2019 NFL Thrills and Chills, Part I
By Glenn Guzzo
Here’s a brief summary of the highlights and lowlights of Strat-O-Matic’s new football ratings:
ARIZONA
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Fitzgerald still the best receiver on the team … QB Murray’s versatility and RB Drake’s explosiveness refresh the Cardinals attack … minimum RB fumbles
Oh No! Fitzgerald still the best receiver on the team … 0 run blockers from LG to RT
Defense:
Oh Yeah! ROLB Jones’ (12*) pass rush
Oh No! John McEnroe SP D – “You CAN’T be serious!” There IS no defense vs. SP – worse w/4Men than other teams with 3Men … This Very Poor pass D has low INTs, no blanks in SP w/3Men and two 0s in the secondary
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Lee’s booming punts (still 50 yds on #7), Gonzalez’ sure-footed placekicking
Oh No! Blocked punt … LG on punt returns
ATLANTA
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Powerful receiver group w/WR Jones (max+2-tmd catches), WR Ridley,
TE Hooper, RB Freeman … 7 pass blockers at C, LT … QB Ryan Wrong: 25 SP, 13 LP chances
Oh No! Snap-Crackle-No Pop RBs won’t discourage Pass D calls and Ryan has high picks Right
Defense:
Oh Yeah! DRT Jarrett: 6 v run, 8 rush
Oh No! Only Jarrett and extra LBs can save this run D … Poor pass D w/five 0s in the back seven
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Barner PR TD … Koo’s FG: 2-9 up to 49 yds, 2-6 to 55 yds
Oh No! Blocked punt, XP miss on 11
CAROLINA
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Do-it-all RB McCaffrey w/+84, +76, +58 runs, great FP/SP … WR Moore one notch below max catches at all ranges
Oh No! No Cam do: With Newton non-factor, QB Allen not nearly good enough
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Asterisk rushers at both OLB … 66 MLB Keuchly, 60 FS Boston
Oh No! long gain-heavy LP w/0Men
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! FG good 2-7, 11, 12 to 55 yds
Oh No! XP misses on 10,11 … lg on punt coverage
CHICAGO
Offense:
Oh Yeah! 98-catch WR Robinson lacks LG, but nothing else
Oh No! The pass offense is Robinson and … whomever you can trade for .. Both tackles are 0 run blockers (the other three on OL are 4s)
Defense:
Oh Yeah! 6-rated FS Jackson, two 5s in the secondary … Good run D only if defenders (a 6 and three 5s in front seven) come through. ROLB Mack is the 6 and an asterisk rusher
Oh No! The run yardage and few fumbles when the defenders don’t solve the problem
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! KOR TD, +71 PR, 75-yd punt
Oh No! Blocked punt, XP miss on 11
DALLAS
Offense:
Oh Yeah! 5 receivers with LGs and five possession receivers can stress any D … This Prescott card looks like he’s worth the contract … Both OT,and RG are 5,6 blockers. Center Frederick is 5,6
Oh No! RBs Elliott, Pollard will do fine, but lack home-run clout
Defense:
Oh Yeah! LE Lawrence (6) and RE Quinn (asterisk rusher)
Oh No! Bend, don’t break: Few takeaways
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Forbath FG: 2-6, 11, 12 to 63 yds
Oh No! Best KOR strategy: Take a knee. Best PR strategy: Fair Catch. The lamest return guys in the set have a better chance to fumble than make a good return. Blocked punt, too.
DETROIT
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Scary-good downfield threat Goladay has max SP, LP plus 2-tmd catches … QB Stafford: 24 SP complete chances, 14 LP
Oh No! Yawn-worth RBs behind a yaw-worthy OL
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Three 5s in the secondary
Oh No! May as well guess Pass every play: Why would the other guy do anything else? Contender for worst pass D cards ever: Scarce INTs, no blanks in SP 3 Men w/LG at #4, only one blank with 4 Men – and a long gain-rich LP
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Agnew TDs on both KOR, PR … +1/4/3 punt coverage … Prater FG: 2-7, 12 from 56 yards
Oh No! long gain on KOR coverage
GREEN BAY
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Both OT are 7,6 blockers … We’ve seen better Rodgers cards, but not many better in this set … What’s not to like about 16-TD RB Aaron Jones? He has SGs Right, LGs Wrong and can go deep for +67 and LG as a receiver, too … WR Adams: Max catches at every depth … Check the yardage on sleeper WRs Kumerow and Valdes-Scantling
Oh No! All that and you want to worry? OK, there’s RG Turner’s 2 pass block
Defense:
Oh Yeah! The pass-rushing Smith “brothers” will have offenses coughing, maybe choking: ROLB Za’Darius (8*) and LOLB Preston (6*) … FIVE 5s in the secondary
Oh No! NEVER bring your FS up until the Red Zone – if you do, you’ll be there a lot with a LP 0 Men card that is LG on EVERY possible roll.
