6s, including 3 at LB … The automatic INT on roll 11 on
Oh No! The Excellent run D doesn’t force many fumbles
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Koch’s punting … +4 on penalties
Oh No! Long Gain on kickoff coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! SE Evans is a big-time deep threat … Elite LT Peters (7/6) is the only competent blocker
Oh No! Drive
stoppers: QB Edwards’
Defense:
Oh Yeah! 6-rated DLT Stroud, two 5-rated LBs
Oh No! Few INTs + few sacks (top pass rusher is a 5) = bad pass defense
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! KR and PR TDs … Moorman’s punting
Oh No! punt coverage is shaky, but no major weaknesses
Offense:
Oh Yeah! WR Houshmandzadeh’s possession receiving
Oh No! You can fool the defense by having QB Fitzpatrick throw downfield
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Twin 5s at CB
Oh No! Well, you can guess run without having to worry about losing sacks
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! +5 penalties
Oh No! Blocked punt, Long Gain on punt coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! No RB fumbles … WR Edwards’ Long Gains … LT Thomas (7/6)
Oh No! Wide-open
is supposed to be good … But it’s not when it describes the blank spaces on all
three QB passing cards. Peyton Manning has more completions on
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Automatic
INT on roll 11 for
Oh No! Poor run defense generously gives much more than it takes (few fumbles)
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Zastudill’s punting (still 50 yd at #5, 40 yd at #10) and Dawson’s long-range kicking (2-6 from 33-39 yd line) … Cribbs’ kickoff-return TD
Oh No! Long Gain on kickoff coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Seriously good passing, with QB Cutler, plentiful targets and four 7-rated pass blockers
Oh No! High RB fumbles and no feature back
Defense:
Oh Yeah! LCB Bailey is a 6
Oh No! Everything else – the Poor run D and Very Poor pass D can’t stop anything and can’t force turnovers
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Kern’s distance punting (still 50 yds at roll #6) and Prater’s distance FGs (2-6,11, 12 from 33 to 39 yd line)
Oh No! Long Gains on both kickoff and punt coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! RB
Slaton’s breakaways, a deadly
Oh No! Will the OL come through? All 4s except one 5 as run blockers, and all 5s – but no 7 – on pass protection
Defense:
Oh Yeah! RDE Williams is a 6, with (1*)12 sacks … MLB Ryans is a 6
Oh No! The
Very Poor pass D yields Long Gain at #4 on Short Pass 3 Men and at #s2-5 and 12
on
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Jones’ punt-return TD at roll #3
Oh No! Long Gain on punt coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Manning’s Wrong columns will wow you
Oh No! With this running game, will Manning ever pass Wrong?
Defense:
Oh Yeah! RDE Freeney is a 6 with 12 pass rush
Oh No! Short Gain at roll #7 on LB and ER 0 LB
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Smith’s punting will help the defense
Oh No! Weak kickoff and punt return won’t help field position
Offense:
Oh Yeah! RB Jones-Drew will keep opponents from guessing Pass too often
Oh No! Interior OL is no help on run (both G are 0, others are 4) orpass
Defense:
Oh Yeah! New starting RLB Durant is a 5
Oh No! Run D causes no fumbles … Very Poor pass D is prone to Long Gains
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Kickoffs, punts and coverage all strong
Oh No! FG good only 2-7, 12 from 13 to 22 yd line
Offense:
Oh Yeah! TE Gonzalez and WRs Bowe and Bradley are a nice mix of targets
Oh No! Four 0-rated run blockers on interior OL
Defense:
Oh Yeah! We’re still researching this; might take awhile
Oh No! Poor run D (Short Gains at #7 0 Men) and Poor pass D … No 6s or 5s
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Colquitt’s punting
Oh No! Very weak FG … Long Gain on kickoff coverage
Offense:
Oh Yeah! No RB fumbles … Pennington is a bit more than a Flat Pass QB now
Oh No! Receivers will have a lot of drops
Defense:
Oh Yeah! ROLB Porter is a 6 with (12*) 12 sacks
Oh No! Off Tackle card doesn’t fit Good to Excellent run D description
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Fields’ punting
Oh No! Long Gain on punt coverage … Poor kickoff-return men
Offense:
Oh Yeah! FL Moss still deadly in Pats’ versatile pass attack. Three Short Gain-rich RBs will make defenses pay for guessing Pass
Oh No! The OL can’t pass protect and it doesn’t have a 6 run-blocker
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Two 6s and a 5 up front in the 3-4, and rookie LILB Mayo is a 6
Oh No! Too many yards and too few turnovers … Pass D will be torched
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! +4
penalties …
Oh No! Long Gain on kickoff coverage … punt coverage is lousy
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Favre’s strong completions at all ranges – even his INT # has plus yardage on Flat Pass Wrong … Three 6-rated run blockers
Oh No! Favre’s INTs: e.g. 2-8, 12 on roll #8 Long Pass Right … RBs are not as impressive as their per-carry stats, but will flourish Wrong
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Excellent run D forces fumbles, stuffs linebucks and sweeps
Oh No! Only blank spot on Short Pass 3 Men is roll #12 – Ouch!
Special teams:
Oh Yeah!
Oh No! Punts can be blocked
Offense:
Oh Yeah! TE Miller has a star’s receiving card … rookie RBs McFadden, Bush show explosive potential
Oh No! Russell might be the worst Flat Passer ever among starting QBs … Both OTs are 0 run blockers
Defense:
Oh Yeah! LCB Asomugha may be surest 6 in the NFL, supports Good pass D
Oh No! Poor run D gives up big plays but doesn’t make them. Three 0s in front four just makes things worse
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Deadly return game: Higgins’ PR TD and Miller’s KR TD both on roll #3 … Lechler’s awesome punting (50 yds at roll #7) … Janikowski’s 11 touchback chances
Oh No! The -6 penalty-chance disadvantage is among the worst ever … Janikowski misses extra points and half his FG chances from 23-32 yd line
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Versatile receiving options will help Big Ben make big plays
Oh No! Interior OL is weak on run (two 0s, three 4s), worse on pass
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Excellent run and pass D supported by five 6s and six 5s
Oh No! Not much to complain about, but nothing special forcing turnovers
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Superb kickoff and punt coverage
Oh No! Return men are nondescript
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Rivers is deadly at all ranges … FL Jackson is a constant threat to take it to the house (LG chances or better Wrong: 5 Flat Pass, 8 Short Pass, 12 Long Pass)
Oh No! Though HB Tomlinson still gets tough yards, he’s not enough threat Wrong to deter defenses from guessing Pass a lot
Defense:
Oh Yeah! This 3-4 run D can be stout with LB support
Oh No! Poor pass D gives up too many completions and rarely intercepts
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Scrifres’ punting + team’s excellent punt coverage … Sproles’ KO return TD
Oh No! PK Kaeding’s weak leg: 2-5,11, 12 on FG from 23-32 yd line; only two touchback chances
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Rookie HB Johnson strikes fear with 14 chances Short Gain or better Wrong Off Tackle and 13 chances End Run … 15-TD HB White gets the tough yards … Both OTs and C Mawae are rated 7/6
Oh No! Lackluster QB Collins and receivers (except big-play FL Gage)
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Good to Excellent vs. run and pass … Three 6s and a 5 in the secondary
Oh No! DT Haynesworth (10) is the only formidable pass rusher. LBs won’t help.
Special teams:
Oh Yeah! Bironas’ all-round place-kicking
Oh No! -3 penalties, no kick-return TDs