2006 NFL THRILLS AND CHILLS
Part Two: The AFC
By Glenn Guzzo
Few
National League Football teams are without obvious strengths or weaknesses. In
the Strat-O-Matic version of the 2006 American Football Conference,
Here’s a look at the soon-to-be-released ratings:
Offense
Oh, Yeah! LT Jonathan Ogden, a 6 run-blocker, is one of four 7-rated pass blockers
Oh, No! HB Jamaal Lewis is no threat on End Run
Defense
Oh, Yeah! All three LBs are 6s and both outside ‘backers are asterisk pass rushers, too. A couple more 6s in the secondary and a line full of 5s. Excellent vs. Run, Good/Excellent vs. Pass, with an automatic interception at #12 on Long Pass, even with 0 Men in the zone
Oh, No! Even in this brilliant defense, the Ravens can be burned Long
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! P Sam Koch and PK Matt Stover are both quality
Oh, No! #2 PR and KR Cody Ross is crummy both ways, stealing returns from quality #1 man B. J. Sams
Offense
Oh, Yeah! SE
Oh, No! OL, featuring 0 run-blockers at C, RG and RT and very poor pass blocking, may be overmatched every game
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Unlike most teams, yardage scarce on Long Pass
Oh, No! Three 0s and no 6s
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! The kicking, coverage and returns are all well above average
Oh, No! Nothing to fuss about
Offense
Oh, Yeah! QB Carson Palmer’s passing, RT Willie Anderson’s blockig (7-6) and WRs Chad Johnson, Chris Henry and T.J. Houshmanzadeh’s receiving.
Oh, No! Despite 1,300+ yards, HB Rudi Johnson is not enough to keep the defense honest
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Have to get to the subs for a highlight: DE Robert Geathers’ 11 pass rush
Oh, No! Poor vs. pass, including no 5s or 6s at any of the five cover positions
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! Excellent kick coverage; strong FG kicking and punting
Oh, No ! Extra-point misses on #11. -4 on non-mandatory penalties
Offense
Oh, Yeah! TE Kellen
Winslow has a star’s card with 9.8 yds per catch. QB
Charlie Frye’s
Oh, No! HB Reuben Droughns is the worst No. 1 runner in the set. And he’ll get no help from a dreadful OL
Defense
Oh, Yeah! ROLB Kamerion Wimbley’s (9*) 12 pass rush plus a 6 (SS Sean Jones) and two 5s in the secondary
Oh, No! Big yards, few fumbles and a 3-4 with a 0 nose tackle (Ted Washington!) = Poor vs. run
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! KR Josh Cribbs’ TD; P Dave Zastudil
Oh, No! Long Gain on kickoff coverage; FG kicker Phil Dawson is only 2-6, 11, 12 from 23-32 yd line
Offense
Oh, Yeah! HB Tatum Bell’s breakaway running ER (15 chances of Short Gain or better) and OT is far more consistent than last year’s hit-or-miss card. C Tom Nalen (7-6) anchors a strong middle of OL. FL Javron Walker provides much-needed big-time deep threat.
Oh, No! See for yourself why QB Jake Plummer
was cut mid-season – but not until after 317 passes … SE Rod Smith has got to rank
among the worst
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Three 6s where they really matter: MLB Al Wilson, LCB Champ Bailey, FS John Lynch
Oh, No! Though Broncos don’t yield many big plays, they don’t make many, either
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! Set’s best +5 non-mandatory penalties
(only 1 chance for
Oh, No! Broncos still looking for a strong KO return man
Offense
Oh, Yeah! QB
David Carr’s dynamite
Oh, No! LT (Ephraim Salaam) is not where a 0-0 blocking OL can hide. The RBs average less than 4 yards per carry on their own cards – Wrong – and three 0-blocking OL won’t help them
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Yardage on plays not requiring defender’s rating surprisingly decent
Oh, No! Low-low interceptions, no pass rush and three 0s in the secondary = Poor vs. pass
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! Nothing special about these mostly average special teams
Oh, No! Long Gains on both kickoff and punt coverage
Offense
Oh, Yeah! With set’s best passing card, strong receiving corps and great pass blocking, QB Peyton Manning will pass without fear. LT Tarik Glenn, also a 6 run blocker, is one of three 7 pass blockers
Oh, No!
Defense
Oh, Yeah! FS Bob Sanders is a 6 again despite missing most of year with injury
Oh, No! Poor run D has Short Gain at #7 on all three runs with 0 LB in zone. Front seven’s three 0s and three 4s won’t help
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! PR Terrence Wilkins’ TD. Adam Vinatieri is only FG kicker good 2-10 thru 32 yd line
Oh, No! blocked punt, missed extra point and very poor kick coverage (Long Gains on both KR and PR)
Offense
Oh, Yeah! Perhaps the best running game in the set – HB Fred Taylor great Off Tackle and HB Maurice Jones-Drew explosive on End Run (Long Gain, +74, +25 and 16 total chances of Short Gain or better) behind OL that goes 5-6-5-6 from C to TE
Oh, No! A passing game made to frustrate – erratic QBs and receivers (many drops, not a single Long Gain)
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Few yards allowed on ground and air. Good vs. both run and pass – a rarity in this set. Twin 6s at DT – John Henderson and Marcus Stroud – and no 0s in starting 11.