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Crosby FGs: 2-9,12 up to 49 yds
Oh No! That 13-yard punt sure looks special
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Three 7 pass blockers (both OT) … QB Goff’s 14 LP completes Wrong … minimum RB, QB/TE fumbles
Oh No! Who is that guy with Todd Gurley’s name on his run card? … Goff’s accuracy issues on FP/LP … freakish RT Havenstein (7 pass block, 0 run block)
Defense:
Oh Yeah! THREE asterisk rushers, two run-defending 6s, two coverage 6s
Oh No! Twin Short Gains at #7, 8 OT w/0 LB … Only RILB Littleton (64) avoided 0s in coverage among four starting LBs
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Zuerlein: 33 deep KO chances, perfect XP, 2-6, 12 FG to 58 yds
Oh No! blocked punt and +42/39/35 KOR coverage …
MINNESOTA
Offense:
Oh Yeah! QB Cousins: 26 SP complete chances, 14 LP … Sweet cards for sticky-handed WRs Diggs, Thielen … 7 pass block at both OT .. But if the D guesses Pass, RB Cook can hurt them plenty (he’s a force on FP, too)
Oh No! Pass block issues at C, LG
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Good to Excellent run D: Foes will have to take care on ER with a 2-6 fumble on #6 with 0 LB in zone … 66 MLB Kendricks, 6s at both safeties, and (5*) pass-rushing LE Hunter
Oh No! Target practice at RLB, RCB with their 0 pass D
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Very solid KOR, PR coverage
Oh No! Missed XP on 11, 12
NEW ORLEANS
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Always on-target QB Brees has 149-catch WR Thomas: Max (natch) and 2-tmd catches at every depth … Cook goes deep much better than most TE’s … 7,6 Ramczyk at RT, 7,5 and LT and C
Oh No! 0 run block at LG
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Excellent run D contains yards at #7, 8, features LD Jordan (6 with 5* rush), 66 RLB Davis, 65 FS Williams, 46 SS Bell … Add 6 RCB Lattimore
Oh No! Poor pass D has 0 LCB, weak pass rush up the middle
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! PR TD … +7/4/3 punt coverage … Lutz FGs and deep KO’s
Oh No! -4 penalty differential … long gain on KOR coverage
NEW YORK GIANTS
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Love me some RB Barkley, who punishes defenders Right, waves bye-bye Wrong and goes deep for LPs … WR Slayton’s max LP catches … 7 pass block RG Zeitler
Oh No! 0 run blockers at both OT, LG … Thrill is gone for Eli’s passing card, but it’s still better than QB heir Jones
Defense:
Oh Yeah! All 5s in 3-man front, (5*) rushing LOLB Golden
Oh No! Very Poor pass D features 0s at both CB, three of four LBs … Twin Short Gains at #7, 8 OT w/0 LB
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! +1/5/3 PR coverage, solid KOR coverage and good return men
Oh No! blocked punt, missed XP on 11, 12 … FG good only 2-4, 11, 12 from 23-32 yd lines
PHILADELPHIA
Offense:
Oh Yeah! RB Sanders explodes running, receiving …. WR Jackson’s max LP catches … Go with the 2-TE offense for Ertz, Goedert’s FP/LP receiving … 7,6 blockers at C, RG; three 6s, two 5s for interior OL run block
Oh No! Probably the weakest WR squad in the set for FP/LP catches … Jackson has the only LGs on the team
Defense:
Oh Yeah! LT Cox – 6 on fumble-forcing D that’s very good preventing yards, too
Oh No! 0s at both CB … 6 starters have at least one 0 … no double-digit rushers
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! +4 penalty differential
Oh No! long gain on KOR coverage; missed XP on 11
SAN FRANCISCO
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Kittle is THE TE – 6 run block, max FP/SP catches, good LP card, 2-tmd catches … backup RB Mostert could start for anyone with his 52 chances for SG or better and his pass-catching … Jusczyk: a 7,6 blocking FB who is a deep-catch threat!
Oh No! QB Garoppolo will win some, lose some behind some shaky pass blocking
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Good run D (fumble-forcing force) and Good pass D (limits catches) … 7 starters with a 6 include three DL (and a 5), two coverage LBs (and a 5), LCB Sherman, 56 FS Ward … Asterisk rusher Armstead leads three double-digit sackers
Oh No! The OLBs are 0s in run support
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! +4 penalty differential
Oh No! only 2-3 chance for 50+ FG
SEATTLE
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Always-reliable QB Wilson now has a run game w/Carson’s 32 chances of SG or better and two max LP recivers (Lockett, Metcalf_
Oh No! LT Brown is pass block 7, but 2s and 3s everywhere else … No ER for Wilson
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Fumble-forcing machine (at least 2-7 on #6 rolls w/0 LB) … 66 MLB Wagner
Oh No! Pass rush ratings: 4-3-1-4-0-5-5
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! +10/11/12 KOR coverage
Oh No! With this return group, pray that foes kick into the end zone … -4 penalty differential … Missed XP on 11, 12
TAMPA BAY
Offense:
Oh Yeah! Big-play QB Winston and WRs Evans, Goodwin. Evans, with max SP/LP and 2-tmd catches, is among the most explosive in the set
Oh No! Can Winston get Bucs into EZ before he throws an INT?
Defense:
Oh Yeah! Supreme run D does it all – stuffs the runners, forces fumbles … 66 LILB David … LOLB Barrett (46 with 12* sacks)
Oh No! Very Poor pass D gives up the catches (no 5s or 6s in secondary) and the yards
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! Almost all KO’s will be touchbacks … FG is 2-6, 11,12 from 58 yds
Oh No! Missed XP on 11, 12 … +41/37/31 KOR coverage
WASHINGTON
Offense:
Oh Yeah! 6-run block RG Scherff … RBs Peterson and Guice can help the miss-prone QBs to pass Wrong
Oh No! Only two receivers better than 2-6 LP combos. Only two have LGs … Rookie WR McLaurin is only real downfield threat … Advanced Pass Block automatic sacks: 4-8
Defense:
Oh Yeah! An 11 and two 9s rushing the passer … RCB Dunbar (6)
Oh No! Poor run D is “Ole’” LB/OT … Average to Poor pass D looks average on LP, poor on SP (LG on #4)
Special Teams:
Oh Yeah! KOR TD … Way’s punting (79, 63, still 50 yds on#8)
Oh No! -4 penalty differential
Shop Now