Oh, No! Only low takeaways, sacks keep this D from being Excellent-Excellent
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! KR Maurice Jones-Drew’s TD
Oh, No! The punting – a block, and +11, +17, Long Gain in coverage
Offense
Oh, Yeah! Very special RB Larry Johnson gets the toughest yards inside and Right and breaks away on all three runs (17 chances of Short Gain or better on End Run). Two 60-percent passers provide fine offensive balance. Both guards are 6-run blockers and LG Will Shields is a 7 pass-blocker, too.
Oh, No! Only Shields does much to protect the passers
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Nothing much above average, but Chiefs do have five 5s
Oh, No! Poor vs. pass and 0s at both LE and LT with only a 4 LLB to help
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! PR Dante Hall’s TD. P Dustin Colquitt is reliable and coverage is good.
Oh, No! FG kicker Lawrence Tynes is only 2-7, 11, 12 from 13-22 yd line (but 2-5 from 33-37)
Offense
Oh, Yeah! Fumble-free offense: Both running backs and Rec/QB
Oh, No! Nothing else to get enthusiastic about
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Excellent vs. run, with 6s at LT (Keith Traylor), RE (Jason Taylor) and MLB (Zach Thomas)
Oh, No! Poor vs. pass on high
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! KO man Olindo Mare’s 14 touchback chances (next best in set: 9 chances)
Oh, No! Blocked punt
Offense
Oh, Yeah! QB Tom Brady’s 15
Oh, No! Drop-prone SE Reche Caldwell is the closest thing to a dangerous receiver
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Good to Excellent vs. both run and pass. Front in 3-4 are all 6s – Richard Seymour is a 6 at both DT and DE, with (1*) 12 pass-rushing, too.
Oh, No! FS Artrell Hawkins is a 0. No 6s among Patriots’ once-vaunted LB crew
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! PR
Ellis
Oh, No! Long Gain on punt return
Offense
Oh, Yeah! HB Leon Washington’s 18 chances for Short Gain or better on End Run Wrong are the most in the set. C Nick Mangold is a 7 pass blocker
Oh, No! QB Chad Pennington has only 7
Defense
Oh, Yeah! 6-rated FS Kerry Rhodes and blitzing right-side LBs Bryan Thomas and Victor Hobson (both 5s)
Oh, No! The defense cannot force a fumble. A 3-4 with a 0 at NT and RE is trouble.
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! KR Justin Miller’s TD at #3. Excellent kick coverage. Best-in-set +5 in non-mandatory penalties
Oh, No! Blocked punt
Offense
Oh, Yeah! No strengths, but interception-prone QB Andrew Walter gets good better yardage than most on his completions
Oh, No! Nothing but 0s for pass-blockers; OL has three 0s and three 4s for run-blocking. This is not the Randy Moss we remember.
Defense
Oh, Yeah! A pair of asterisk pass-rushers, a 6 (LCB Nnamdi Asomugha) and a 5 at RCB make Raiders Good to Excellent vs. pass
Oh, No! Unable to force a fumble and Poor vs. run
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! FG kicker Sebastian Janikowski is 2-6 from 33-38 yd line
Oh, No! Horrific (and worst in set) -6 on non-mandatory penalties; Blocked punt and very poor kick coverage (though no Long Gain)
Offense
Oh, Yeah! A lot of big plays from HB Willie Parker and the WRs
Oh, No! Both QB Ben Roethlisberger and Parker are high-risk, high-reward players – which means very inconsistent
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Excellent vs. run – a 3-4 that doesn’t need much LB help in run gaps, especially with 6-rated NT Casey Hampton, 6-rated LE Aaron Smith and a 5 at RE.
Oh, No! A 0 and two 4s in the secondary; no asterisk pass-rushers, a Steelers rarity
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! PR Santonio Holmes’ TD; +4 in non-mandatory penalties; superb punt coverage (+1, +2, +3)
Oh, No! Long Gain on kickoff returns
Offense
Oh, Yeah! Fumble-free offense, both the RBs and Rec/QB … 28-TD HB LaDainian Tomlinson not only breaks big plays, he cannot lose yardage on Linebuck Right. Backup HB Michael Turner has the most consistently explosive Wrong columns in the set … C Nick Hardwick and FB Lorenzo Neal (both 7-6 blockers) lead unit with all 7 and 5 pass-blockers and three 6s and three 5s for run-blocking
Oh, No! 61-percent passer Philip Rivers has 11 misses on Flat Pass Wrong
Defense
Oh, Yeah! Dynamic ROLB Shawne Merriman – a 6 with (11*) 12 pass rush – leads front seven with four 6s and two 5s. The lone 4, LOLB Shaun Phillips, adds an asterisk sacker from both sides.
Oh, No! A 0 and two 4s in the secondary
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! #2 KR Antonio Cromartie has +91 at #3
Oh, No! AFC’s best season team solid, unspectacular in all areas
Offense
Oh, Yeah! With QB Vince Young, 17 must run chances is not a good play on first down. C Kevin Mawae is a 7 pass-blocker, 6 run-blocker
Oh, No! Probably the worst
Defense
Oh, Yeah! RCB Pacman Jones and RLB Keith Bullock, both 6s
Oh, No! Yards galore against team Average/Poor vs. both run, pass. Four 0s and no weak pass rush will hurt, too
Special Teams
Oh, Yeah! PR Pacman Jones’ TD at #4
Oh, No ! No complaints -- average or better in every category